Headlines 6 January 2026

Boyfriend sentenced to prison for death, disappearance of Huron County mother

NORWALK — A Huron County man was sentenced this week to 14 years in prison for the death and disappearance eight years ago of his girlfriend, Amanda Dean, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced.
 
“With today’s sentence, a killer has been brought to justice – I pray Amanda’s family finds a measure of peace knowing the man responsible for her death is behind bars,” Yost said. “Hats off to the investigators and prosecutors who relentlessly pursued the truth in this difficult case.”
 
The sentencing of Frederick Reer, 42, of Townsend Township, follows his Dec. 8 guilty pleas to charges of 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.
 
He was indicted on Feb. 9, 2024, after an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Special Prosecutions Section of the Attorney General’s Office. 
 
Dean, a 36-year-old mother of four, was last seen on July 11, 2017, in Townsend Township, just outside of Norwalk.
 
Investigators with BCI determined that Reer killed Dean inside a residence where the couple lived, then cleaned the crime scene and disposed of the evidence. Dean’s body has never been found.
 
BCI led the investigation at the request of the Huron County Sheriff’s Office. The Attorney General’s Office was appointed special assistant to Huron County Prosecutor James J. Sitterly, who was also involved in the prosecution of the case.

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••• Publisher's note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 27 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service – and want it to continue – it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include "for website" on the memo line.

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