Matthew Puccio (pictured) along with four others pleaded guilty to several charges relating to the stabbing and dismemberment of Jessica Rae Sacco, 21, in Champaign County Common Pleas Court Wednesday.
The Springfield News-Sun reports Puccio, 26, pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and other charges and will now face life in prison.
Christopher Wright, 37, Sharon Cook, 25, Kandis Forney, 25, and Andrew Forney, 26, pleaded guilty to multiple charges in connection to the murder. The group had been accused of helping cover up Puccio’s crime and helping him dispose of Sacco’s limbs. Investigators recovered the limbs in parts of southern Ohio as well as northern Kentucky.
The rest of Sacco’s body was discovered by her landlord in her apartment’s bathtub at 625 West Light Street in Urbana.
Puccio initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but was ruled fit to stand trial. His charges included one count each of felonious assault, aggravated murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and two counts of gross abuse of a corpse.
Wright pleaded guilty to two counts of failure to report a crime along with single counts of abuse of a corpse, gross abuse of a corpse, and obstructing justice.
Cook pleaded guilty to two counts of failure to report a crime and one count each of complicity to abuse of a corpse, complicity to gross abuse of a corpse, and complicity to tampering with evidence.
Kandis Forney pleaded guilty to one count each of failure to report a crime, complicity to tampering with evidence, and obstructing justice.
Andrew Forney pleaded guilty to nine counts that included failure to report a crime, gross abuse of a corpse, obstructing justice, and complicity to tampering with evidence.
Kandis Forney’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 21st. Puccio and the other three defendants will face sentencing on August 20th.
