NORTH VERNON, Ind. – A Jennings County Circuit Court judge has sentenced Alan J. Marantos, 36, of North Vernon, to 65 years in prison for the murder of Brian K. Kirby last year. As part of a plea agreement, Marantos pled guilty to murder which carries a sentencing range of 45-65 years to be served in the Indiana Department of Corrections. He received the maximum sentence.
A missing person investigation began on March 28, 2020, and quickly evolved into a criminal investigation as the largest land/air/water search in the history of Jennings County failed to locate Kirby alive.
During the search for the missing man, partial human remains were discovered and later identified as being Kirby’s. Marantos was developed as a suspect, arrested, and charged with murder.
The investigation determined that on March 27, 2020, while at Country Squire Lakes, Marantos beat Kirby to death and subsequently burned the victim’s remains over the next several days.