Cincinnati's police chief is defending the department and promising action after several people have been killed in the last two weeks, and the widow of at least one has demanded answers.
Sarah Heringer accused the city and department of negligence after her husband, Patrick, was murdered during a break-in. Investigators say 38-year-old Mordecia Black broke into Heringer’s home in Over-the-Rhine early on the morning of June 4, and stabbed Patrick Heringer in the neck.
Sarah Heringer says Black shouldn't have been free.
"I want systems rebuilt—not burned down. I want accountability—not excuses," Heringer said . "And I want the people responsible to make it right—so that this never happens again."
Our news partner from 2015, but cut off his ankle monitor in February. There was another outstanding warrant for his arrest related to a burglary in May.
Heringer met with Police Chief Teresa Theetge and Mayor Aftab Pureval on Tuesday.
Pureval said in a statement the suspect in this murder should not have been free: "When he cut his ankle monitor, City law enforcement should have been notified immediately, and he should have been tracked down and apprehended. That this didn’t happen is unacceptable. I am ultimately responsible for keeping residents safe, and I will do everything I can to improve breakdowns in the criminal justice system."
law enforcement is only one part of the equation.
“When we arrest and charge violent offenders, there must be clear policies and procedures in place to manage their reintegration into society, and to ensure that they are held accountable to the conditions of their post-release supervision,” Theetge says. “That responsibility cannot rest on the shoulders of the Cincinnati Police Department alone.”
Theetge says the suspect was arrested within 48 hours.
“The fact that he was able to commit this crime is deeply troubling. Although he served more than nine years in prison, his actions clearly show he was not prepared to re-enter society,” she says.
Theetge says the judicial system also bears responsibility.
“When our officers work so diligently to apprehend dangerous offenders we must be able to trust that the criminal justice and judicial systems will take the necessary steps to ensure continued oversight of individuals who pose an ongoing threat to public safety.”
Heringer says someone should be held responsible: "A fatal error in this system cost the love of my life his life. And I refuse to allow myself, his family, his loved ones, or his community to be the only ones who carry the consequences of that negligence."
Mayor Pureval says he is inspired by her courage to fight for policy changes: "Our commitment, from City Hall and CPD, is to be fully present and accountable along the way — in providing the information we have, reviewing what we need to do better internally, and helping champion needed reforms at the state level."
The number of homicides in Cincinnati so far this year is slightly lower than previous years, according to :
- YTD 2025: 25 homicides
- YTD 2024: 27
- YTD 2023: 28
- YTD 2022: 31
- YTD 2021: 32
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