An Indiana man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for the murder of a 15-year-old girl in southern Illinois from 2014.
Brody Murbarger, 27, of Evansville, was sentenced last week in Wayne County Circuit Court, Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced in a news release on Friday.
A jury found Murbarger guilty in October of first-degree murder in 15-year-old Megan Nichols' death.
Wayne County State's Attorney Kevin Kakac's office had referred the case to the Attorney General for prosecution.
According to the Attorney General's office, Murbarger and Nichols were dating during the summer of 2014 when they ran away together. Murbarger was 18 years old at the time. He returned home alone the morning after running away.
Nichols' remains were found in 2017 in a shallow grave in Boyleston, not far from where she lived in Fairfield. Her cause of death was determined to be probable asphyxiation, Raoul's news release stated.
"When Megan Nichols disappeared in 2014, the lives of her family and friends changed forever," Raoul said in the release. "Throughout this case, my office has been committed to obtaining justice for Megan and for her loved ones. While nothing will make up for the tremendous loss they have experienced, I hope that this sentence will aid in their healing."
Assistant Attorneys General Michael Falagario and Myra Yelle-Clark handled the case for Raoul's office.
