An Ohio woman who was studying nursing will spend at least 16 years in prison after admitting to fatally overdosing her 80-year-old father-in-law with medication, then hiding his body for more than a month.

Brittany Cole, 37, pleaded guilty to murder and gross abuse of a corpse in the December 25, 2024, death of her father-in-law, 80-year-old David Cole Sr. Prosecutors say she administered six capsules of Tylenol with codeine and ZzzQuil “knowing it would be fatal.” The following day, she began telling relatives that David Sr. “had moved to Cincinnati.” She and her family then traveled to Orlando, Florida, on vacation while his body remained in the home.

Upon returning, Cole’s husband, 44-year-old David Cole Jr., allegedly found his father’s remains on January 8, 2025, while Brittany was at nursing school. According to the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office, investigators uncovered text messages between the couple discussing “the smell and disposal plans,” as well as a Google search on Brittany’s phone from December 25 asking, “when someone dies how long does it take for the body to start smelling?” Prosecutors also said that David Jr. ordered a mattress cover on January 8, the day he discovered the body.

Authorities later located David Sr.’s decomposing remains in a shed on the property, wrapped in a mattress cover and a tarp. Investigators believe the couple initially moved the body into a sunroom and, after leaving on vacation, eventually transferred it to the shed.

Prosecutors allege Brittany Cole’s motivation was financial. After the killing, she continued to receive her father-in-law’s $2,300 monthly social security payments, sent to her by her husband. She used the funds to pay for utilities and household expenses, according to officials.

On February 26, 2025, Brittany Cole was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 16 years. Her husband, David Cole Jr., faces six felony charges in connection with his father’s death, including tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, and obstructing justice. He has not yet been arraigned.
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