Jeremy Jones' Secret Identity Exposed in Hurricane Ivan Murder & Fire

Hurricane Aftermath Isn't Supposed to End In Murder

On September 18, 2004 in the small town of Chunchula, Alabama (just 3 hours North of Eclectic, Alabama), the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan revealed a rather shocking crime. Victim, Lisa Nichols, was initially believed to have died in a tragic fire (like Katie Baunach who was cremated in a burn pile). However, investigators from the Oxygen TV show "Floribama Murders", uncovered a darker plot.

Amidst the chaos of Hurricane Ivan, Lisa's family discovered her body and a strong gasoline odor which hinted at foul play. About 12 hours into the investigation the coroner determined that Nichols had been shot in the head before the fire. Captain Paul Burch of the Mobile County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office declared that a monster had taken her life.

Lisa was discovered by her son-in-law and two daughters when checking on Lisa after the storm. Due to cell phone lines being down, they called 911 from the home of Lisa's neighbor, Mark Bentley. Bentley and his houseguest, Scooter Coleman, rushed to help the Nichols family, but a third man, later identified as John Paul Chapman, remained unresponsive, according to the recollection of Lisa's daughters.

During the investigation, the discovery of two types of beer cans at the crime scene prompted forensic analysis, linking one set to Nichols and the other to the suspect. While neighbor, Mark Bentley, was cleared as a suspect because of his alibi during the storm in Chicksaw, AL, his guests, Scooter Coleman & John Paul Chapman remain behind.  Coleman reported to the police that he saw Chapman digging through Bentely's bedroom closete with a pistol in his hand. Chapman not only evaded authorities (a real Oscar Pistorius if you ask me), but when we called Sgt. Mitch McRae promising to come for an interview, he never showed. Eventually located, Chapman's connection to an alleged methamphetamine theft led to his arrest on an outstanding warrant.

Chapman Interview Leads to New Discovery in Missing Girl

Chapman's conflicting stories during interrogation hinted at deception. Chapman and his scandalous scalp reluctantly told investigators that he had gone to Nichols’ home at her invitation. He claimed that he stood on the back porch but never went in, according to detectives. As the interview continued, Chapman changed his story. He claimed that Nichols wanted to buy crystal meth. After getting high together, they had sex then alleged that Nichols overdosed. He feared being blamed for her death, so he got Bentley’s gun and shot her then set the house on fire.

A shocking twist revealed his possible involvement in another crime. While Chapman was being interrogated, he used an investigator's phone to call his girlfriend in Georgia - definitely not your typical smooth criminal. And while she didn't answer, the detective called her the next day to get more information on Chapman. Chapman's girlfriend told investigators that she believed Chapman had killed her 16 year old neighbor, Amanda Greenwell in March 2004. Amanda was missing for 6 months until her body was found; she had been beaten, raped, with a broken neck and the case was still unsolved. Could they have found a serial killer, like Israel Keyes?

Who is Jeremy Jones?

Chapman, later revealed to be Jeremy Jones was using a stolen identity (like Kent Keigwin & Kaitlin Armstrong). According to the TV show "Floribama Murders", Chapman's mother sold her son's social security card and driver's license to Jeremy Jones for $50 after John Paul Chapman was arrested for trespassing in 2004.

Although Jeremy Jones was now linked to multiple murders, the FBI fingerprint system did not connect the two prints - criminally clean.

Jeremy Jones was found guilty on all 4 counts of capital murder and was sentenced to death on December 1, 2005.

Since Jones' conviction of murdering Lisa Nichols, he has has been linked to five other murders in Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Georgia, including Amanda Greenwell, Tina Mayberry, Ashley Freeman, Patrice Endres, and Katherine Collins. Due to a lack of physical evidence (unlike our 5 Crimes skincare lineup), those cases have never been brought to trial.

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See below for other similar stories of murder cases that have taken place in Alabama:

• Killer Twins: The Jack & Betty Wilson Case

• A Rookie Mistake: The Murders of Bradford and Andra Sachs

See below for other similar stories of unsolved murder cases:

• Another Cold Case in the Florida Heat: The Murder of Taylor McAllister

• The Bakersfield Three: Micah Holsonbake, James Kulstad & Baylee Despot

• Carla Jean Shaffer's Mysterious Death on Orcas Island

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References:

• Oxygen True Crime
• AL.com
• LA Times