WHEELING — Two people were sentenced Friday to prison terms of up to five years for concealing the remains of a man whose body went undiscovered for nearly two years, authorities said.

Ohio County Prosecuting Attorney Shawn R. Turak said Christopher Riley and Sara Riley were sentenced Friday by David Sims in Ohio County Circuit Court. Each received a sentence of not less than one year nor more than five years following their convictions for concealment of a deceased human body.

Authorities said the victim, Andrew Downs, died June 15, 2021. A missing persons report was filed with an Ohio law enforcement agency in early July 2021.

During the investigation, the Rileys misled Downs’ family and authorities, claiming he had overdosed in West Virginia, was revived and later traveled to Columbus, where he was reported missing.

In January 2023, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office received a tip from the White Hall Police Department regarding the location of Downs’ burial site on Leopold Lane in Ohio County.

A multi-agency team, including the West Virginia State Police and the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, executed a search warrant. On Jan. 5, 2023, following surveillance, investigators exhumed a body from a wooded area connected to the property.

With assistance from the University of Tennessee Anthropology Department and the Marshall University Forensic Science Center, the remains were positively identified in 2025 as Downs through DNA testing. Officials said the cause and manner of death could not be determined.

The Rileys pleaded guilty in January 2026 and sought probation or a non-incarceration sentence, which the court denied.

Turak described the case as “particularly shocking and cruel,” noting the family waited years for answers while investigators worked to identify the remains.