Evansville man linked to murder of Megan Nichols, victim’s friend speaks out

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Evansville police say detectives arrested an Evansville man on murder charges in relation to the 2014 disappearance/murder of Megan Nichols.

[Exclusive: People who found remains in Wayne Co. talk to 14 News]

Police say Nichols was initially considered a missing person until her remains were found in a rural area in Wayne County, Illinois in 2018.

Brodey Murbarger was arrested at his place of employment Wednesday without incident.

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Murbarger was taken to the Vanderburgh County Jail, but he is no longer an inmate. He was taken Friday to a jail in Illinois.

[Click here to see the indictment documents obtained by 14 News]

Holden August, a friend of Nichols, heard the news on Wednesday morning.

“It’s really hard to process,” August said.

It’s been six dark years for Nichols’s family and friends, whose questions were left unanswered.

“I had never had someone that I was close to that had died and, you know, that was traumatic," August said.

August says Nichols’s disappearance took awhile to digest for him and his classmates.

“When you’re hanging up a poster with your friend’s picture on it, that’s when it’s like, ‘Oh, this is real,’” August said.

However, there’s a bit of relief now that an arrest has been made.

“It’s one of those things where you kind of always knew it was him," August said.

Court documents show Murbarger was indicted on six counts. Three are for first degree murder. One is for concealment of homicidal death, and two are for home invasion.

A chapter still remains unclosed as friends and families continue to wait.

“I don’t want to get too excited," August said. "Which excited is a weird word for something like this, but I think that I’ve gotten excited from, ‘Oh, she’s been sighted over there,’ - you know, that kind of thing. A body was found - it was tragic, but maybe it’ll lead to something more. So finally leading to an arrest is great, but I guess I will truly be at ease if he is found guilty - if justice can truly be served.”

The documents show he’s accused of strangling and suffocating Megan and burying her in a shallow grave.

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