Inset, left to right: Theodore “Ted” Block (E.C. Nurre Funeral Homes) and Cole Hornsby (Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The area in Ohio where Hornsby killed Block in April 2024 (Google Maps).
An Ohio man, aged 26, faces a potential life sentence after being convicted of fatally shooting his neighbor, a 40-year-old grandfather, in the back 12 times. The accused, Cole Hornsby, allegedly insulted the older man with a derogatory term before claiming he acted in self-defense, as per court records.
On Thursday, Jennifer Branch, a judge at Hamilton County Common Pleas, imposed the toughest penalty on Hornsby, sentencing him to 24 years to life in prison for the 2024 murder of Theodore “Ted” Block. The sentence follows a jury’s verdict finding Hornsby guilty of murder and evidence tampering.
Documents reveal that on April 16, 2024, police and emergency services rushed to a reported shooting at a residence on Kilby Road, Cincinnati. Upon arrival, they discovered Block “lying on the ground deceased,” as detailed in the reports.
Investigators reported that witnesses saw Hornsby confront Block, initiating a verbal altercation. A detective’s affidavit noted that Hornsby allegedly said to Block, “take this b—,” before drawing a firearm and shooting him repeatedly.
The Cincinnati Enquirer revealed that on the night of the incident, Hornsby was discharging a large muzzleloader rifle from his porch. Block, who was at home caring for his grandchildren with his wife, approached Hornsby to demand he cease firing the weapon. A confrontation ensued, during which Block threatened to involve the police before heading back home. As Block walked away, Hornsby shot him in the back 12 times.
During the trial, a forensic specialist testified, as reported by the Enquirer, that Hornsby fired a final shot into Block’s back while he lay face down. Subsequently, Hornsby concealed the gun in his shed.
Block’s wife, Krissy Block, watched the shooting take place and testified at Hornsby’s trial, Newport, Kentucky-based Fox affiliate WXIX reported.
Alyiah Block, the victim’s daughter, spoke during Thursday’s sentencing hearing, imploring the court to impose the maximum sentence.
“Cole Hornsby, a man who should stay behind bars for as long as his heart beats,” she said, according to Cincinnati-based CBS and CW affiliate WKRC. “A coward of a man who took an innocent life for no reason at all but his own pleasure. A man who can’t admit that his decisions he made that night were never an act of self-defense, but him firing on an unarmed, non-threatening man that was only trying to protect his family from the psychopath next door.”
Hornsby’s defense attorney reportedly sought a sentence of two years followed by probation.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich praised Branch’s sentencing decision.
“I appreciate the judge’s careful consideration of this case and decision to impose the maximum allowed sentence, as my office requested,” she said in a statement to WKRC. “This was a tragic and preventable killing. Ted Block should be alive today. While no sentence can bring him back, this ensures the community will be safe from Cole Hornsby for as long as possible.”
