PRESS RELEASE – A Huron County man this morning admitted his involvement in the death and disappearance eight years ago of his girlfriend, Amanda Dean, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced.
Frederick Reer, 42, of Townsend Township, pleaded guilty to 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.
“Proving a homicide without a body is the ultimate test of investigative and legal skill,” Yost said. “I’m proud of our team for taking on such a complex case and securing justice for Amanda and her loved ones.”
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.
Reer’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 5 in Huron County Common Pleas Court.
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.