CLEVELAND — Amanda Dean's family held a news conference Tuesday, two weeks after her former boyfriend was sentenced in connection with her death.
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For the first time since Amanda Dean's boyfriend admitted to killing her, her family spoke out about their long journey for justice and their efforts to prevent other families from experiencing similar pain.
"I just don't want another family to have to go through what we went through," said Caroline Tokar, Amanda’s mother.
Dean’s family thanked the community and Cleveland Missing for their help and guidance since 2023.
“I can’t even tell you how much it meant to us to have somebody who was listening to us,” said Tokar.
On Jan. 5, Dean's former boyfriend, Frederick Reer, 42, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter, gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in connection with Dean’s death.
"We're grateful he is behind bars, but we’re frustrated with the length of time that he is. It’s been very frustrating this whole journey," said Josh Dean, Amanda’s son.
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RELATED: Amanda Dean's ex boyfriend gets 14 years in prison in connection with her death
What happened
The 36-year-old mother of four was reported missing in July 2017 in Townsend Township. Her family said she was involved in an abusive relationship and was living with Reer during that time.
Dean was last heard from on July 11, 2017, in a text to her sister about a plan to leave Reer. According to the indictment, Reer killed Dean on or around that same day.
Her family filed a missing persons report after not hearing from Dean; however, it was canceled a day later because Huron County Sheriff Todd Corbin told the family she was "in a safe house."
In late 2022, the family demanded answers from Corbin, and the case was reopened. Then, in November 2023, a search warrant was executed at a home outside a small Huron County town in connection with the case.
The AG's Office said that the Ohio Bureau of Investigation "determined that Reer killed Dean inside a residence where the couple lived, then cleaned the crime scene and disposed of the evidence." Her body has never been found.
Reer was arrested and indicted in 2024 and remained in jail on a $1 million bond.
Now, Amanda's family is trying to help others. Her family, alongside two state lawmakers, announced details of new legislation called the Amanda Dean Law.
"Representative Manning and I are introducing legislation today. We are titling Amanda Dean's Law and we hope with that law to strengthen penalties when someone commits these unspeakable acts violence and then attempts to destroy, conceal, dismember or otherwise desecrate a human body," said Kellie Deeter, Ohio Representative 54th District.
RELATED: Boyfriend indicted for murder, other charges in connection to 2017 missing Huron Co. woman case
