Man arrested, charged with murder after Gary woman is found dead in Cook County forest preserve

A man from northwest Indiana was arrested Wednesday and charged with killing a 27-year-old woman who was last seen with him at a concert in the south suburbs.

James McGhee, 38, faces a murder charge in Lake County, Indiana in the death of Sidne-Nichole Buchanan, according to the FBI.

Buchanan, of Gary, was last seen July 27 at a concert in south suburban Tinley Park with McGhee, the FBI said. Her family reported her missing two days later.

On Tuesday, the FBI announced that Buchanan’s body was found in the Thornton-Lansing Road Nature Preserve.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the body was Buchanan’s. Her cause of death has not been determined pending further testing.

The FBI was initially offering a $10,000 reward for information regarding Buchanan’s disappearance.

After her body was located, the FBI said Wednesday that McGhee was a person of interest in the case and offered $10,000 for information leading to his arrest. McGhee was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon in Lake County by the FBI and state police, the FBI said.

Shortly after Buchanan went missing, the FBI said it believed she traveled against her will back to Indiana after the concert.

“Our investigation has revealed that Sidne was last seen in Illinois but we have evidence that she was in Indiana after that. The presumption is she was taken across state lines against her will until we find evidence to the contrary,” FBI Supervisory Special Agent Mike Peasley said at the time.

The Lake County sheriff’s office could not immediately be reached for additional details on the charges. The FBI referred questions to Lake County officials.