A 39-year-old man has pleaded guilty in the 2018 beating death of a Walker County man whose body was later found on a roadside.

Anthony Glen Hunt Jr., initially charged with murder in the 2020 in the slaying of 56-year-old Tony Wayne Duncan, pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter.

He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. As part of the plea, a charge of corpse abuse was dismissed.

Two other men were arrested in the case. One of them had charges dismissed and has since died.

The other – David Earl Davis – was indicted on a reduced charge of reckless manslaughter and pleaded guilty in 2021, receiving a 15-year sentence.

Walker County District Attorney Bill Adair at the time of Hunt’s arrest called him the main aggressor in the case.

Family members reported Duncan missing April 20, 2018. They became concerned when Duncan did not return home to care for his dog, which they said was “highly uncharacteristic” of him.

A truck was found burned on No. 2 Hill Road just hours after Duncan was last seen, officials said. Deputies were not able to identify who owned the truck and had it impounded.

Investigators later determined the truck belonged to Duncan.

Investigators and family narrowed their search area to Jagger Road, which was initially unsuccessful, but family members later returned to the area and found Duncan’s body in some thick weeds about four feet off the roadway on Jagger Road.

He disappeared in April 2018 and his body was found on May 4, 2028.

According to the indictment against Davis, the slaying happened while near McDaniel Road and Nauvoo Road.

Duncan was badly beaten, and the suspects left him “badly hurt in a remote location unlikely to be found.”

Court documents also state that Duncan’s 1995 Chev S-10 pickup was stolen, as were boots and a credit card.

Authorities on Tuesday said the arrest and conviction is a direct result of Sheriff Nick Smith creating the Cold Case Unit

Sheriff’s Cold Case Investigator Mike Cole said the cases are challenging and take time to bring to a close.

“One of our biggest challenges is waiting for results to be examined and returned to us,’’ Cole said. “I’m thankful that I reopened the case, otherwise this man would have literally gotten away with murder.”

“I realize it is very frustrating for the families of the victims,’’ he said. “We try as hard as we can to get everything we need to get a conviction. We stay in direct contact with District Attorney Bill Adair and his staff.

“When we finally get to lock someone behind bars, Cole said, “the relief definitely overtakes any frustration endured.”

Smith applauded Cole’s dedication on this case, as well as Adair and the district attorney’s office.

“Finally, the family can get some closure, and hopefully this helps with the grieving process,’’ Smith said. “It can be frustrating when things take time.”

“Cold cases go cold for a reason, and I’m thankful that we have guys like Mike that are willing to put in the work to see a result like this,’’ Smith said. “To get subpoenas, track down suspects, interview people, and do everything needed to get a warrant is hard work. But that’s not where it stops- you have to take it to court, and then see them locked up. “