The husband of a Columbus City Schools assistant principal will serve nearly 20 years in prison after admitting to being a serial rapist in the Linden area for more than a decade.
Michael T. Davis, 58, pleaded guilty on Aug. 29 to five counts of rape in connection with sexual assaults involving seven victims that took place between 2013 and May 2024
A trial had been underway before Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Andy Miller when Davis decided to enter a guilty plea on Aug. 29. As part of the agreement, Miller sentenced Davis to a minimum of 17 years in prison. Davis’ time in prison could be extended up to 22½ years depending on his behavior while imprisoned.
After his release from prison, Davis will be required to register as a Tier III sexual offender, which is someone convicted of a major felony sex crime and considered a high risk to reoffend. He will have to register his residence with law enforcement every 90 days for life and residents within a specified radius of his address would receive mailed notification of his presence.
Wife on leave from Columbus City Schools amid charges
Davis’s wife, Marcia Davis, is also facing charges for obstructing justice and intimidation of a victim or witness. According to court records, she paid women accusing her husband of sexual assault so they would not go to the police.
Court records say Davis exchanged text messages with her husband that included comments about expecting fidelity but not receiving it, as well as comments from her husband about women being “for real” and needing to be given their money.
Davis, 56, is currently on “assigned to home” status with Columbus City Schools, where she is the assistant principal at World Language Middle School. She did not appear at her husband’s sentencing hearing, but is scheduled for an arraignment Sept. 5.
Court records: Michael Davis targeted Columbus-area sex workers
According to court records, Michael Davis picked up female sex workers, women seeking drugs or both, while driving a GMC Sierra Denali truck. Davis would take the women to his Earl Avenue home or nearby motels, where he would hold them against their will, court records say, threatening them and holding them at knifepoint while forcing them to engage in sexual acts with him.
Davis was out on bond for one of the cases against him when he committed two additional rapes and kidnappings, court records state. At least one of the victims told detectives the “Linden Rapist” was the one who had assaulted her and that Davis was known in the area by that name.
More than 75 videos found on Davis’ cell phone showed him engaging in sexual conduct with the women, court records say. Some of the videos showed women who were visibly in distress or begging to be released, according to court records, and in other videos, women were told to “make it seem consensual.”
“This defendant stands before this court for a series of heinous and violent crimes,” Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Thomas Vaccaro said. “His actions were calculated, predatory, and devoid of remorse.”
Vaccaro said Davis preyed on innocent women’s dignity and humanity, and his behavior “shocked the consciousness.”
“These were not isolated incidences,” Vaccaro said. “This was a deliberate, sustained campaign of violence against vulnerable women.”
Davis has been charged with rape and kidnapping at least four other times between 2002 and 2020. In two of the cases, Davis pleaded guilty to gross sexual imposition. A judge dismissed one case, and another resulted in Davis being found not guilty at trial.
Davis did not make a statement during his sentencing, asking Miller if he could “speak frankly” without impacting the recommended sentence. After consulting with his attorneys, Davis declined to make any further comments.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@gannett.com or on Bluesky at @bethanybruner.dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Man accused of being serial rapist in Linden pleads guilty mid-trial
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