Police said a second person was critically injured inside the Columbus home.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 17-year-old boy has been charged with murder after police said he stabbed his adoptive father to death Sunday morning inside a home in the Glen Echo area of Clintonville.
Columbus police identified the man who died as 58-year-old Mark Rayburn-Velco, an Ohio State University graduate and employee. Police said another person also was stabbed and taken to a hospital in critical condition. The case drew attention across the north Columbus neighborhood because officers found two victims with multiple stab wounds and later said the suspect was Rayburn-Velco’s adopted son.
Officers were sent to the 2600 block of Glen Echo Drive shortly before 7 a.m. Sunday after a report of a stabbing, police said. When they arrived, they found two people hurt inside or near the home. Both victims were taken to a hospital. Rayburn-Velco was pronounced dead at 7:58 a.m. after life-saving efforts, police said. The second victim was expected to survive, according to police, though that person’s name had not been released. A neighbor who spoke through a doorbell camera said the street is usually quiet and that the police response was jarring. “It was like, ‘What in the heck’s happening?’” the neighbor said.
Police said the 17-year-old was taken into custody and charged with murder and felonious assault. Because the suspect is a juvenile, police did not release his name in early reports. Investigators also had not said what they believe led to the stabbing. Officers and crime scene workers remained in the area for hours Sunday. Neighbors reported seeing crime scene tape on the residential street into the afternoon, and local reports said the tape came down around 4 p.m. The home sits in Glen Echo, a north Columbus pocket often linked with the Clintonville area. The neighborhood is known for older homes, tree-lined streets and long-term residents.
New details released Monday connected Rayburn-Velco to the teen suspect. Police said Rayburn-Velco was the boy’s adoptive father. Rayburn-Velco had married his husband in 2023, but police did not identify the second person who was injured. One neighbor, who was not named, told a local reporter that the teen had seemed clean, neat and well cared for in public. The same neighbor said he told detectives he had seen the teen become violent during a separate incident last year involving a girl. The neighbor said he was not aware of police being called for that earlier incident. Those claims had not been confirmed in public police records as of Monday.
Rayburn-Velco worked in information technology at Ohio State as a senior IT project manager, according to the university. He began that role in March 2023 and had worked for the university for more than four years. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in German studies from Ohio State. University spokesperson Ben Johnson said Ohio State was mourning Rayburn-Velco as a colleague and friend. “Mark was an integral member of the team at Ohio State,” Johnson said. The university said it was reaching out to Rayburn-Velco’s co-workers to offer support after his death.
The case now moves through the legal system with the suspect in custody. Police said he faces counts of murder and felonious assault, but officials had not announced a court date or released further charging documents by Monday evening. Investigators also had not said whether they recovered a weapon, whether there were additional witnesses inside the home or whether the second victim had spoken with detectives. Police said the second victim was expected to survive, a change from the first hours after the attack, when both victims were described as critically injured. The Franklin County coroner’s office is expected to handle the formal death finding.
Residents near Glen Echo Drive described the scene as unusual for the area. One woman said she had lived nearby for nearly 50 years and had spoken with police during their investigation. Another neighbor, Devin Keithley, said the violence was disturbing and sad. “Clearly the suspect has had a lot of issues,” Keithley said. The comments came as officers worked the scene and residents watched from porches, sidewalks and doorbell cameras. Another neighbor said people on the block were elderly and not used to violence so close to home. Police had not said whether the public faced any continuing threat after the teen was arrested.
By Monday night, Rayburn-Velco had been publicly identified, the second victim remained unnamed and the 17-year-old suspect remained charged in the case. Police had not released a motive, and the next public milestone was expected to come through court filings or an additional update from investigators.
Author note: Last updated May 25, 2026.