Kriti Mehrotra
It was the summer of 1998 when everything turned upside down in the small town of New Philadelphia, Ohio, as 5-year-old Devan Duniver was stabbed to death not far from her home. However, as profiled in ABC’s ’20/20: Gone Before the Storm,’ what soon ended up gaining more traction than the horrific crime itself was the wrongful conviction of this young girl’s then 12-year-old neighbor Anthony Harris. In the end, three areas and individuals like Jeffrey “Jeff” Urban, Thomas “Tom” Vaughn, as well as Amanda Spies were found liable for mishandling this case, and so Devan’s actual killer sadly remains unknown to this day.
Jeff Urban is Now a Happily Retired Family Man
It was reportedly back in March 1980 that Ohio native Jeff first joined the New Philadelphia Police Department as a mere general officer, just to gradually rise up the ranks with his sheer skillset and unwavering work ethic. Therefore, by the time the late 1990s rolled around, he had already landed the esteemed position of Captain upon having paid his fair dues as an active detective, sergeant, and lieutenant. Despite his nearly two decades on the force, the undeniably unforgiving case of Devan Duniver was only the second homicide he had ever come across in reality — that’s how safe small-town New Philadelphia was.
Nevertheless, Jeff trusted his gut instinct as much as possible and actually did personally have concerns over arresting Anthony within two weeks of the indecent, but he couldn’t disobey the DA’s orders following a confession. It ultimately turned out the admittance of guilt was coerced, just for this Captain turned Police Chief to offer his deepest apologies as a part of his wrongful conviction settlement in early 2005.
Then, following 33 years of service, this city official retired for good in February 2013, only to now just be focused on spending quality time with his loving wife, their kids, as well as their grandkids. From what we can tell, Jeff also really loves to travel these days — whether it be national to places like New England or international to tropical spots like Brazil — and is embracing his hobbies of fishing, hiking, and hunting.
Tom Vaughn is Still Actively Involved in the Policing World
As per reports, Millersburg Police Chief Tom had reportedly been called in to get involved in Devan’s June 27, 1998, murder case owing to his expertise in interrogation, so it was he alone who questioned Anthony on July 15. It was at the end of an intense 80-minute session, where no guardian or lawyer was present for the tween, that he confessed to having killed the little girl, following which he was arrested for murder. Anthony did recant his statements immediately, yet it was still allowed to be a part of his 1999 bench trial, only for the appeals court to throw it out alongside his conviction in 2000 by concluding the former was coerced. As a result, he was able to file a federal wrongful conviction lawsuit in 2003.
It resulted in the cities of New Philadelphia as well as Millersburg settling for $1.5 million plus a written apology in 2005. Coming to Tom as an individual, it appears as if this ordeal and the lawsuit did not really affect his life or career much, considering he had been proving his mettle from the minute he decided to be a police officer in 1982. He thus already had two years of experience when he joined the Millersburg Police Department in 1984, just to climb the internal ladder so quickly he was appointed Captain a mere six years later. This is a position he held right until he retired, following a total of 37 years in law enforcement in 2019, only to then become the Project Director at the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, all the while also prioritizing his family.
Amanda Spies Prefers to Lead a Quiet Life These Days
If we’re being honest, prosecutor Amanda is arguably one of the most controversial figures in this matter because she publicly maintained her belief that Anthony was guilty even after his exoneration. The fact she’d then contacted the Marines’ recruitment office to assert he would always remain a suspect in Devan’s case upon learning that he had tried to enlist didn’t work too well for her either. That’s because the then-18-year-old then amended his lawsuit against her — a prosecutor who usually has immunity — to add claims of aiding and abetting, malicious prosecution, defamation, plus tortious interference with a prospective employer.
The higher court had actually allowed Anthony to name Amanda in his suit because they believed anyone in her position should have recognized his confession was coerced from the start, but instead, she doubled down on him. In the end, it was in September 2008 that she, as well as Tuscarawas County, settled the matter against them for a staggering $2.2 million — however, there was no apology from their side.
Today, from what we can tell, the former Tuscarawas County prosecutor is leading a relatively private life while also struggling professionally. This once Goshen Township Fiscal Officer was offered to serve as a part-time office clerk by Midvale village officials in 2019. Yet, they later made it known they would not be hiring her. In fact, it actually seems like she’s not a very active lawyer anymore in any way, shape, or form.
Read More: Lori and Dylan Duniver: Where Are Devan Dniver’s Mom and Brother Now?
