A community in Ohio is now mourning the loss of a foster mom after she was stabbed and murdered by a 66-year-old man who committed suicide after the crime.
The murders happened last Thursday, Oct. 24. Officers from the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) responded to reports of a stabbing incident inside a home at Springbrook Drive around 8 a.m. local time.
When police arrived, they discovered the bodies of foster mom Patricia McCollum, 78; her disabled adopted son DJ McCollum, 32; and her adopted daughter Kaydence McCollum, 11.
The police also discovered the body of 66-year-old Anthony Mathis inside the home. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died due to several self-inflicted stab wounds, the CPD said in a press release.
Why Was Patricia McCollum Murdered?
It was not immediately clear whether McCollum and the perpetrator knew each other before the stabbing incident. The police are also yet to release any motive for the stabbing.
However, multiple outlets reported that Mathis had previously been charged with strangulation and domestic violence in April 2023. McCollum was identified as the victim.
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In that incident, Mathis was accused of choking McCollum and lifting her off the ground while doing so. Initially, a judge signed a domestic violence protection order against the 66-year-old. However, the strangulation case was "ignored" by a grand jury, and the domestic violence charge was later "dismissed for want of prosecution, the outlets reported, citing court entries.
Who Was Patricia McCollum?
The Ohio community is now mourning the loss of McCollum, where she is being remembered as a "hero" who left behind a "legacy of love," according to a GoFundMe campaign launched to help raise money for funeral expenses.
McCollum was known for "advocating for foster youth, trauma victims, the disabled, and teen parents by being a founding board member of Rosemary's Babies Co.," the campaign said. She had also served as the president of The Black Social Workers.
Furthermore, she has fostered and raised more than 70 children over the past two decades.
As of Sunday, the campaign has raised $13,053 of its $25,000 goal.
