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Indiana Man Indicted in 2006 Cold-Case Stabbing Deaths of Boy and Stepmother
Just the facts
The victims were stabbed to death during an apparent burglary at their residence in Franklin, Indiana, where investigators recovered forensic evidence linking James to the crime scene. Authorities identified James as a prime suspect years prior, but state juvenile jurisdiction statutes previously barred adult courts from trying individuals for offenses allegedly committed when they were 14 years old. After the Indiana Supreme Court invalidated a 2023 legislative attempt to close the loophole, the state legislature passed an updated statute in 2025 granting criminal jurisdiction over former juvenile offenders. James appeared before Johnson Circuit Court Judge Andrew Roesener following his indictment, where he was ordered held without bond at the Johnson County Jail pending a status hearing.
Why this is news
A Johnson County grand jury in Indiana indicted 35-year-old Michael Jerome James on four counts of murder in connection with the July 24, 2006 stabbing deaths of 10-year-old Blake Dickus and 26-year-old Chynna Dickus. The charges became possible after Indiana lawmakers enacted statutory revisions in 2025 to allow adult prosecution for violent crimes committed by minors who had aged out of the juvenile justice system.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.