Body in ‘shallow grave’ identified as woman missing for 7 months, West Virginia cops say
After a monthslong investigation, a West Virginia man has been charged in connection with human remains identified as a missing woman, deputies said.
Monongalia County deputies arrested 51-year-old Joseph Nevera on a charge of first-degree murder as a result of a seven-month search on his property in Morgantown — the same area where 47-year-old Kimberly Osborne was last seen before going missing, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies said in a Nov. 19 news release they received information about human remains discovered in “what appeared to be a shallow grave.”
The body was exhumed and sent to the West Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for autopsy and identification, then transported to Mercyhurst University for further examination and evidence collection, deputies said.
Detectives confirmed Dec. 5 that the body was Osborne’s.
“This will be my final and most heartbreaking update to this campaign,” Osborne’s brother, Tom, said in a Dec. 7 update to an online fundraiser created May 20. “...With a heavy heart, I am informing all of you that mama and I just learned from authorities that Kim’s remains were discovered in a shallow grave only 1-mile from our property.”
According to the fundraiser, Osborne was last seen after spending time with their mother on Mother’s Day.
“I just can’t provide any more words or attempt to describe how this has and continues to hurt my family,” Osborne’s brother said in the update.
Nevera is being held in custody without bond as detectives are continuing to investigate, the sheriff’s office said.
No further information — including the relationship between Nevera and Osborne — has been shared at this time, according to the release.
Morgantown is about a 75-mile drive south of Pittsburgh.
This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 3:23 PM with the headline "Body in ‘shallow grave’ identified as woman missing for 7 months, West Virginia cops say."
