Rebecca Auborn, 35, received a 60-year sentence after pleading guilty to four murders and one count of felonious assault linked to fentanyl overdoses that killed four men in northeast Columbus. Authorities say the deaths occurred after encounters in which Auborn laced victims' drugs with fentanyl and then robbed them; one man survived an attempted overdose in December 2022. Auborn’s defense said she was trafficked and did not intend to kill; prosecutors called the case serial and emphasized the repeated nature of the crimes.
Ohio Woman Sentenced to 60 Years After Fentanyl Overdoses Killed Four Men
Rebecca AubornAdam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Rebecca Auborn, 35, was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Feb. 19 after pleading guilty in December to four counts of murder and one count of felonious assault in connection with the fentanyl overdose deaths of four men in northeast Columbus, Ohio.
Case Details
Prosecutors linked Auborn to the deaths of Wayne Akin, 64; Robert Snoke, 54; Joseph Crumpler, 30; and Guy Renda Jr., 42. Authorities say the fatal overdoses and related robberies occurred between January and June 2023. Prosecutors also say one man survived an attempted overdose tied to Auborn in December 2022.
According to court records, investigators allege Auborn arranged encounters with men for sex, laced their drugs with fentanyl and then stole from them. Local reporting cited by prosecutors says Auborn told detectives she added fentanyl to a crack pipe used by one victim; when he began to overdose she allegedly took his vehicle and his debit card.
Rebecca AubornCourtney Hergesheimer/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn
“This sentence reflects the defendant’s disregard for life and the callousness not only to kill, but to do it repeatedly,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said, describing the case as a serial murder matter.
Investigation and Indictment
The case emerged in 2023 after tips were forwarded to the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force. Auborn was formally indicted in September 2023 and later entered guilty pleas in December.
Defense, Confession and Victim Impact
Auborn’s attorney told the court that she had been a victim of trafficking and sexual exploitation. Auborn admitted to drugging and stealing from the men but maintained she did not intend to cause their deaths. Prosecutors rejected that defense, citing the repeated and fatal outcomes.
“My father would have never hurt you,” Wayne Akin’s daughter wrote in a victim impact statement published by news outlets, describing him as kind and loving.
With the 60-year prison term handed down on Feb. 19, prosecutors said the sentence reflects both the repeated nature of the offenses and the losses suffered by the victims’ families.
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