Topline: Investigation of the case revealed a chilling sequence of events involving deliberate overdose, concealment, and financial exploitation.
Published: March 3, 2025 7:00 am ET
Must Read
via Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office
ZANESVILLE, OH — An Ohio woman pleaded guilty to the murder of her elderly father after intentionally causing him to overdose on Christmas Eve.
Prosecutors announced 37-year-old Brittany Cole pleaded guilty on Wednesday, February 26, to murder and abuse of a corpse in connection with the death of her father-in-law, David Cole Sr., 80.
Cole was sentenced to the maximum penalty of life in prison with the possibility of parole after sixteen years.
Investigation of the case revealed a chilling sequence of events involving deliberate overdose, concealment, and financial exploitation.
On February 10, 2025, at approximately 10:32 p.m., the Zanesville Police Department received a 911 call reporting a dead body in a shed behind 1292 Somers Street.
Responding officers discovered David Cole Sr.’s dead body wrapped in a tarp and plastic mattress cover.
The body, which was in a state of advanced decomposition, was transported to the Licking County Coroner’s Office, where an initial autopsy suspected natural causes—likely heart disease or Parkinson’s—though further investigation uncovered Brittany Cole’s role in causing the death.
As the investigation progressed, detectives evaluated telephonic and digital evidence and were able to uncover the moment on January 8, 2024, that David Cole Jr. discovered his father, dead.
That evidence, in combination with the circumstances of Cole, Sr.’s discovery, led detectives to investigate further.
Brittany Cole confessed during an interview on February 13, 2025, that she found David Cole Sr. deceased on December 25, 2024, at 5:00 a.m., after administering a lethal combination of medications the previous night.
On December 24, at around 9:30 p.m., Cole gave David Cole Sr., Tylenol 3 tablets with codeine and a significant amount of ZzzQuil. When David Cole, Sr. complained of pain at 11:00 p.m., she provided another dosing of Tylenol 3s and additional ZzzQuil, knowing it would be fatal. Cole admitted she went to bed afterward, discovering the next morning that her plan was complete and Cole, Sr. was dead.
The medications, sourced from her daughter’s dental prescription and a household cabinet, were discovered and collected as evidence.
Instead of notifying officials, Brittany Cole concealed her crime, instructing family members to lie and say David Cole Sr. had moved to Cincinnati. The family then vacationed in Orlando from December 26 to January 1, leaving Cole Sr.’s body in the bedroom. On January 8, 2025, David Cole Jr., Brittany’s husband and David Sr.’s son, discovered the body while Brittany was at school where she was studying in the field of nursing.
Text messages between the couple reveal their awareness of the decomposing body and plans to move it, with David Jr. ordering a mattress cover from Amazon Prime. Together, they wrapped Cole, Sr.’s body in a tarp and mattress bag, relocating it first to the sunroom and later to the shed, where it remained until discovered.
The investigation uncovered financial motives behind the concealment. David Cole Sr. received $2,300 monthly Social Security benefits, deposited into a Park National Bank account managed by David Cole Jr., his Power of Attorney. After David Sr.’s death, the couple continued to receive and spend these funds, with David Jr. sending Brittany $200 in both December and January via CashApp for the water bill, using the remainder for household expenses.
Zanesville Police Detective Bryan Ruff, supported by Detective Andrews, led the investigation, securing search warrants for the residence and David Cole Jr.’s phone. Evidence included camera footage from January 8 showing David Jr. finding the body, text messages about the smell and disposal plans, and Brittany’s December 25 Google search: “when someone dies how long does it take for the body to start smelling.” Charges are pending against David Cole, Jr.
“Brittany Cole’s actions reflect a shocking betrayal of trust,” according to Prosecutor Ron Welch. “She not only ended her father-in-law’s life but then exploited his death for financial gain, hiding the truth for weeks while manipulating her family.”
