Cincinnati, OH – An Ohio man will spend at least the next 45 years behind bars after admitting to killing his mother and seriously injuring his father during a violent outburst last year in Green Township.
Violent Attack Sparked by Family Dispute
According to court records, Kenneth Mortimer, 41, attacked his parents on August 9, 2024, after his mother, Barbara Mortimer, told him he could not spend the night in the family’s Palmhill Lane home. The confrontation quickly escalated when Barbara urged her husband to contact psychiatric services due to their son’s “erratic behavior,” as described in an arrest affidavit.
Authorities say Mortimer went to the kitchen, grabbed “the biggest knife he could find,” and stabbed his parents as they sat on the couch. Barbara initially escaped out the front door but was chased, tackled, and dragged back inside, where Mortimer stabbed her multiple times before fleeing.
Scene of Horror
When Green Township officers arrived, they discovered Thomas Mortimer, 75, standing and covered in blood, and Barbara lying on the floor, unresponsive and also covered in blood. Thomas was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries but survived. Barbara died from her wounds.
Prosecutors stated that Cincinnati police located Mortimer a short time later, his clothing and vehicle interior “covered in blood.” He confessed to stabbing both of his parents after being returned to Green Township custody.
Guilty Plea and Sentencing
On Friday, Mortimer pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, attempted murder, kidnapping, and felonious assault. Originally charged with aggravated murder, he was sentenced to a minimum of 45 years in prison by a Hamilton County judge.
“It is absolutely horrifying to think of the depravity required to brutally attack both of your parents, killing one and nearly killing the other,” former Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers said in a statement. “Barbara and Thomas Mortimer were just trying to get their son the help he obviously needed, and he responded with unimaginable violence.”
Family’s Pain and Trauma
Barbara’s sister, Janet Stansbury, addressed the court during sentencing, describing how the attack shattered her sense of safety and left emotional scars on the family. “It changed my sense of safety and trust in others,” she said.
Mortimer had been held in jail on a $2 million cash bond before sentencing. With his guilty plea, the case has now come to a close, though the emotional wounds for the family remain.
Do you believe mental health intervention could have prevented this tragedy? Share your thoughts in the comments.
