Nearly two years after Brandon Tyler Crain, 19, mysteriously disappeared from his mother’s home in Munfordville, Daniel Hostetler, 20, was sentenced to 13 years for first degree manslaughter and tampering with physical evidence by Judge Charles Simms in Hart County a week ago Tuesday morning.

Despite the sentencing, Crain’s sister, Vanessa Moldon and his mother, Reba Smith Dile, both expressed frustration that they really didn’t know anything more about what happened to Brandon than they did months ago.

Friends and family helped conduct a massive search for Brandon after he disappeared from his mother’s home in late January of 2012. His body was finally recovered from the Green River in Butler County a little over three months later. An autopsy showed that the cause of death was drowning. Foul play was not suspected.

It wasn’t until April of 2013, nearly a year after Crain’s body was found, that Hostetler, then living in Summer Shade, was arrested by the Hart County Sheriff’s Department.

This past August, Hostetler, as part of a plea agreement, entered a play of guilty to first degree manslaughter with a 13-year sentence and tampering with physical evidence with a five year sentence, to be served concurrently.

Hostetler’s attorney at the time, Temple Dickenson, later filed a motion to withdraw the guilty plea, which was denied.

Hostetler appeared before Judge Simms three times for final sentencing, with the previous two appearances ending in a continuance with the hint of new evidence becoming available.

On Friday, January 17, Hostetler’s latest attorney, Michael Moulton, filed another motion to reconsider withdrawal of the guilty plea. In court the following Tuesday, Attorney Mouldon cited facts that were not brought out in the initial hearing to withdraw, including that Hostetler spent most of his time as part of an Amish community; that his education and IQ level were “not all that great;” that there were discrepancies in Hostetler’s stories in how he may have caused the death of Brandon Crain; and even which county has jurisdiction over the case. Attorney Mouldon also indicated that the confession had been coerced since the Commonwealth Attorney told Hostetler that he could be re-indicted on murder charges.

Commonwealth Attorney Joseph Ballard asked Judge Simms to deny the request to withdraw the guilty plea, stating that Hostetler had entered his guilty plea voluntarily. “I ask that you follow the terms of the plea agreement,” Ballard said.

“I have no obligation to have a second hearing,” Simms replied, in denying the plaintiff’s motion, just prior to sentencing.

Hostetler and his attorney have 30 days to file an appeal.