ATHENS COUNTY, Ohio — An Athens County man was sentenced to a decade behind bars in connection with the 2021 death of Gary Gardner.
Thomas Thomas, 46, Glouster, pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of tampering with evidence, and one count of abuse of a corpse.
Judge George McCarthy sentenced Thomas to 10 years in prison.
The Athens County Prosecutor’s Office says Gardner, 56, Glouster was found dead on September 30, 2021. The autopsy report revealed that Gardner had died from methamphetamine and amphetamine intoxication. Authorities say that Thomas and a previously sentenced co-defendant, Zachary Stanley, 41, moved Gardner’s body to a wooded area near his home.
Stanley was sentenced to 6 to 9 years in prison for his part in the crime. He was charged with complicity to involuntary manslaughter, two counts of tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse.
