Plea bargain being discussed in body dumping case
NEW PHILDELPHIA — Attorneys for the prosecution and defense are negotiating a possible plea agreement to resolve the case against a woman accused of dumping her friend's body after a fatal overdose in October.
Noah Munyer, a defense attorney for Cekoyia M. Riechers, told Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Judge Michael Ernest on Tuesday that he expects the charges to be resolved at a status hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
More:Accused of dumping woman's body, Daniel J. Fitzgerald of Akron pleads not guilty
More:Cekoyia M. Riechers pleads not guilty to five charges related to disposal of body
More:Amber L. Sherrell remembered as mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece and friend
Assistant county prosecutor Scott Deedrick said he will prepare the plea agreement for the defense attorneys to review with their client.
Riechers, 26, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of tampering with evidence, one count of gross abuse of a corpse and one count of failure to report a death.
One tampering with evidence charge alleges Riechers cleaned a dolly with bleach and water on or about Oct. 25 and Oct. 26. Another evidence tampering charge alleges she disposed of cleaning items and Sherrell's personal items between Oct. 23 and 26.
The corpse abuse charge says that between Oct. 23 and Oct. 26, Riechers treated the body of Amber L. Sherrell in a way that would outrage community sensibilities. The same time frame is specified in the charge of failure to report knowledge of a death.
Riechers and codefendant Daniel J. Fitzgerald allegedly put Sherrell's body along White Bridge Road in Goshen Township in the early morning hours of Oct. 26, three days after she died from an overdose.
Sheriff's Detective Lt. Adam Fisher said Sherrell died while in the company of Riechers at Riechers' home at 39 S. Johnson Ave. in Dover. Riechers called Fitzgerald, her boyfriend, as the overdose was occurring, according to Fisher. Fitzgerald drove to Riechers' house in Dover to help her deal with the body, Fisher said.
Riechers now lives in Akron. She is free on her own recognizance.
Fitzgerald, 38, is listed in court records as being a state prison inmate in Youngstown. The former Akron resident has pleaded not guilty on two counts of tampering with evidence, one count of gross abuse of a corpse and one count of failure to report knowledge of a death.
Fitzgerald has a final pretrial hearing Aug. 9 and a jury trial scheduled for Aug. 17.
Riechers' trial is scheduled for Wednesday.
Reach Nancy at 330-364-8402 or nancy.molnar@timesreporter.com.
On Twitter: @nmolnarTR