Three Athens County family members are indicted in Meigs County on murder charges

By: Thomas Billington
Posted on: Thursday, July 2, 2026

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Three people were indicted by a Meigs County grand jury on charges of murder in connection with a body that was found inside of a burned out truck.

Ethan Vernon was last seen on Dec. 11 when he left work to visit his girlfriend in Athens. The next day his truck was found on Hemlock Grove Road with the remains of his body inside.

Meigs County Sheriff Scott Fitch announced the arrest of Sarah, Randy and Beverly Hanning. The three Athens County Residents are facing charges of murder, arson, tampering with evidence, gross abuse of a corpse and obstructing justice.

“This investigation has been a lengthy and complex effort, and today’s arrests are the result of countless hours of work by our detectives,” Fitch said in a Facebook post. “While these arrests mark a significant milestone, the investigation remains active, and we will continue to pursue every available lead to ensure justice is served for Ethan Vernon and his family.” 

Sarah, aged 24, was charged with 49 total counts, 44 of which are obstructing justice for reportedly giving false information to police officers.

Randy, aged 65, was charged with 11 total counts, six of of which are obstructing justice for reportedly giving false information to police officers.

Beverly, aged 63, faces nine total charges, four of them being for obstruction of justice.