A Cincinnati community is grieving after 77-year-old Patricia McCollum, a revered foster mother known for caring for over 70 children across two decades, was killed along with her two children in an apparent homicide.
McCollum, her 32-year-old disabled son, DJ McCollum, and her adopted 11-year-old daughter, Kaydence, were found stabbed to death in their College Hill home on Thursday.
Authorities report the suspect in this incident may have been suicidal, according to the New York Post.
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Neighbors called 911 after hearing a disturbance coming from the home. Police later found Anthony Mathis with self-inflicted stab wounds. He was transported to the hospital but died shortly after arrival.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the connection between Mathis and McCollum. Cincinnati.com reported that Mathis was charged with strangulation in a domestic violence incident involving McCollum a year prior.
He was accused of lifting her by the neck, but a grand jury did not indict him, leading to the dismissal of the charges due to lack of prosecution.
The motive for the killings remains unclear, as authorities have not released any information on that front.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by family members to assist with funeral expenses for McCollum, who devoted over 20 years to caring for more than 70 foster children.
According to the fundraising page, McCollum “was a hero” who “advocated for foster youth, trauma victims, the disabled, and teen parents by being a founding board member of Rosemary’s Babies Co.”
The GoFundMe page noted that McCollum was the first Black woman to serve as a cocktail waitress, known as a “bunny,” at Cincinnati’s Playboy Club.
