'Dateline NBC' to profile death of Illinois teen, Evansville man accused of killing her

EVANSVILLE – Dateline NBC will profile the life and tragic death of a Southern Illinois teen on Thursday – as well as the story of the Evansville man who was convicted of killing her.

The episode, titled "The Note," will tell the story of Megan Nichols, a Fairfield High School cheerleader and athlete who vanished on July 3, 2014, less than two weeks before her 16th birthday.

According to her mother, Nichols allegedly left a note in her bedroom saying she would "never be happy at home," NBC news reported.

Three years later, her remains were discovered in rural Wayne County. And two years after that, in October 2020, an arrest was finally made in the case when Evansville authorities apprehended then-24-year-old Brodey I. Murbarger outside his workplace, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's office said at the time.

He was convicted of murder earlier this year and sentenced to 50 years in prison, Illinois Department of Corrections records state. An indictment by an Illinois grand jury accused Murbarger of strangling Nichols and burying her in a shallow grave.

Nichols was born in Evansville on July 18, 1998. Her obituary described her as an "energetic, happy young lady" who loved volleyball, playing in the school band and singing in show choir.

According to a news release from NBC, Dateline reporter Andrea Canning interviewed Nichols' mother, Kathy Jo Hutchcraft, as well as Murbarger's former roommate.

The episode will air at 9 p.m. CST on NBC and stream on Peacock.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Dateline NBC airing episode about murder of Megan Nichols