Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

A very tragic story from Columbus where a gay man, Mark Rayburn-Velco, was stabbed to death by his 17 year old son on May 26, 2026. Mark’s husband, Brent, was also attacked, but survived his injuries.

Very little information on the incident has been released.

The stabbing was reported on Sunday around 7 a.m. on Glen Echo Drive. At the scene, officers found two victims who were stabbed.

One of the victims, 58-year-old Mark Rayburn-Velco, was pronounced dead at 7:58 a.m. The second victim was taken to a hospital and was listed as critical, but is expected to recover.

Mark’s son is in custody at a juvenile facility where he will remain until his next hearing. A competency evaluation has been ordered for the teen. Prosecutors are seeking to charge him as an adult, his lawyer has requested a guardian at litem.

Mark worked for the IT Department at Ohio State University where his colleagues speak of him with fondness and respect.

He was a fan of dogs, Star Wars, Marvel, Lego and general sci fi according to his Instagram profile. But his biggest joy and priority was being a father. Mark met his son’s birth mother during the eighth month of her pregnancy in 2009. He adopted his son in 2013. His feeds are full of posts about parenting and his pride in his son. Even his obituary mentions this.

“Being a father was one of the greatest joys of Mark’s life — a role he both cherished deeply and took seriously.”

Mark had been married to his husband Brent for nearly three years. Brent is recovering and planning to return to his family in West Virginia.

There is only speculation about what led to this attack. Every single report I’ve read emphasizes that his son was adopted, implying that his status as an adoptee is tied to this crime. This framing that separates this great guy Mark from his son’s violence is unwarranted. It reinforces stereotypes about adoption rather than use critical analysis to consider the bigger picture. If his son was struggling due to some factor in the relationship with his father, it could be due to that relationship or due to the consequences of trauma.

We don’t know. The possible explanations are endless. It is pointless to speculate. The complicated nuances of adoption are vast and deserve a thoughtful analysis. But this young man was Mark’s son. Distancing ourselves from a horrible crime by pigeonholing his son doesn’t reflect well on us.

Mark loved his son. How would he want his friends and neighbors to respond? None of them deserved this, not Mark, not his husband Brent, and not Mark’s son.

Mark’s obituary concludes

“A Celebration of Life is being planned for Summer 2026. In honor of Mark’s memory, we ask that you cherish one another and remember how fleeting time can be. “All you need is love” was a mantra Mark carried throughout his life.”

Rest in power, Mark.