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Ohio Woman Pleads Guilty to Deliberate Overdose Death of Her Elderly Father, Concealing Body
Investigation of the case revealed a chilling sequence of events involving deliberate overdose, concealment, and financial exploitation.
By Jacob Charles
Published: March 3, 2025 7:00 am ET
via Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office
ZANESVILLE, OH — An Ohio woman pleaded guilty to the murder of her elderly father after intentionally causing him to overdose on Christmas Eve.
Prosecutors announced 37-year-old Brittany Cole pleaded guilty on Wednesday, February 26, to murder and abuse of a corpse in connection with the death of her father-in-law, David Cole Sr., 80.
Cole was sentenced to the maximum penalty of life in prison with the possibility of parole after sixteen years.
Investigation of the case revealed a chilling sequence of events involving deliberate overdose, concealment, and financial exploitation.
On February 10, 2025, at approximately 10:32 p.m., the Zanesville Police Department received a 911 call reporting a dead body in a shed behind 1292 Somers Street.
Responding officers discovered David Cole Sr.’s dead body wrapped in a tarp and plastic mattress cover.
The body, which was in a state of advanced decomposition, was transported to the Licking County Coroner’s Office, where an initial autopsy suspected natural causes—likely heart disease or Parkinson’s—though further investigation uncovered Brittany Cole’s role in causing the death.
As the investigation progressed, detectives evaluated telephonic and digital evidence and were able to uncover the moment on January 8, 2024, that David Cole Jr. discovered his father, dead.
That evidence, in combination with the circumstances of Cole, Sr.’s discovery, led detectives to investigate further.
Brittany Cole confessed during an interview on February 13, 2025, that she found David Cole Sr. deceased on December 25, 2024, at 5:00 a.m., after administering a lethal combination of medications the previous night.
On December 24, at around 9:30 p.m., Cole gave David Cole Sr., Tylenol 3 tablets with codeine and a significant amount of ZzzQuil. When David Cole, Sr. complained of pain at 11:00 p.m., she provided another dosing of Tylenol 3s and additional ZzzQuil, knowing it would be fatal. Cole admitted she went to bed afterward, discovering the next morning that her plan was complete and Cole, Sr. was dead.
The medications, sourced from her daughter’s dental prescription and a household cabinet, were discovered and collected as evidence.
Instead of notifying officials, Brittany Cole concealed her crime, instructing family members to lie and say David Cole Sr. had moved to Cincinnati. The family then vacationed in Orlando from December 26 to January 1, leaving Cole Sr.’s body in the bedroom. On January 8, 2025, David Cole Jr., Brittany’s husband and David Sr.’s son, discovered the body while Brittany was at school where she was studying in the field of nursing.
Text messages between the couple reveal their awareness of the decomposing body and plans to move it, with David Jr. ordering a mattress cover from Amazon Prime. Together, they wrapped Cole, Sr.’s body in a tarp and mattress bag, relocating it first to the sunroom and later to the shed, where it remained until discovered.
The investigation uncovered financial motives behind the concealment. David Cole Sr. received $2,300 monthly Social Security benefits, deposited into a Park National Bank account managed by David Cole Jr., his Power of Attorney. After David Sr.’s death, the couple continued to receive and spend these funds, with David Jr. sending Brittany $200 in both December and January via CashApp for the water bill, using the remainder for household expenses.
Zanesville Police Detective Bryan Ruff, supported by Detective Andrews, led the investigation, securing search warrants for the residence and David Cole Jr.’s phone. Evidence included camera footage from January 8 showing David Jr. finding the body, text messages about the smell and disposal plans, and Brittany’s December 25 Google search: “when someone dies how long does it take for the body to start smelling.” Charges are pending against David Cole, Jr.
“Brittany Cole’s actions reflect a shocking betrayal of trust,” according to Prosecutor Ron Welch. “She not only ended her father-in-law’s life but then exploited his death for financial gain, hiding the truth for weeks while manipulating her family.”
