Young boy gave emotional TV interview about his mom’s death in 2007… but now he’s accused of murdering a stranger and her stepson just months before

A man who gave an emotional TV interview about the death of his mother when he was a teenager has now been accused of killing a woman and her stepson just months before.

Michael James, now 35, was arrested on Friday for the alleged murder of Chynna Dickus, 26, and her 10-year-old stepson Blake during a burglary at their home in Franklin, Indiana in July 2006.

They were found stabbed to death in what police described as a ‘senseless crime.’ Officers appealed for information on the case and offered a $25,000 reward but did not have any immediate leads.

James was 14 years old at the time, KLTV reported. 

A year later, James spoke to KLTV about the death of his mom Janet Stroup.

Stroup, a drug addict, went missing in 1998 and she was later found dead in a field in Longview, Texas. Police suspected foul play but no arrests were ever made.

James and his sister had been put into a foster home due to their mother’s substance abuse and were later adopted by their aunt, who lived in Indiana.

James and his family returned to Texas in 2007 to hold a funeral for Stroup, and he spoke to KLTV about her.

‘She loved me and my sister a lot,’ James said at the time.

‘She had a lot of problems but through it all she always really loved us, and she wanted to change but… just kind of hard.

‘Now you don’t have to hope and wonder maybe what if she really is alive or if she was alive, did she leave because of me or anything like that.’

James was also asked what he would say to his mom if he could speak to her.

‘I love her. That I’m doing fine. You don’t have to worry about me because Aunt Linda is there,’ he said.

Prosecutors now allege that James was hiding his involvement in the murders of Chynna and Blake the whole time.

James was arrested in Shelbyville, Indiana on two counts of murder and is expected to make his first court appearance on Thursday.

The Franklin Police Department shared an emotional statement after James’s arrest.

‘For 20 years, Blake and Chynna’s families have carried the weight of an unimaginable loss, waiting for this day,’ it read. 

‘On behalf of the Franklin Police Department, I want them to know that we have never forgotten their loved ones and we have never stopped seeking justice.

‘Today’s development is an important moment, not only for our department, but most importantly for the families and Blake and Chynna whose lives were taken from them.’

Police Chief Kirby Cochran said forensic science helped lead to James’s arrest.