Indiana man, 35, indicted and arrested over 2006 killings of boy and stepmother
Michael Jerome James, 35, was indicted by a grand jury and arrested in Indiana over the July 2006 deaths of 10-year-old Blake Dickus and his stepmother Chynna Dickus, 26. Prosecutors have not disclosed the evidence; he was about 14 at the time and will be tried as an adult.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 1Police in Indiana have arrested Michael Jerome James, 35, after a grand jury indicted him for the murders of Chynna Dickus and her stepson Blake Dickus, according to the Franklin Police Department. The IndependentLC “Michael Jerome James, 35, has been indicted by a grand jury for allegedly murdering both Chynna Dickus and her stepson, Blake Dickus” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1Sean Dickus returned home on 24 July 2006 and found the bodies of his 10-year-old son Blake and his wife Chynna, 26. The IndependentLC “On July 24, 2006, Sean Dickus returned to his home and found the bodies of his 10-year-old son, Blake, and his wife, 26-year-old Chynna” Read at The Independent ↗ Right · 1The New York Post reported that Chynna Dickus was stabbed to death and Blake was knifed, beaten and suffocated, in their Franklin home. New York PostR “Chynna Dickus was stabbed to death, while Blake Dickus was knifed, beaten and suffocated.” Read at New York Post ↗
Right · 1The New York Post said James was arrested at his Shelbyville home on Friday by Franklin Police, Shelby County Police and an FBI agent, according to a neighbour who spoke to Fox59. New York PostR “Franklin Police, Shelby County Police, and an FBI agent arrested the suspect, his neighbor Dale Fornett told Fox59.” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1James would have been 14 at the time; Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner said he has been indicted on two counts of murder and will be tried as an adult. New York PostR “James would’ve been 14 at the time of the killings but Lance Hamner, a Johnson County prosecutor, said the suspect, who has been indicted on two counts of murder, will be tried as an adult.” Read at New York Post ↗ Mixed · 2The grand jury reviewed the evidence for three weeks before returning the indictment, and Hamner said his office cannot share further details of the evidence or deliberations. The IndependentLC “Grand jury members reviewed the evidence for three weeks before delivering the indictment.” Read at The Independent ↗ New York PostR “Prosecutors have not disclosed the evidence they say link James to the double murders.” Read at New York Post ↗
Mixed · 2Franklin Police Chief Kirby Cochran said investigators used forensic science and persistence to build the case, and the department said it had never stopped seeking justice for the families. The IndependentLC “FPD Police Chief Kirby Cochran said that investigators used forensic science and persistence to bring the case against James.” Read at The Independent ↗ New York PostR “Detectives reviewed evidence, pursued new leads, leveraged advances in forensic science” Read at New York Post ↗ Mixed · 2Reward offers for information had stood at $25,000 on billboards and posters; in September the reward rose to $100,000, and the arrest came days later. The IndependentLC “Beginning in September, the reward for information leading to an arrest rose to $100,000.” Read at The Independent ↗ New York PostR “Friday’s arrest came just days after the reward for information on the killings quadrupled to $100,000.” Read at New York Post ↗ Left · 1Hamner said the case motivated him to return as prosecutor, as it occurred during his first tenure in 2006. The IndependentLC “a primary driving force behind my decision to leave the bench as judge and run for prosecutor once again was to seek justice in this case.” Read at The Independent ↗
Right · 1According to the New York Post, citing a source close to the investigation who spoke to WTHR, James grew up a few miles from the scene; he was born in Texas, removed from his home by Child Protective Services, and adopted by an aunt after his mother's death, and neighbours said he had lived in the Shelbyville area for about two years. New York PostR “was adopted by his aunt after his mom’s death and they moved to Indiana.”“It has since emerged that James grew up just a few miles away from the murder scene, a source close to the investigation told WTHR.” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1The motive remains unclear. Investigators suspected in 2015 that burglaries, one on the day of the killings, may have been linked, and also examined a possible domestic violence link. Hamner said police are not seeking other suspects or co-conspirators. New York PostR “The motive of the killings still remains unclear – despite the arrest.”“Cops are not looking for any other suspects or co-conspirators in relation to the killings, Hamner said.” Read at New York Post ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Short report of the arrest and indictment, led by the grand jury's three-week review and the long-unsolved case.
- Emphasis
- Police and prosecutor statements, the raised reward, and the prosecutor's personal motivation.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Omits James's age at the time, the method of killing, the arrest details and his background.
- Charged language
- “Police say they just arrested the killer”
- For example
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“Grand jury members reviewed the evidence for three weeks before delivering the indictment.” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Longer, suspect-focused account led by James's age at the time and the 'on the run' angle.
- Emphasis
- Gruesome details of the killings, the suspect's background and neighbours' reactions, the adult trial and unclear motive.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the prosecutor's personal motivation for returning to the role.
- Charged language
- “20 years on the run”“knifed, beaten and suffocated”
- For example
-
“An Indiana man accused of killing a boy and stepmom when he was a teen has been arrested after 20 years on the run.” — New York Post
What every side reports
- Michael Jerome James, 35, has been indicted on murder charges over the deaths of Chynna Dickus and Blake Dickus in Franklin, Indiana, in 2006.
- A grand jury heard the evidence for three weeks.
- Prosecutors have not disclosed the evidence against James.
- The reward had been raised to $100,000 shortly before the arrest.
Where accounts differ
-
Whether James was 'on the run' for 20 years
- Left
- The Independent says only that the case went unsolved for 20 years and does not say the suspect was a fugitive.
- Right
- The New York Post says he was arrested 'after 20 years on the run', though it also reports he lived in the Shelbyville area.
Left1 article
-
A young boy and a stepmom were found murdered 20 years ago. Police say they just arrested the killer
Neutral Straightforward police-and-prosecutor-sourced report of the arrest, with the reward increase as context.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
Indiana murder suspect arrested 20 years after allegedly killing boy and stepmom when he was a teen
Mixed Detail-rich, suspect-centred report stressing his youth at the time, graphic injuries and the unexplained motive.
- 3 Oct 18:31 First The IndependentLC A young boy and a stepmom were found murdered 20 years ago. Police say they just arrested the killer
- 5 Oct 08:34 +38h 3m New York PostR Indiana murder suspect arrested 20 years after allegedly killing boy and stepmom when he was a teen
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.