Frederick Reer was convicted and sentenced in Norwalk this year following a long investigation into a Huron County death. The case spurred a proposed state law to keep people who cover up violent crimes behind bars longer. Amanda Dean was last seen in July 2017 just outside of Norwalk.
She was reported missing as a mother of four. Police investigated Reer at the time. Charges were not filed then.
The state crime lab searched property owned by Reer’s family in 2023. A grand jury indicted him in 2024. Dean’s body was never found.
Investigators believe Dean was dismembered and then burned, according to family members. Reer pleaded guilty to his charges.
Gross abuse of a corpse is a fifth-degree felony. That offense accounted for only one year of his 14-year prison sentence. Reer went to prison.
Ohio House Bill 654 aims to increase penalties for anyone who abuses a body. That includes dismembering, mutilating or attempting to hide a crime. It sets different punishment levels.
The most serious level applies if someone commits these acts to cover up a crime. That act would become a second-degree felony under the measure. It carries two to eight years in prison.
The Ohio House has approved the measure. It moved to the Senate. It was recently referred to committee.
A legislative committee reviews proposed bills before any full floor debate occurs. Lawmakers can amend, approve or hold legislation during committee hearings. Measures need chamber approval before moving forward.
The measure remains in committee outside Norwalk. It is not clear when, or if, the Senate will take a vote. Dean’s family continues to push for the law.
