COLUMBUS, Ohio — Last summer had its share of high-profile crime in Cincinnati, including the death of a beloved Over-the-Rhine gym owner.
Patrick Heringer was stabbed to death inside his home in June 2025. His wife, Sarah Heringer, said the man charged with her husband's murder should never have been on the streets in the first place.
Now, she and her husband's family are pushing for major reform at the state level.
“Patrick was taken from us in an act that should never have been possible," Carrie Carpenter, Patrick's sister, said while speaking to the Ohio House Public Safety Committee.
WATCH: Patrick Heringer's family shares testimony about how stronger laws could have prevented his death
Moredeica Black is the man charged with killing Heringer.
Just months before the murder, Black was released after serving an eight-year sentence for violently attacking a man in Government Square. Prosecutors said he cut off his ankle monitor just a month after his release.
“The man who entered our home should have never had the opportunity to do so," Sarah Heringer said.
State legislators are considering a bill named after Patrick Heringer and Reagan Tokes. Tokes was a student at Ohio State who was kidnapped, raped and murdered in 2017. Her murderer was wearing an ankle monitor and on parole at the time.
Similar legislation was introduced at the time, but failed to pass.
“There was an opportunity to fix it then, and the legislation died on this floor," Sarah Heringer said.
The current bill was drafted by State Rep. Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison).
Key provisions of the bill include:
- Strengthening real-time GPS monitoring
- Sending immediate alerts to law enforcement when violations occur
- Giving judges increased discretion to send repeat or problem offenders to prison
“These are not abstract policy changes," Sarah Heringer said. "They are points where the system failed."
Some law enforcement officers and local prosecutors also testified this week.
They spoke about the challenges in the legal system when it comes to keeping violent repeat offenders off the streets.
“If they repeatedly show they have absolutely no regard for the criminal justice system, our judges need to have the opportunity to send them to prison," Jess Weade with the Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney's Office said.
Representatives said the committee will continue to work on the bill before sending it to the House floor for a vote.
"While nothing can bring Patrick back, what happens next is still within your control," said Carpenter.
