Suspect in Amanda Dean's murder seeking a plea deal?

Judge postpones Fred Reed's last pretrial hearing to give prosecutors and defense counsel time to review options.

NORWALK — Prosecutors and defense counsel representing accused killer Fred Reer are looking at a potential plea deal, according to the judge overseeing the murder case against him.

Fred Reer, in leg and hand restraints, sits at the defense table in the Huron County Courthouse Wednesday with his attorney. Photo/Matt Westerhold

Conway rescheduled a final pretrial hearing in State vs. Reer from Wednesday to Nov. 17, saying that prosecutor, Assistant Ohio Attorney General Dan Kasari’s and Huron County Prosecutor James Sitterly, and Reed’s attorney, J. Anthony Rich, are in discussions, Conway said during a brief tour hearing on Wednesday.

Reer is accused of killing Amanda Dean, 36, and dismembering her body on July 17, 2017. He was never interviewed by Huron County Sheriff Todd Corbin, however, because Corbin refused for nearly six years to investigate Dean’s disappearance. Dean’s family told Corbin when Amanda went missing they feared Reer killed her, but Corbin claimed Amanda was alive but did not want to see or talk to her family members, including her young children.