Reer case delayed again

NORWALK — An ongoing investigation in the Amanda Dean murder case is complete. That information came out during a hearing on Wednesday for the suspect, in which a county judge noted that both prosecution and defense attorneys were requesting additional time to iron out a potential plea deal. But information on the investigation's findings was not released during the hearing, and the case isn't due for another hearing until Nov. 17. What happened, what's happening? No motions or testimony were presented during the brief court session. Prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to delay the matter to allow further discussions. Fred Reer, 42, was indicted in early 2023 on multiple charges connected to the 2017 death of Amanda Dean, a mother and Collins resident. The indictment alleges that Reer "knowingly caused the death" of Dean on or about July 11, 2017. He also faces charges of tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse. Reer has pleaded not guilty to all counts. Pretrial developments Reer's attorneys previously asked for a mental evaluation and later raised competency concerns, which the court reviewed. The court eventually determined he was competent to proceed. The defense also filed motions seeking to modify Reer's bond and request his release, but the court denied those requests. Investigators have revisited a Collins-area property linked to the case several times, including state agents returning with dig teams as recently as 2024 to collect additional evidence. Delays and scheduling The case has faced repeated postponements. A trial originally expected in 2024 was delayed several times, most recently in July 2025, when prosecutors told the court an "ongoing probe" was still active. That same investigation appears to be the one the judge said Wednesday has now concluded. At earlier status conferences, the court and attorneys discussed preparing for trial, but those dates were repeatedly adjusted as new evidence was gathered and pretrial motions were considered. The case is now scheduled to return to Huron County Common Pleas Court on at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 17. At that hearing, the court will determine whether a plea agreement has been reached or whether the case will proceed toward trial.