City crews remove locks honoring murder victims from Downtown Columbus bridge

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – After locks in memory of murder victims were removed from a Downtown bridge without notice, the City of Columbus is working with a local nonprofit to find a permanent home for the memorial.

Moms of Murdered Columbus Children (MOMCC), an anti-violence advocacy group consisting of local mothers, began placing locks on the Rich Street Bridge in October 2021 with the permission of city officials. But in late March, founder Malissa St. Clair said she received a phone call from a “very disgruntled” grandmother who was hyperventilating because she discovered the locks had been removed from the bridge.

“She said that is her only way of being able to visit her grandkids,” St. Clair said.

The city’s department of public service said the locks were removed during bridge maintenance to “prevent extra weight from compromising structural safety.”

The story behind the Rich Street Bridge locks begins in 2015, when St. Clair said she took a trip to the Purple People Bridge, which connects Cincinnati and Kentucky. On the bridge she observed hundreds of locks, and made it a personal goal of hers to add one. When MOMCC was first created in 2020, they took a trip to the Purple People Bridge to place locks on it, in memory of their loved ones. 

“Well, the bridge was closed and so we couldn’t do it,” St. Clair said. “So we had engraved our locks and I thought they need to be home anyway.”

The group chose to recreate the concept in Columbus on the Rich Street Bridge. St. Clair said the memorial, called "Locks of Love," represents "locking in the love and removing the violence."

“Often [victims] are stereotyped as thugs and people who deserved their end result, not knowing there’s a family on the other side that no matter what transpired to their murder, they were human beings loved beyond any transgression," St. Clair said.

St. Clair said she believes about 140 of the group’s locks were on the bridge at the time they were removed – and noted the group held six sessions where they added locks to it. The most recent event took place in July 2023. Over time, other people not associated with MOMCC began adding their own locks as well, according to St. Clair. 

“It was always told to me, if the bridge ever had compromise to the safety of the bridge because of the locks, that there was no guarantee that those locks would have to be cut off at some time,” St. Clair said. “But also, in that same sentiment, there was nowhere near the amount of locks on that bridge that would’ve compromised the weight as of yet.”

The city has worked with MOMCC to return the locks to their owners. St. Clair said the city was “extremely” apologetic. The city’s department of public service said it was working with the nonprofit to find a permanent solution regarding the memorial.

St. Clair encouraged those who want to take part in the Locks of Love initiative to reach out to MOMCC through their website.