The wife of Patrick Heringer is speaking out out against the politicians and bureaucrats who coddled and protected the vicious monster who butchered her husband.
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On June 4, 2025, my husband Patrick Heringer was murdered in our home by a man the City of Cincinnati knew was dangerous.
Mordecia Black was released on parole in January.
He had a violent criminal history.
He cut off his ankle monitor in February—a felony violation.
In May, he committed another burglary.
And in June, he murdered my husband.
Let’s be clear: this was not a tragedy. This was negligence.
Negligence from the Ohio Adult Parole Authority, from the Cincinnati Police Department, and from the elected leaders who now speak of safety as if it’s something they’ve earned the right to claim.
Mayor Aftab Pureval recently issued a statement, saying: “Public safety is and will always be our first, second, and third priority… We will never stop working to ensure every neighborhood, and every family, can feel safe and at peace.”
Mr. Mayor, if public safety were your top priority, Patrick would still be alive.
You acknowledged the pain, but you have failed to acknowledge your own role in this system’s failure. You speak to the problem but refuse to name a solution. You’ve offered no public action plan. No reforms. No measurable change.
You haven’t stopped violence—you’ve stopped at optics. And the city sees through it.
Let me now address Chief Teresa Theetge and CPD:
You have remained silent.
A violent parolee, flagged multiple times by the system, roamed free for months—and you said nothing. There was no manhunt, no public alert, no internal transparency, and now, no accountability.
Your silence is not professionalism.
It’s cowardice disguised as protocol.
And while you stayed quiet, here’s what the public has learned:
According to reliable sources in District 1, at 4 a.m.—the time my husband was murdered—there may have been only ONE police officer patrolling Over-the-Rhine.
Just one.
District 1 covers four neighborhoods: Clifton, Mount Auburn, West End, and OTR.
Each may have only one officer per zone. That’s it.
Let me ask you directly, Chief:
How is that public safety?
How is that safe for the officers you lead?
You say nothing while your own officers are stretched beyond capacity, left unsupported, left to patrol some of the most high-risk areas in this city alone.
If that’s leadership, it’s negligent at best—and complicit at worst.
I am demanding:
1. A full public timeline of what each agency did when Black’s monitor went dark
2. A statement from the Mayor naming specific solutions being enacted now—not vague promises
3. A public response from Chief Theetge explaining why CPD took no action between February and June
4. An audit of current police staffing across high-crime zones—and a plan to fix it
5. Public release of communication between CPD and parole enforcement
I will bring this failure into every courtroom, newsroom, and community meeting until the people responsible are forced to answer under oath.
To the citizens of Cincinnati:
This isn’t just about Patrick.
This is about you.
Your safety. Your families. Your city.
They think you’ll forget.
They think I’ll back down.
They think words are enough.
Let’s show them they’re wrong.