What happened to Megan Nichols? Harrowing details of the 15-year-old's disappearance on Dateline explored

Back in 2014, the quaint town of Fairfield, Illinois, was devastated by the sudden disappearance of Megan Nichols, a bright 15-year-old who loved cheerleading and playing music. On July 3rd, she went missing from her house, leaving behind a mysterious note that added to the heart-wrenching puzzle.

For three long years, the townsfolk held onto hope, until her body was sadly found in a makeshift grave in the surrounding countryside of Wayne County, Illinois. In 2020, a guy named Brodey Ian Murbarger, who used to know Megan Nichols, was picked up by the cops and ended up being found guilty of her murder.

A Dateline NBC episode called The Note takes us back to that terrifying time, and the pain it brought to Megan Nichols' loved ones.

Megan Nichols' disappearance haunted Fairfield, Illinois

On the night of July 3, 2014, Megan Nichols was last spotted at her place in Fairfield. She shared her home with her mom, Kathy Jo Hutchcraft, and her stepdad. Around 11 o'clock, Kathy Jo found out Megan wasn't around anymore.

She came across a note Megan had left behind, and it said,

“I’ll never be happy at home.”

Megan Nichols had stopped by the local bank to grab some cash while she was out on her bike ride. But what happened next was something no one could've predicted. Her phone, which was left at home, had been completely wiped clean. This just added to the puzzling situation that was about to unfold.

At first, the cops thought Megan might've just decided to take off on her own like a typical runaway scenario. But her family was adamant that wasn't the case. They knew her better than that. Then, her mom, Kathy Jo, remembered seeing Brodey Murbarger's car in the background of a video from the ATM where Megan had withdrawn the money. It gave her the creeps.

Megan Nichols' friends and neighbors didn't waste any time. They plastered her picture all over town, hoping someone would recognize her and come forward with information. They did everything they could to keep her story out there. But, sadly, it took three long years before there was any real progress.

Then, in December 2017, a discovery was made in the rural areas of Wayne County. The police found some human remains, and a month later, DNA tests confirmed that they belonged to Megan. Her disappearance was no longer a mystery to be solved; it was now a full-blown murder investigation that everyone was eager to get to the bottom of.

The arrest and conviction of Brodey Murbarger

Brodey Ian Murbarger, who used to date Megan Nichols, got arrested on October 8, 2020, in Evansville, Indiana. This was right outside the place where he worked.

The reason for the arrest was that a group of people in Illinois called a grand jury and said he was accused of killing Megan in the first degree, hiding her body, and breaking into her home. The cops went to his house and found some important evidence that could show he did it.

Murbarger is believed to have choked Megan and stopped her from breathing until she couldn't anymore. Then he buried her in a spot that wasn't very deep. While the specifics of their relationship are still being checked out, Megan's friends and family had thought for a long time that he might have had something to do with it.

A classmate named Holden August talked about it, saying:

“It’s one of those things where you kind of always knew it was him.”

Then in 2023, Murbarger was found guilty and got a sentence of 50 years in jail. Megan Nichols' mom, Kathy Jo, talked about it in an interview and said that even though the bad guy got punished, it still didn't make her feel much better.

She said:

“I dream about her, and then I have to wake up to this.”

Megan Nichols' Dateline episode

Megan Nichols' obituary described her as:

“An energetic, happy young lady who always tried to bring joy and laughter to anyone around her.”

Megan Nichols lit up the room with her passions for cheerleading, sports, and singing. Her lively spirit touched the hearts of everyone she met.

Dateline NBC's episode, The Note, goes into her story, sharing the tough emotions and the intricate details of what happened. You'll get to hear from Megan's mom, one of her old roommates, and even some police folks working the case.

This episode shows how strong a community can be when they come together to find the truth and get justice for someone they've lost.