Another person charged with helping Springfield killer hide body

A man is accused of helping a Springfield killer hide a murdered woman’s body.

Carmelo Rivera, 42, was indicted in Clark County Common Pleas Court on gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence, Clark County Assistant Prosecutor Andrew Picek said.

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Rivera is accused of helping Prentiss Hare and Hannah Whitman hide Tiffany Chambers’ corpse after Hare murdered her in 2015. The three are accused of hiding her in a field in Greene County in July 2015. She wasn’t found until May 2016.

Clark County prosecutors said Chambers was led into an alley behind a building on West Pleasant Street and was killed by Hare.

“(Rivera) also assisted in dumping her body in Greene County and was present at the time of her murder, like Hannah,” Picek said.

READ: Springfield killer had connections to slain woman, family says

Hare pleaded guilty to Chambers’ murder and was sentenced to a possible life sentence. It was his second murder conviction and prosecutors have named him as a person of interest in other homicides.

Whitman recently pleaded guilty to helping hide Chambers’ body and will be sentenced on June 15. She faces a maximum of four years in prison.

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Chambers was allegedly killed because she witnessed the murder of Michael Frazier in Florida, Clark County prosecutors said. Hare is the prime suspect in that case, Clark County assistant prosecutors said, but no charges have been filed in that case.

Rivera faces four years in prison if convicted of the charges, according to Picek.

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