There is finally an end to a case out of Carroll county that began on April 13, 2019, when 14-year-old Jonathan Minard went missing.

A former family friend, Mathew Little changed his plea to guilty on Monday morning on several counts related to the teen’s death.

Little pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter, endangering children, and tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse.

Carroll County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael V. Repella II called Little a coward after he read a statement about how he found the boy dead and buried him.

“When I got back from the farm and saw his body on the couch, I should have called you right away, but I was afraid I would get in trouble and I lied,” Little said. “I hit his body and then buried it. It was a horrible wrong thing to do I’m so sorry for what I did.”

Minard’s body was found 5 days later April 19 in a shallow grave on the farm.

Little will serve 6 years in prison for his plea. The case will not go to trial.