Michael Jerome James appeared in Johnson Circuit Court in Franklin on Oct. 8 after a grand jury indicted him on four counts of murder in the July 24, 2006 deaths of 10-year-old Blake Dickus and his 26-year-old stepmother, Chynna Dickus.
Johnson County Prosecutor Lance Hamner told Fox News Digital that investigators had identified James as a suspect years earlier but were unable to bring charges until the legislature passed a new statute in 2025. “That’s what took us so long,” Hamner said.
Hamner said the delay stemmed from a gap in Indiana law that previously gave juvenile courts jurisdiction over crimes committed by minors, creating a dilemma when a suspected juvenile offender is identified only after reaching adulthood. A 2023 statute that attempted to address the issue was rejected by state appellate courts, the prosecutor said, and lawmakers drafted the 2025 change to address the courts’ concerns.
Criminal defense lawyer Mike Cunningham told Fox 59 News that he believes Indiana law does not permit adult prosecution for crimes committed before 2023, saying courts have found the earlier statute gave inadequate notice. If James’ defense challenges jurisdiction, that dispute could determine whether the murder case proceeds, the Fox report said.
During the Oct. 8 appearance, Johnson Circuit Court Judge Andrew Roesener was told James did not yet have an attorney but planned to hire one. Roesener gave James until Nov. 2 to retain counsel and set a status hearing for that date. A pretrial conference is scheduled for Dec. 10. James remains held without bond at the Johnson County Jail in Franklin.
Authorities accuse James of killing Blake and Chynna while burglarizing or attempting to burglarize their home on Aberdeen Drive in the Branigin Woods subdivision. Investigators determined Blake suffered multiple stab wounds, blunt-force injuries and signs of smothering, and his father, Sean Dickus, discovered the bodies, the Fox report said. Blake’s mother, Christina Smith, told WTHR that Blake appeared to have fought his attacker and had severe injuries to his hands.
For years investigators pursued leads, including a string of nearby break-ins and questioning construction workers who were in the neighborhood at the time, Hamner said. He declined to say whether authorities found evidence tying those burglaries to a juvenile or to James. Franklin Police Capt. Jeff Dawe told WTHR that James represents the first lead in the nearly 20-year investigation supported by forensic evidence; authorities have not publicly disclosed the nature of that evidence.
Hamner, first elected Johnson County prosecutor in 1991, left the office in 2009 to become a judge and later returned to the prosecutor’s office. He said a development in the investigation in 2021 — which he did not detail publicly — was a major factor in his decision to run again and continue work on the Dickus case, the Fox report said.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
