Cincinnati foster mom, 2 adopted kids killed in murder-suicide

A foster ma successful Cincinnati was killed alongside her big disabled lad and 11-year-old daughter, some of whom she adopted, successful what authorities accidental was a murder-suicide.

Pat McCollum, 78, who was known wrong the community for fostering dozens of children successful need, was found stabbed decease Thursday wrong a location successful the College Hill neighborhood, reported the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Kaydence McCollum, 11, and 32-year-old DJ McCollum were besides recovered stabbed wrong the location and pronounced dormant connected the scene, said Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge.

The tragic find came aft a standoff involving section authorities and a SWAT team, who spent hours attempting to negociate with a fishy wrong the residence.

Once instrumentality enforcement yet entered the home, they recovered the suspect, 66-year-old Anthony Mathis, besides suffering from aggregate stab wounds. He was rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, wherever helium aboriginal died from what constabulary said were self-inflicted wounds.

Authorities person not provided further details, including Pat McCollum’s narration with Mathis. However, tribunal records cited by the Enquirer amusement Mathis to beryllium her son-in-law. The motive down the murder-suicide remains unclear.

Per tribunal documents, Mathis was charged successful April with felony strangulation and home violence, with Patricia McCollum listed arsenic the victim. Mathis aboriginal filed motions successful the lawsuit stating helium was acting successful self-defense astatine the time.

The home unit charge, a misdemeanor, was reportedly dismissed for privation of prosecution.

Members of the assemblage remembered Pat for her generous bosom successful the aftermath of her tragic death. Rosemary Oglesby-Henry — laminitis and CEO of Rosemary’s Babies Co., who had besides been friends with McCollum since puerility — remembered her arsenic a “hero” and an “icon.”

She said the unfortunate took much than 70 children into her location implicit the past 20 years, including DJ, who suffered from terrible disabilities aft he was burned connected implicit 85% of his body successful a occurrence arsenic a baby. McCollum yet adopted him, her person said.

“I fell successful emotion successful the 13 days [I was fostering him] and couldn’t springiness him up,” McCollum told WCPO successful a 2015 interview.

The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners declared her decease “a nonaccomplishment for all” members of the community.

“Pat was a champion for children and a foster parent to much than 70 kids. She adopted seven,” they wrote successful a societal media station connected Friday. “Few radical unrecorded arsenic invested successful their assemblage arsenic Pat did. … She created a programme that paired recently licensed foster parents with much experienced ones. The programme helped countless foster families larn however to advocator for each kids similar she did.”