Reer gets 14 years behind bars

NORWALK — A judge sentenced the suspect in the death of Huron County woman Amanda Dean to more than a decade in prison on Monday. In early December, Fred Reer, 42, of Collins, pleaded guilty to four felony charges — involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony; two counts of tampering with evidence, third-degree felonies; and gross abuse of a corpse, a fifth-degree felony. The manslaughter charge was reduced from a count of murder as part of a plea agreement. On Monday, Huron County Common Pleas Court Judge James Conway sentenced Reer to 14 years in prison, receiving credit for a little under two years served in jail. He will also be placed on 2-5 years of probation once released from prison. Under Ohio law, Reer may be eligible for up to an 8% reduction in prison time for earned good behavior, according to the judge. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, whose office led Reer's prosecution, said the sentence brought accountability in an unusually long-running case. "With today's sentence, a killer has been brought to justice," Yost said in a statement. "I pray Amanda's family finds a measure of peace knowing the man responsible for her death is behind bars." Background of the case Dean, a 36-year-old mother of four, was last seen on July 11, 2017, in Townsend Township, just outside Collins. Reer was indicted on Feb. 9, 2024, following an investigation led by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation at the request of the Huron County Sheriff's Office. The investigation was conducted with assistance from the Attorney General's Special Prosecutions Section. According to the Attorney General's Office, investigators determined that Reer killed Dean inside a residence where the couple lived, cleaned the crime scene, and disposed of evidence. Dean's body has never been found. What happened to Amanda? Investigators were unable to determine a specific manner or cause of death because Amanda Dean's body was never recovered, according to Ohio Assistant Attorney Dan Kasaris. Authorities believe Reer caused Dean's death in early July 2017 and later dismembered and burned her body, disposing of her remains in a Huron County creek in an effort to prevent their discovery. During sentencing, prosecutors cited witness statements and admissions attributed to Reer that they said supported that conclusion and utilized a video presentation detailing the theory. Former Townsend Township Fire Chief Alan McGinn told investigators he observed a burn pile approximately 75 feet behind the residence and believed it was located on top of a burial site, according to the presentation. Prosecutors referenced statements from Jessica Souslin, who told investigators Reer contacted her after Dean's death and said he woke up and found her dead. When she asked why he did not call 911, Souslin said Reer responded, "I panicked." She also told investigators Reer later asked her, "Do you know what it's like to cut through human bone?" Another witness, Chad Holbrook, told investigators Reer once said, "You can burn a body. You just need a 55-gallon drum and keep feeding the fire." Holbrook also said Reer discussed disposing of bones in the water because "bones don't float." Travis Kovach told investigators there was a strong odor around the Reer residence around the time Dean went missing, which he compared to roadkill. Prosecutors also cited statements from Gerald Hunter, who told investigators he saw Reer and Dean arguing at a cabin in July 2017 and later observed a bloody mattress inside the cabin, along with bloody rags and blood in a bucket. Hunter said Reer would not allow him inside and warned him to stay away. Prosecutors further referenced a post-indictment incident in which a corrections officer reported overhearing Reer during a video call state that "there is no body because I disposed of it." Victim impact statements Conway said he read 18 victim impact statements, including statements from Dean's mother and sister. A victim advocate, John Majoy of the group Cleveland Missing, read several in open court on behalf of Dean's children. Dean's mother, Caroline Tokar, addressed Reer directly. "She was loved, wanted and needed in our lives," Tokar said. "There will be no more to share with us. You murdered my daughter. Why, Fred, why? How could you do this to someone you claimed to love?" Tokar said the details of the crime continued to haunt her. "It makes me physically ill what you did to her body," she said. "You are pure evil. You killed her, dismembered her and burned her beautiful body for days, but you can't kill her spirit." Dean's sister, Shannon Dean, spoke about her sister's childhood and the life she never had. "This isn't what you deserved," she said. "You deserved a peaceful and loving life." Statements read on behalf of Dean's children by Majoy described the permanent loss caused by her death. "I will never get another day with my mother," one statement read. "My mother was not allowed mercy, and you shouldn't be either." Another statement read, "Thanks to him, I'll never have a piece of her ever again. I am going to hurt for the rest of my life." Two children, Jacob and Joshua Dean, also read their own statements. "It hurts to know she won't be there for me to get married," Jacob Dean said. "He robbed me of the love I could have gotten from her." A statement from Joshua Dean criticized what he described as Reer's lack of remorse, adding that Dean "is never going to see her grandkids." The sentence The court imposed the following prison terms: • Tampering with evidence: Two years • Gross abuse of a corpse: One year • Aggravated manslaughter: Nine years • Tampering with evidence: Two years The sentences were ordered to be served consecutively, for a total of 14 years, plus court costs. Defense attorney Anthony Rich asked the court to impose a sentence in the single-digit range, arguing that Reer accepted responsibility for the charges to which he pleaded guilty and cooperated with investigators after years of unsuccessful searches for Dean's remains. He requested an eight-year sentence, including time served. After sentencing, Rich said the defense respected the court's decision but had anticipated a shorter prison term. Reer was escorted from the courthouse into the custody of the Huron County Sheriff's Office to be transferred to the Ohio Bureau of Rehabilitation and Corrections to begin serving his sentence.