ZANESVILLE, OH – A woman from Ohio who was pursuing a nursing degree recently confessed to administering a lethal overdose to her father-in-law, which led to his death just before she went on a holiday. Brittany Cole, 37, received a life sentence with eligibility for parole after 16 years for causing the demise of 80-year-old David Cole Sr. on Christmas Day, 2024.
The Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office shared that Brittany Cole intentionally administered a deadly mix of codeine-laden Tylenol and ZzzQuil to David Cole Sr. Immediately following this, she began telling family members that he had relocated to Cincinnati.
Despite the circumstances, she went ahead with a planned family trip to Orlando, leaving David Cole Sr.’s corpse in their home.
Upon returning, Brittany Cole’s husband, David Cole Jr., 44, stumbled upon his father’s body on January 8. This discovery occurred while Brittany attended her classes, according to investigations. Authorities found incriminating text messages between the couple, discussing the body’s odor and how they might dispose of it.
Notably, Brittany Cole had earlier searched online about the timeline of body decomposition, and David was seen purchasing a mattress cover the same day he found the body.
Authorities later found David Cole Sr.’s remains decaying in a shed, wrapped in the new mattress cover and a tarp. Initially, his body had been left in the sunroom before being transferred to the shed.
Investigators link the murder motive to financial gain, with David Cole Jr. having access to his father’s Social Security benefits and continuing to use the funds after David Sr.’s death.
For these actions, Brittany Cole has been sentenced to serve life in prison with the chance of parole after 16 years, following her guilty plea for murder and abuse of a corpse.
Meanwhile, David Cole Jr. faces charges for multiple felonies, including tampering with evidence and obstructing justice, although he has yet to be arraigned. This grim incident underscores the devastating consequences of greed intertwined with familial bonds.