Youngstown woman gets 18 years in murder, dismemberment case

YOUNGSTOWN — A city woman was sentenced Wednesday to 18 years in prison for her role in the murder and dismemberment of Shannon Graves, whose body parts were later found to be hidden in a freezer.

Katrina Layton, 36, pleaded guilty to four counts of tampering with evidence, three counts of obstruction of justice and one count of abuse of a corpse.

"Abuse of a corpse is described as an offense that outrages reasonable community sensibilities — and her grotesque actions fit the bill," Dave Yost, Ohio attorney general, said in a news release.

Layton's boyfriend, Arturo Novoa, also known as Anthony Gonzalez, 33, pleaded guilty in May 2019 to the murder and cover-up. He was sentenced to 48 years to life in prison.

The Youngstown Police Department, Mahoning County Sheriff's Office and the FBI investigated the case. The Special Prosecutions section of the Ohio Attorney General's Office prosecuted the case.

This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 1:14 PM with the headline "Youngstown woman gets 18 years in murder, dismemberment case."