WEST UNION , Ohio — Almost a year after the grizzly discovery of a murdered Adams County couple was announced by police, the man accused of killing them has pled guilty to their deaths.

Donovan Fite, 22, was indicted in April 2009 for shooting Samuel Freeland Jr., 44, and his girlfriend, Regina Gail King, 28, at Freeland's home on L.F. Clock Road, in West Union, on Jan. 3, 2009.

Fite was indicted by an Adams County grand jury for involuntary manslaughter of King and murder of Freeland, both with firearm specifications.

In November, the charge related to King's death was added, listing King's death as murder.

On Wednesday, Fite pled guilty to a plea agreement for the manslaughter of King and murder of Freeland. The plea deal dismissed the King murder charge and merged the two gun specifications to a single charge, officials said.

Their bodies were discovered by one of Freeland's co-workers when he failed to show up for work; both were shot, police said.

Police theorized, at the time, the murders may have been drug related.

Fite was arrested on Jan. 11, 2009 and has been held in Adams County jail on $500,000 bond.

Fite was declared competent to assist in his defense following psychological evaluations, officials said.

King was the daughter of Lowell Roark of Ripley, Ohio and Elizabeth Alice Teegarden of Brooksville.

Freeland, who went by the nickname of Bo, is survived by a son and daughter and his parents, Samuel and Joan Freeland of Tiffin Township, Ohio.

A pre-sentencing hearing for Fite is scheduled for Jan. 8.

Contact Wendy Mitchell at wendy.mitchell@lee.net or call 606-564-9091, ext. 276.

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