Blake Dickus

A 10 year old boy and his stepmother are murdered in their Franklin, IN home
Blake Dickus was a 10-year-old White male whose life was tragically taken on July 24, 2006, in Franklin, Indiana. He was murdered alongside his 26-year-old stepmother, Chynna Lynne Dickus, inside their family home on Aberdeen Drive in the Branigin Woods subdivision of Johnson County. The brutal double homicide shocked the quiet residential community and launched an investigation that would continue for two decades before authorities announced a significant breakthrough.

On that summer Monday, Blake had been spending time with his father, Sean Dickus, and his stepmother. He was preparing to return to his biological mother, Christina Smith, following a weekend visit. However, sometime during the day, an intruder apparently entered the family's residence, and both Blake and Chynna were subjected to a violent attack. When Sean returned home shortly before 5:15 p.m., he discovered their bodies and ran outside to seek help. Police and emergency personnel responded to the residence, where they encountered a disturbing crime scene.

Investigators determined that both victims had suffered multiple stab wounds. Blake had also sustained severe blunt-force injuries and showed signs of smothering. His injuries suggested that he had desperately struggled against his attacker. His biological mother later described learning that Blake had suffered extensive injuries to his hands, apparently while trying to defend himself from the knife. Investigators discovered blood throughout the residence, and an early search warrant described a wooden two-by-four board with blood on one end. Chynna was found on the home's second floor. The circumstances indicated an exceptionally violent confrontation, although investigators initially struggled to determine what had motivated the killings.

During the early investigation, detectives examined Sean Dickus because he had discovered the bodies and was among the last people known to have seen the victims alive. He cooperated with investigators, underwent extensive questioning, and submitted to a polygraph examination. Authorities ultimately cleared him of involvement. Nevertheless, public speculation continued for years, adding to the suffering of a family already devastated by the deaths.

Investigators explored several possible explanations, including whether the murders were connected to a series of residential burglaries occurring in Franklin around the same period. Five burglaries attracted particular attention, with several taking place within approximately half a mile of the Dickus residence. One occurred on the same street and the same day as the murders. Investigators discovered that some of the burglaries involved window screens cut in an unusual T-shaped pattern. The incidents generally occurred during weekday daytime hours, raising questions about whether someone had been entering homes while residents were away. Detectives also questioned construction workers employed in the developing neighborhood, but neither investigative avenue initially produced an arrest.

As the years passed, Franklin police continued collecting information, reviewing evidence, and pursuing hundreds of leads. Blake's mother remained deeply involved in efforts to obtain answers. The investigation eventually received assistance from the Vidocq Society, an organization of experienced investigators and forensic specialists that examines difficult unsolved homicide cases. Authorities also used public appeals, billboards displaying the victims' photographs, and a reward initially set at $25,000. Despite these efforts, the killings remained unresolved for years, leaving both families without an explanation for the violence that had destroyed their lives.

A major development eventually emerged from the longstanding investigation. According to Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner, investigators had identified Michael Jerome James as a suspect years before charges were filed. In 2021, authorities believed they had made an important breakthrough, although the specific evidence that initially directed attention toward James was not publicly disclosed. Franklin Police Captain Jeff Dawe subsequently indicated that James represented the first investigative lead supported by forensic evidence. Authorities have not publicly identified the particular forensic findings involved.

An unusual legal complication delayed prosecution. James was only 14 years old when the murders occurred, and Indiana law presented jurisdictional obstacles to prosecuting someone as an adult for an offense allegedly committed as a juvenile when no juvenile charges had been filed at the time. Prosecutors worked through changes in state law, including legislation enacted in 2023 that encountered legal challenges. Additional legislation passed in 2025 provided what prosecutors believed was a legal pathway to pursue the decades-old homicide charges. However, questions concerning the application of those laws to conduct from 2006 could still become an issue in court.

On October 2, 2026, nearly twenty years after the murders, authorities announced the arrest of Michael Jerome James, then 35, at his residence in Shelbyville, Indiana. A Johnson County grand jury had reviewed approximately three weeks of evidence and testimony before returning an indictment. The arrest represented the first criminal prosecution directly connected to the deaths of Blake and Chynna.

James was charged with four murder counts: two counts alleging murder and two counts alleging murder during the commission or attempted commission of burglary. Prosecutors alleged that the killings occurred while James was burglarizing or attempting to burglarize the Dickus residence. Although investigators had long examined nearby burglaries as a possible connection, authorities had not publicly established that James committed those other break-ins. Because the case was prosecuted through a grand jury indictment, much of the evidence supporting the charges remained undisclosed.

On October 8, 2026, James appeared before Johnson Circuit Court Judge Andrew Roesener and entered a plea of not guilty. During the hearing, he indicated that he intended to obtain private legal representation but needed additional time to arrange payment. The court scheduled a hearing concerning his legal representation for November 2. James was initially held without bond in the Johnson County Jail, where he was separated from the general inmate population for safety reasons. Later in October, he was transferred to the Brown County Jail for his protection and well-being.

The court tentatively scheduled a pretrial conference for December 10, 2026, and a jury trial for January 12, 2027, although officials acknowledged that the trial could be delayed because of the complexity of the case. As of the latest publicly reported developments, James had not been tried or convicted, and the charges remained allegations subject to proof in court.

For Blake's biological mother, Christina Smith, the arrest brought an emotional mixture of relief, grief, and the possibility of long-awaited justice. During James's initial court appearance, family members gathered wearing buttons displaying photographs of Blake and Chynna. Smith described trembling when the accused man entered the courtroom. The announcement also carried profound meaning for Chynna's loved ones, including those who had continued seeking answers after her mother's death.

The murders of Blake Dickus and Chynna Dickus left an enduring impact on their families and the Franklin community. What began as a horrific discovery inside a suburban home in July 2006 developed into a decades-long pursuit of accountability involving extensive investigative work, forensic developments, and unusual legal challenges. The October 2026 arrest marked a major turning point, but the judicial process remained ongoing. For Blake's family, the hope is that the proceedings will finally establish what happened inside the Aberdeen Drive residence and bring accountability for the lives so violently taken.