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Ohio Woman Pleads Guilty to Deliberate Overdose Death of Her Elderly Father, Concealing Body
Investigation of the case revealed a chilling sequence of events involving deliberate overdose, concealment, and financial exploitation.
By Jacob Charles
Published: March 3, 2025 7:00 am ET
via Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office
ZANESVILLE, OH — An Ohio woman pleaded guilty to the murder of her elderly father after intentionally causing him to overdose on Christmas Eve.
Prosecutors announced 37-year-old Brittany Cole pleaded guilty on Wednesday, February 26, to murder and abuse of a corpse in connection with the death of her father-in-law, David Cole Sr., 80.
Cole was sentenced to the maximum penalty of life in prison with the possibility of parole after sixteen years.
Investigation of the case revealed a chilling sequence of events involving deliberate overdose, concealment, and financial exploitation.
On February 10, 2025, at approximately 10:32 p.m., the Zanesville Police Department received a 911 call reporting a dead body in a shed behind 1292 Somers Street.
Responding officers discovered David Cole Sr.’s dead body wrapped in a tarp and plastic mattress cover.
The body, which was in a state of advanced decomposition, was transported to the Licking County Coroner’s Office, where an initial autopsy suspected natural causes—likely heart disease or Parkinson’s—though further investigation uncovered Brittany Cole’s role in causing the death.
As the investigation progressed, detectives evaluated telephonic and digital evidence and were able to uncover the moment on January 8, 2024, that David Cole Jr. discovered his father, dead.
That evidence, in combination with the circumstances of Cole, Sr.’s discovery, led detectives to investigate further.
Brittany Cole confessed during an interview on February 13, 2025, that she found David Cole Sr. deceased on December 25, 2024, at 5:00 a.m., after administering a lethal combination of medications the previous night.
On December 24, at around 9:30 p.m., Cole gave David Cole Sr., Tylenol 3 tablets with codeine and a significant amount of ZzzQuil. When David Cole, Sr. complained of pain at 11:00 p.m., she provided another dosing of Tylenol 3s and additional ZzzQuil, knowing it would be fatal. Cole admitted she went to bed afterward, discovering the next morning that her plan was complete and Cole, Sr. was dead.
The medications, sourced from her daughter’s dental prescription and a household cabinet, were discovered and collected as evidence.
Instead of notifying officials, Brittany Cole concealed her crime, instructing family members to lie and say David Cole Sr. had moved to Cincinnati. The family then vacationed in Orlando from December 26 to January 1, leaving Cole Sr.’s body in the bedroom. On January 8, 2025, David Cole Jr., Brittany’s husband and David Sr.’s son, discovered the body while Brittany was at school where she was studying in the field of nursing.
Text messages between the couple reveal their awareness of the decomposing body and plans to move it, with David Jr. ordering a mattress cover from Amazon Prime. Together, they wrapped Cole, Sr.’s body in a tarp and mattress bag, relocating it first to the sunroom and later to the shed, where it remained until discovered.
The investigation uncovered financial motives behind the concealment. David Cole Sr. received $2,300 monthly Social Security benefits, deposited into a Park National Bank account managed by David Cole Jr., his Power of Attorney. After David Sr.’s death, the couple continued to receive and spend these funds, with David Jr. sending Brittany $200 in both December and January via CashApp for the water bill, using the remainder for household expenses.
Zanesville Police Detective Bryan Ruff, supported by Detective Andrews, led the investigation, securing search warrants for the residence and David Cole Jr.’s phone. Evidence included camera footage from January 8 showing David Jr. finding the body, text messages about the smell and disposal plans, and Brittany’s December 25 Google search: “when someone dies how long does it take for the body to start smelling.” Charges are pending against David Cole, Jr.
“Brittany Cole’s actions reflect a shocking betrayal of trust,” according to Prosecutor Ron Welch. “She not only ended her father-in-law’s life but then exploited his death for financial gain, hiding the truth for weeks while manipulating her family.”
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
