Rebecca Auborn pleaded guilty on Dec. 19 to four counts of murder and one count of felonious assault in Franklin County, Ohio. Investigators say she met men for sex in northeast Columbus, secretly dosed them with drugs and robbed them; four fatal overdoses between January and June 2023 were tied to her, and one man survived an attempted overdose in December 2022. The case, investigated by BCI and Columbus police, will be sentenced on Feb. 20, 2026; Auborn faces up to 69 years to life in prison.
Ohio Woman Pleads Guilty to Four Murders After Dosing Men She Met for Sex
Courtney Hergesheimer/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via ImagnAccused serial killer Rebecca Auborn in October 2023
Rebecca Auborn, 36, pleaded guilty on Dec. 19 to four counts of murder and one count of felonious assault in Franklin County Common Pleas Court in Columbus, Ohio, court records show. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 20, 2026.
Allegations and Mode of Operation
According to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and investigators, Auborn met men in northeast Columbus for sex, secretly dosed them with drugs and then robbed them. Authorities linked Auborn to four fatal overdoses that occurred between January and June 2023. Investigators also tied her to an attempted overdose in December 2022 in which one man survived.
Victims
Officials previously identified the four men who died as Wayne Akin, 64; Robert Snoke, 54; Joseph Crumpler, 30; and Guy Renda Jr., 42.
Investigation and Prosecution
The case was investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the Columbus Division of Police, with involvement from the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, a unit established under the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission. The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office is prosecuting the case. Auborn was indicted in October 2023 and, according to reports, could face a prison term of up to 69 years to life.
“Today’s plea closes a tough case,” said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost in a press release. “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.”
Aftermath
Family members of victims have expressed relief that the plea brings the legal process closer to resolution. The sentencing hearing is set for Feb. 20, 2026, when a judge will determine Auborn’s punishment.
