A Newark man has pleaded guilty in connection with the fatal stabbing of another man whose body was later concealed in Wayne County.
Wayne County District Attorney Christine Callanan announced that 36-year-old Jared Nesmith pleaded guilty Thursday to first-degree manslaughter in the death of 49-year-old Conan Guard.
According to prosecutors, Nesmith admitted to stabbing Guard at a home on Cuyler Street in Newark sometime between Sept. 18 and Sept. 24, 2025, causing his death.
Authorities said Guard’s remains were then removed from the home and hidden near the Zurich Bog Trail in the Town of Arcadia.
The investigation began on Sept. 30 after Newark Police received a report that someone had overheard a conversation indicating a person had been killed and their body disposed of in the Sodus area.
Police identified Nesmith as a suspect and took him into custody later that day after a brief foot pursuit. During an interview the following day, investigators determined he had disposed of Guard’s remains near the Zurich Bog Trail.
Nesmith was originally charged with second-degree murder, concealment of a human corpse, and tampering with physical evidence.
Under the plea agreement, Nesmith will be sentenced on Sept. 17 to 23 years in state prison.
