COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Thursday that a guilty plea has been entered in the high-profile serial murder case involving Rebecca Auborn, bringing a major step toward justice for the victims and their families.
Auborn, who was indicted in October 2023, pleaded guilty to four counts of murder and one count of felonious assault in connection with the intentional overdose deaths of four men and the attempted overdose of a fifth. Sentencing is scheduled for February 20, 2026, at 9 a.m.
In a statement, Attorney General Yost said the plea reflects the strength of the investigation and collaboration among law enforcement agencies.
“Today’s plea closes a tough case,” Yost said. “An overwhelming amount of convincing evidence and an airtight investigation conducted by BCI and Columbus Police left no doubt that a conviction was forthcoming. When law enforcement works together, there’s hope for families to secure justice.”
According to investigators, the case stemmed from information received by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which operates under Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission. Authorities learned that a woman was allegedly meeting men for sex in northeast Columbus, then drugging them with the intent to steal their belongings. Several of those encounters proved fatal.
The investigation was led jointly by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the Columbus Division of Police. The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office is handling the prosecution.
Officials say the guilty plea spares victims’ families a lengthy trial while ensuring accountability in one of Central Ohio’s most disturbing criminal cases in recent years.
