IN - James Chadwell II, 42, arrested after girl 9, found in his home, Lafayette, 19 Apr 2021 #3

[mpnola]

Look how long it took them to charge vallow and daybell with murder. And it has always been clear it was them. Time doesn't mean it isn't coming.

 

[HistoryNut]

Look how long it took them to charge vallow and daybell with murder. And it has always been clear it was them. Time doesn't mean it isn't coming.

Excellent point.

 

[FromGermany1]

I think Alicia looks like an older Libby. Anyone else see the similarity?

I'm seeing the similarity and if I remember right, even Alicia's life had some similarities, although twice as old and not quite comparable. It maybe, that JBC did both of the murders in SD and IN. It may also be, that another killer did both of the murders. That seems to be more possible than two different perps, somehow, I believe. Intuition?

 

[WildHuncher]

I think Alicia looks like an older Libby. Anyone else see the similarity?

Yes. Just for "Hmmmm" purposes, here are Libby, one of JBC's blood-crying tats, and Alicia juxtaposed.



A perfect additional element here would be if the ME had found strangulation marks on Alicia, but he didn't. Drowning, head trauma, and an incised neck wound.

Alicia Hummel

 

[FromGermany1]

MONON Railroad Historical-Technical Society

Monon High Bridge was formerly known as Deer Creek Trestle - just saying.

 

[helpfulcharlie]

Curious, do y'all think he had a PLAN for after his attack was completed? I mean the abrupt close-to-home opportunistic nature of the attack leads me to think he was under the influence and had severely clouded judgement to even attempt what he did, but say they hadn't come knocking and/or force their way in. What then? Failed attempt at disposal in the dead of night? You know that neighborhood wasn't going to sleep anytime soon while she was missing...

 

[DeDee]

Curious, do y'all think he had a PLAN for after his attack was completed? I mean the abrupt close-to-home opportunistic nature of the attack leads me to think he was under the influence and had severely clouded judgement to even attempt what he did, but say they hadn't come knocking and/or force their way in. What then? Failed attempt at disposal in the dead of night? You know that neighborhood wasn't going to sleep anytime soon while she was missing...

I'm not sure Chadwell would require drugs or alcohol in order to attack anyone. He possesses cravings of evil intentions round the clock.

Normal folks want to assign a crutch such as whiskey for him to partake in violent actions but I just don't think he required being in an altered state of mind.

 

[helpfulcharlie]

I'm not sure Chadwell would require drugs or alcohol in order to attack anyone. He possesses cravings of evil intentions round the clock.

Normal folks want to assign a crutch such as whiskey for him to partake in violent actions but I just don't think he required being in an altered state of mind.

You're right. My mistake, thinking like a normal civilized human being again. His history suggests otherwise.

 

[MsBetsy]

Curious, do y'all think he had a PLAN for after his attack was completed? I mean the abrupt close-to-home opportunistic nature of the attack leads me to think he was under the influence and had severely clouded judgement to even attempt what he did, but say they hadn't come knocking and/or force their way in. What then? Failed attempt at disposal in the dead of night? You know that neighborhood wasn't going to sleep anytime soon while she was missing...

It's hard to say if he thought that far ahead. I think he definitely would have killed her and then tried to figure out where to hide the body.

 

[MsBetsy]

You're right. My mistake, thinking like a normal civilized human being again. His history suggests otherwise.

Well, when he stalked his girlfriend and was arrested for trespassing he was obviously drinking, since he was charged with public intoxication. He was charged with a DUI around the time he was arrested for assault, or maybe it was something else, it's hard to keep straight.

He had started drinking again by the time his latest girlfriend broke up with him, according to FB comments, and shortly afterwards he kidnapped and assaulted the nine year old.

So I think it's fair to say that alcohol may have played a role in his decisions. I think he was on a downward spiral by the time he committed the crime and alcohol would certainly have lowered his inhibitions. Imo

 

[Yemelyan]

Well, when he stalked his girlfriend and was arrested for trespassing he was obviously drinking, since he was charged with public intoxication. He was charged with a DUI around the time he was arrested for assault, or maybe it was something else, it's hard to keep straight.

He had started drinking again by the time his latest girlfriend broke up with him, according to FB comments, and shortly afterwards he kidnapped and assaulted the nine year old.

So I think it's fair to say that alcohol may have played a role in his decisions. I think he was on a downward spiral by the time he committed the crime and alcohol would certainly have lowered his inhibitions. Imo

Agreed. Alcohol didn't make him a pedophile; it didn't give him urges to hurt someone to gain his own pleasure; it did lower his inhibitions so that all of his criminal acts were more likely to occur IMO. He is still 100% responsible for his actions, of course. Alcohol is a contributing factor but not an excuse.

 

[katydid23]

If those persistent cops hadn't interrupted his evilness, he would have killed her that night. I guess he would have wrapped her up, maybe in bags or a large bin, and tried to move her out somehow. Thank Goodness they were persistent and dedicated---they saved that sweetheart's young life.

But I think he would have been quickly apprehended. I don't think he has it together, and I think his alcohol problem makes it harder for him to think things through.

Detectives would have figured out that he was seen speaking to her and they would have been on to him pretty quickly. But then again, it is sometimes just a matter of luck. If someone else looked like a more viable suspect, and the attention was diverted, this drunken creep may have had enough time to clean his basement and his truck well enough to fool them.

 

[HistoryNut]

It was nothing short of a miracle that the cops came back, otherwise no one would have ever seen that little girl again. I really believe he was going to kill her. Did the cops specify exactly why they returned to his house?

 

[MistyWaters]

It was nothing short of a miracle that the cops came back, otherwise no one would have ever seen that little girl again. I really believe he was going to kill her. Did the cops specify exactly why they returned to his house?

