A Bowling Green man has pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of a woman and her unborn child.
Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Dobson announced today that Jimmy David Cole, 30, pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and two counts of felonious assault in the stabbing death of Alicia Rosa and her unborn child.
A trial was scheduled to begin today and the plea was taken even as potential jurors were arriving.
The charges stem from the March 30 incident in Bowling Green.
According to a statement of facts presented by Assistant Prosecutor Brian Boos, Rosa’s body was found in her apartment by her parents. She had been in a relationship with Cole and it is believed that the child she was carrying was Cole’s.
According to a press release issued by Dobson, Cole told the police that he went to Rosa’s apartment in the early morning hours of the March 30, where they argued before he stabbed her one time in the kitchen.
Cole said he then followed Rosa into the living room before stabbing her again.
Rosa died minutes later and her child died as a result of the wounds she sustained.
Rosa was stabbed four times, according to the press release.
The first two counts of murder allege that Cole purposefully caused the death of Rosa and her unborn child. The other charges will merge into the first two at sentencing.
Defense attorney Scott Coon indicated that he may argue that the first two counts of murder should merge as well.
Each count of murder carries a penalty of life imprisonment with parole eligibility after 15 years.
Should Wood County Common Pleas Judge Joel Kuhlman sentence Cole to consecutive terms, his first opportunity to ask for parole would be in 30 years.
In discussing the plea, Dobson stated, “This plea is the result of good police work, good investigation, and good preparation by this office. I commend the work of the Bowling Green Police Department and am pleased that we were able to start to bring some closure for Miss Rosa’s devastated family. She was a deeply loved young woman and her baby boy was much anticipated. My office is taking the position that these were two separate victims and that, according to the law, they are two separate crimes. We will be arguing that the first and second charges should not merge and will be asking the judge to run the sentences consecutively.”
Cole has been in custody since his arrest on March 31. Bond has been set at $500,000.
The state agreed to dismiss a tampering with evidence charge at sentencing, which was scheduled for Jan. 12.
