Ohio Man Pleads Guilty In 4 Slayings In Bucyrus

An Ohio man has pleaded guilty to killing four men at their homes last fall in the small city of Bucyrus and been sentenced to life in prison under a deal with prosecutors. The plea by Donald Hoffman on Wednesday came days before his trial was scheduled to begin. Hoffman could have faced the death penalty if convicted at trial. The 41-year-old declined to address the court after pleading guilty to aggravated murder. The judge who handed down the sentence told Hoffman "this community bids you goodbye." A coroner determined the slain men were beaten, strangled or both. Two bodies were found Sept. 1. Two more were discovered the next day after Hoffman approached police. Friends and relatives say at least some of the men knew each other and Hoffman.