AKRON, Ohio — An Akron man who beat a woman to death and buried her in a backyard fire pit where she lived in 2018 was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, according to Akron prosecutors.
David Callaghan, 53, pleaded guilty to murder, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse and domestic violence, according to the Summit County Prosecutor's Office.
Callaghan will be eligible for parole after serving 18 years in prison.
The woman's remains were identified as Martha Robin Freitag, 35, of Akron.
Freitag's family members said last year that Callaghan and Freitag had been romantically involved. Callaghan had been staying at Freitag's home.
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In July 2018, authorities say Callaghan beat Freitag to death. Her body was discovered the next month when a family member found remains at her home and called police.
Her family reported her missing after no one heard from her in more than a month. Police checked her property on more than one occasion. It wasn't until a family member search her backyard and found a body in the fire pit in September 2018.
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