COLUMBUS, Ohio — A man who pleaded guilty to charges related to posting videos on social media of himself beating another man to death three years ago was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Timothy Kendrick, 35, pleaded guilty in June to charges of aggravated murder, murder, kidnapping, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse.
Kendrick was charged in the death of 30-year-old Drew Mendelbaum, whose body was found in July 2021 in the 4600 block of Sawmill Road.
Police said Kendrick met Mendelbaum at a gas station and the two returned to Kendrick's hotel room to drink.
Police said Mendelbaum had been stabbed more than 45 times, beaten and his body was set on fire. He was found burned and covered in a shower curtain with zip ties around his ankles. His body was left just outside of a business complex.
Investigators arrested Kendrick shortly after they said they found Snapchat videos of the torture. He initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but filed a request to change it during the trial.
Before Kendrick's guilty plea, jurors saw graphic pictures of Mendelbaum's body and the inside of the hotel room where investigators say the beating took place.
Before Kendrick was sentenced on Thursday, the judge showed the jury the videos posted on Snapchat at the time of Mendelbaum’s death.
Mendelbaum’s mother spoke during the sentencing, stating that her son was the only close family member she had. She added that their last day together was two days before he disappeared.
Kendrick told the judge that he was “not in the right state of mind” and that drugs and alcohol were factors in Mendelbaum’s murder. He expressed that he wanted another chance.
The judge said Kendrick had not taken responsibility for his actions.