Indiana authorities have arrested a man, whom they believe may have been responsible for the double murder of a young boy and his stepmother in 2006. The case of Chynna Dickus, 26, and her stepson Black Dickus, 10, has been unsolved for over 20 years, and although the double murder went cold, there is finally hope for the victims’ families.
Horrifying Double Murder
Chynna and Blake were murdered in their Franklin, Indiana home on July 24, 2006. Husband and father, Sean Dickus, returned home that day to find his family had been stabbed to death. Blake was also determined to have been beaten and suffocated before he died.
Authorities searched for their killer for years, using billboards, a $25,000 reward, and “tens of thousands of man-hours,” but were unsuccessful until now. On October 2, 2026, the Franklin Police Department (FPD) announced that 35-year-old Michael Jermone James had been indicted by a grand jury in connection with the deaths of Chynna and Blake Dickus.
Arrest After Decades of Investigation
According to Johnson County, Indiana, jail records. James would have been 14 years old at the time of the horrific crime. He was arrested and charged with two counts of murder. “For 20 years, Blake and Chynna’s families have carried the weight of an unimaginable loss, waiting for this day,” Franklin Police Chief Kirby Cochran said in a statement on Friday.
“On behalf of the Franklin Police Department, I want them to know that we have never forgotten their loved ones and we have never stopped seeking justice.”
“Today’s development is an important moment, not only for our department, but most importantly for the families and for Blake and Chynna, whose lives were taken from them,” Cochran said.
Grand Jury Indictment
Johnson County Prosecutor Lance D. Hamner said the grand jury reviewed evidence and testimony for three weeks in the double murder case before indicting James for the deaths of Chynna and Blake Dickus. Hamner added that he has been seeking justice in the cold case since the beginning.
“This tragic crime occurred during my first tenure as Johnson County Prosecutor in 2006, and the tragedy has remained with me ever since,” Hamner said. “In fact, 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. This was something I could not talk about at the time.”
James’ indictment on Friday “marks an important milestone and is not the end of our work; it is the result of it,” Cochran said. “The Franklin Police Department will continue to assist the Prosecutor’s Office as needed and will fully respect the integrity of the legal process,” he added.
“We will remain committed and engaged until justice is served.”
Looking For a Motive
Since the indictment, authorities have not been able to share details or evidence in the case, and they have not identified a motive. However, based on the investigation’s history, investigators believe it was a daytime burglary gone horribly wrong. The Branigin Woods subdivision where the Dickus family lived saw an increase in home burglaries during the summer of 2006.
“What was in his mind at the time, being that young to want to do something to those people, especially the little boy?” James’ neighbor, Nancy Nigh, told Fox59.
Chynna Dickus’ Friend Speaks Out
According to a close friend of Chynna, the victim’s mother, Marsha, died before she could see an arrest in the case. Apparently, Marsha “wanted more than anything” for her daughter’s murder to be solved and see justice for her.
“I wish she was here to see this, you know, it’s what she wanted more than anything, and she lived day to day in agony that her daughter and step-grandson were not here,” Lance Fischer, friend of Chynna, said.
However, he expressed that he was still ecstatic to hear that an arrest had finally been made. “I heard the news, and it was just a sigh of relief, and honestly, it brought tears to my eyes, tears of joy,” he said.
