Zanesville man who helped conceal his deceased father's body sentenced to nine years
David Ralph Cole Jr., 44, of Zanesville, received nine years in prison when he went before Judge Gerald Anderson May 28.
He was convicted on five counts after entering a plea bargain on April 16, including tampering with evidence, obstructing justice, and endangering children, all third-degree felonies, and gross abuse of a corpse and possessing criminal tools, fifth-degree felonies.
On Feb. 10, Zanesville police responded to Cole's Somers Street address. They found the body of his father, David Cole Sr., 80, wrapped in a tarp and plastic mattress cover and hidden in a shed.
On Dec. 24, Cole's wife, Brittany Lee Cole, 38, gave her father-in-law double doses of Zzzquil and Tylenol No. 3, a combination of codeine and acetaminophen, after he became ill and bedridden and complained of pain. She had been his primary caretaker, noted an announcement from the Muskingum County Prosecutor's office.
Brittany found Cole Sr. dead the next morning.
Cole didn't check on his father often, the prosecutor's office noted, and he didn't discover his body until Jan. 8, after the family returned home from a trip. He then reportedly worked with Brittany to wrap the body and relocate it several weeks later, the prosecutor's office added.
His body was found in an advanced state of decomposition, and his death was attributed to the medications, confirmed the Licking County coroner in February.
Police later found incriminating texts messages, videos and Google searches from the Coles.
"Although David Cole was not involved in his father's death, the evidence shows he wasn't much involved in his father's life," said Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Litle. "We hope that this sentence brings some closure to David Sr.'s remaining family and gives what dignity we can for a helpless victim who was badly mistreated both in life and in death."
On Feb. 26, Brittany was convicted of murder, an unclassified felony, and gross abuse of a corpse, a fifth-degree felony. She was received life in prison with parole possibility after serving 16 years.
She claimed she'd been helping her father-in-law, who had sunk into a depression and wished to be with his late wife.
More: Philo woman who pleaded guilty to trying to run over victims is sentenced to four years
Shawn Digity is a reporter for the Zanesville Times Recorder. He can be emailed at sdigity@gannett.com or found on X at @ShawnDigityZTR.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Zanesville man who helped conceal father's body sentenced to 9 years
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It ensures that a password alone isn't enough to break into your accounts. Phishing emails and messages often include links that take you to fake websites designed to steal your login credentials or personal information. These messages usually create a sense of urgency, asking you to verify an account, reset a password or claim a reward. Instead of clicking the link, take a moment to inspect the message. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Attackers are able to carry out phishing, smishing and vishing attacks because your personal data is readily available online. The less of it that's publicly accessible, the harder it becomes for them to craft convincing scams. While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Attackers often exploit outdated software with known vulnerabilities. Make sure your operating system, browsers, plugins and apps are always running the latest version. Enable auto updates wherever possible to avoid missing critical patches. A good password manager doesn't just store strong, unique passwords; it can also alert you if you're on a suspicious site. If your password manager refuses to autofill your login, it could mean the site is fake. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at If you suspect a breach, watch your accounts for unauthorized logins, password reset emails or other suspicious behavior. Set up alerts when possible. Many online services offer login notifications or dashboards that show recent access history. If you receive a vishing or phishing attempt, report it to your organization's IT/security team or the appropriate government agency (like in the U.S.). Reporting helps shut down these scams faster and can protect others. While the data exposed in Google's case may be limited, the breach highlights a persistent vulnerability in corporate systems: people. ShinyHunters seems to be getting more effective at exploiting that weakness. What's even more concerning is the rise of vishing, also known as voice phishing. Vishing isn't new, but its growing success shows just how fragile even well-defended systems can be when human error is involved. How confident are you in your company's cybersecurity awareness training? Let us know by writing to us at Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
