3 family members accused of murdering 20-year-old Ohio man

A family in Ohio has been indicted for murder after the body of a 20-year-old man was found in a burnt vehicle.

Sarah Haning, Randy Haning and Beverly Haning have been charged in the death of 20-year-old Ethan Vernon, Meigs County Prosecuting Attorney James K. Stanley said on Thursday. On Wednesday, a grand jury indicted the three members on charges that include murder, arson and gross abuse of a corpse. 

Vernon was found dead in his burnt truck on Dec. 12, 2025, along Hemlock Grove Road in Bedford Township in Meigs County. Stanley said in the news release that the 20-year-old man was last seen on Dec. 11, 2025. 

The prosecuting attorney said the indictment was handed down after an "extensive investigation." Twenty-four-year-old Sarah Haning was indicted on 49 counts, 65-year-old Randy Haning on 11 counts and 63-year-old Beverly Haning on nine counts. All three family members are from Athens. The relationship between the victim and the three suspects was not immediately released. Vernon's cause of death was also not immediately released.

In a Facebook post, Meigs County Sheriff Scott Fitch said the three suspects were arrested on Wednesday after law enforcement served a search warrant at a home on Pleasanton Road in Athens County.

"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 the post on Facebook. "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."

Anyone with any information on the case can call the sheriff's tip line at 740-992-4682.   

"Additional information will be released as it becomes available and as the investigation permits," Fitch added.