Deanna Ballman Murder Update: Ali Salim, former Ohio doctor, pleads guilty in pregnant woman's death
(CBS/AP) COLUMBUS, Ohio - A former Ohio doctor has pleaded guilty in the heroin death of a 23-year-old pregnant woman who answered a job posting on Craigslist.
Delaware County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Julie Datko says Ali Salim pleaded guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter, one count of tampering with evidence and one count of abuse of a corpse.
Datko says Salim also entered a type of guilty plea to a count of rape where he maintains his innocence but acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him.
The 44-year-old entered the pleas Thursday ahead of his scheduled trial.
Salim was charged with kidnapping, raping and killing Deanna Ballman and her unborn daughter by injecting her with heroin last year.
Ballman was 9-months-pregnant and reportedly had two other children.
According to CBS affiliate WBNS, the day of the murder Ballman met Salim after allegedly answering an ad on Craigslist for house work. Prosecutors say Salim injected her with heroin, killing her, then ditched her car with her body in it.
The station reports Salim, who was born in Pakistan, is likely to be deported because he is not a US citizen. His sentencing hearing will be in December.