And on that same topic does anyone know, has it been reported anywhere how LE “got word” JBC had seen the child? IIRC early reports indicated he’d told LE directly that he saw her earlier and so they came back a 2nd time to talk to him again but it would seem both stories can’t be true.

“The girl was reported missing about 7 p.m. Monday from the 2400 block of Main Street. As officers searched for the girl in the area, police got word that Chadwell made a comment that he'd seen the girl after she was missing, police said.”
Lafayette police: Missing girl battered inside home on Park Avenue

 

[katydid23]

And on that same topic does anyone know, has it been reported anywhere how LE “got word” JBC had seen the child? IIRC early reports indicated he’d told LE directly that he saw her earlier and so they came back a 2nd time to talk to him again but it would seem both stories can’t be true.

“The girl was reported missing about 7 p.m. Monday from the 2400 block of Main Street. As officers searched for the girl in the area, police got word that Chadwell made a comment that he'd seen the girl after she was missing, police said.”
Lafayette police: Missing girl battered inside home on Park Avenue

We tried to dissect this for awhile back at the start. This is what we figured out eventually:

There had been a block party that day so a lot of neighbours were out and about. When police answered the call of a missing girl, they immediately fanned out and spoke to all people they saw.

One of the neighbours pointed to JBC's home and said they had seen the child speaking to him earlier.

The cops went to him, and I think he may have been outside at the time, perhaps in order to see what was going on. Or maybe they knocked--not sure...

But the officer asked about the child being seen with him earlier. And he said yes, she was petting my dog--or something like that---BUT SHE WENT UP THE STREET, WALKING THAT WAY.

So initially they followed the directions he gave them, that she went up the street away from him. But I imagine there were ZERO sightings of her down the street. No witnesses reported seeing her---so this officer decided that he was probably being lied to by this creepy guy. And he returned with back up to check out the house.

They probably looked up his criminal record too, and that would give them rights to enter the home because of the open warrants.Thank Goodness.

 

[MistyWaters]

We tried to dissect this for awhile back at the start. This is what we figured out eventually:

There had been a block party that day so a lot of neighbours were out and about. When police answered the call of a missing girl, they immediately fanned out and spoke to all people they saw.

One of the neighbours pointed to JBC's home and said they had seen the child speaking to him earlier.

The cops went to him, and I think he may have been outside at the time, perhaps in order to see what was going on. Or maybe they knocked--not sure...

But the officer asked about the child being seen with him earlier. And he said yes, she was petting my dog--or something like that---BUT SHE WENT UP THE STREET, WALKING THAT WAY.

So initially they followed the directions he gave them, that she went up the street away from him. But I imagine there were ZERO sightings of her down the street. No witnesses reported seeing her---so this officer decided that he was probably being lied to by this creepy guy. And he returned with back up to check out the house.

They probably looked up his criminal record too, and that would give them rights to enter the home because of the open warrants.Thank Goodness.

Thanks, I appreciate this possible explanation!

 

[Alethea]

Do we have any news about if he has an attorney, when he will be formally charged? This seems to be taking a while for any news to come out.

 

[WildHuncher]

View attachment 299015

Additional musings on that tattoo:

He choked the 9 year old until she bled from the eyes. The tat proves he was aware of that phenomenon well before he did it to her.

Not everyone knows that a certain choke hold produces that effect. I might even venture that hardly anyone knew that until this story came to public attention. He did. He doesn't have a medical degree to say the least. Where did he learn that?

It also shows he had some obsession / fantasy with doing that particular assault on female victims of a certain appearance. He draws the originals; the tat artist just copies them.

It shows a tendency to absurdly reckless flaunting / taunting behaviors. He tattooed it on his arm and posted it on social media. Incredible.

 

[Niner]

Do we have any news about if he has an attorney, when he will be formally charged? This seems to be taking a while for any news to come out.

Per my notes & I bolded some hearings.

4/26/21: Information Filed: Habitual offender. Probable cause affidavit filed. Notice of exclusion of confidential info. Advisement of Rights conducted. 4/27/21 Update: Order on Initial Hearing. Defendant appears in custody. Judicial Officer: Sarah M. Wyatt-MAG & DA Patrick K. Harrington. No contact order issued. Indigent Counsel appointed at County expense. Defendant’s counsel will be Shay Justin Hughes. $500K Surety & $50K cash bond. 4/28/21: Probable cause found. 4/29/21: Motion to continue Omnibus hearing filed. 5/4/21: Motion to continue-granted. Next pretrial hearing on 7/16/21 & trial set to begin on 8/10/21. 5/10/21: Motion to amend Count 6: Battery, serious bodily injury. 5/12/21: Motion to amend Count 6-granted. 5/14/21: Discovery disclosure. Advisement of rights conducted. 5/17/21 Update: Initial hearing conducted on Amended Count 6. Jury trial originally scheduled on 8/10/21 was rescheduled to 8/17/21 @ 8:30am; reason-Court's own motion. 5/21/21: Defense filed motion for change of venue; defendant's memorandum regarding change of venue. Defendant's exhibits 1-18 filed.

 

[Inthedetails]

It's hard to say if he thought that far ahead. I think he definitely would have killed her and then tried to figure out where to hide the body.

It's a very good question. I also think he pounced, living only in the moment and with alcohol playing a role. If he's experienced (which I think he is), he knew he had a short window of time before the alarm went out. He didn't realize his victim's mom was ON IT and knew her daughter was missing very quickly. I think he expected a bit more time.

But where to put her? I don't know if he even had a car? Would have "displayed" her outdoors in the neighborhood during the night, perhaps? Could he be that brazen? IDK....haven't thought about it until now.

Part of me thinks he doesn't really care that he was caught and therefore didn't plan ahead.

jmo