Finally! after nearly 20 years Franklin police say a suspect has been indicted in the 2006 slayings of Blake Michael Dickus (10) and Chynna Dickus (26). Authorities say Michael Jerome James (35) was indicted by a Johnson County grand jury and arrested in connection with the July 24, 2006 killings, which investigators now say may have happened during an attempted burglary. James would have been about 14 at the time, and prosecutors returned the indictment after reviewing evidence for several weeks, so this looks like a big development in a case that's haunted the community for decades.

He made a first court appearance in Johnson County recently and has been formally charged with murder, and I saw reports he pleaded not guilty. Next up will be the arraignment/setting of future hearings in Johnson Circuit Court, so watch for court dates and any prosecutor filings that describe the evidence

On the afternoon of July 24, 2006, ten-year-old Blake Michael Dickus and his 26-year-old stepmother, Chynna Dickus, were found murdered in the family home on Aberdeen Drive in Franklin, Indiana. Both victims had been repeatedly stabbed; Blake had also been beaten. Their father, Sean Dickus, discovered the bodies after returning home from work and was later cleared as a suspect following extensive questioning and a polygraph test.

Investigators pursued many leads, including a possible link to a string of unsolved burglaries in the area marked by a distinctive T-shaped cut in window screens — one burglary occurred the same day on the same street — and the theory that a construction worker in the developing subdivision might be responsible. Despite evidence gathered at the scene and hundreds of leads over the years, no arrests have been made and no suspects publicly identified. A substantial reward remains offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

If anyone knew Blake or Chynna, worked in that subdivision, or has information about the burglaries or the T-shaped screen cuts, please come forward.