Joseph Nevera sentenced to life without parole for West Virginia murder

Joseph Nevera, 51, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the first-degree murder of his former partner, Kimberly Osborne. The sentence, handed down by Monongalia Circuit Judge Cindy Scott in West Virginia, follows a conviction that detailed Nevera’s history of violence and specific threats against Osborne.

Osborne, 48, was reported missing in May 2024 after she attempted to end her relationship with Nevera. Her skeletal remains were discovered months later in a shallow grave in a wooded area near Little Indian Creek Road, approximately two miles from the home she shared with Nevera.

During the trial, testimony revealed that Nevera had previously threatened to choke Osborne until she would ‘end up in a grave or a hole in the ground.’ A former friend, John Claburn, admitted to being an accessory after the fact, testifying that Nevera showed him the body in a truck and requested help with the burial. Claburn has since pleaded guilty to his role in the incident.