WCPO 9 Chief Meteorologist Steve Raleigh will not face charges for his involvement in an alleged assault that left two elderly people severely injured in June.
Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve announced on Sept. 17 that there was no evidence Steve Raleigh violated any criminal law during the viral Montgomery Inn parking lot incident.
"During the course of this investigation, it has been determined that criminal charges are not warranted against Mr. Steve Raleigh, as there is no evidence that he violated any criminal law," Tekulve said in a press release. "Accordingly, as to Mr. Steve Raleigh, this investigation is closed.”
Tekulve added that his office will present evidence to the Hamilton County Grand Jury to determine whether charges will be filed against “others involved in this incident.” Tekulve said results of the Grand Jury investigation will be announced “in the upcoming weeks.”
"This was expected," said Konrad Kircher, attorney for Morrow family, the alleged victims in the case. "We never anticipated that Steve Raleigh would be charged with a crime. He exercised very poor judgement and may have committed some civil wrongs but we never suggested that he committed a crime."
"This was expected," said Konrad Kircher, attorney for Morrow family, the alleged victims in the case. "We never anticipated that Steve Raleigh would be charged with a crime. He exercised very poor judgement and may have committed some civil wrongs but we never suggested that he committed a crime."
What happened?
It all started the evening of June 22 in the parking lot of the Montgomery Inn Boathouse on Riverside Drive. That’s when Carter Raleigh, Steve Raleigh’s 28-year-old son and the grandson of Si Leis, allegedly hit the Morrow family’s Ford F-150 pickup truck while driving his grandfather’s Cadillac Escalade in the parking lot. Leis is a famous former Hamilton County law enforcement trifecta, having served as a prosecutor, judge and sheriff in the county.
According to a heavily-redacted traffic incident report from the Cincinnati Police Department, 79-year-old Douglas Morrow was driving the Morrows’ truck that night. His son, Troy Morrow was in the backseat with Allison Scales, 47. Douglas Morrow’s wife, Lois Morrow, 76, was sitting in the passenger seat.
The Morrows allege that Carter Raleigh got out of Leis’ Escalade and began arguing with the Morrow family. It wasn’t long before the Morrows say Steve Raleigh emerged from the direction of the restaurant, asking them not to call the police.
The police report does not provide specific details about the alleged assault, and the names of suspects are redacted from the report. However, CPD officer Shawn Newman summarized witness testimonies in the report, saying, “Suspect approached victim #1 striking him with a closed fist in the head knocking him to the ground causing listed injuries. Victim #2 and victim #3, while attempting to aid victim #1, was struck and shoved down to the ground by the suspect causing listed injuries.”
Speaking to CityBeat after the prosecutor's Sept. 17 announcement about Steve Raleigh,
Speaking to CityBeat after the prosecutor's Sept. 17 announcement about Steve Raleigh,
the Morrow family's attorney said Kyle Raleigh, Carter's brother, will be the focus in front of the grand jury.
“The grand jury will convene next week to consider charges against Kyle Raleigh, who’s the one who committed the violent assaults," Kircher said. "I don’t know that Carter committed any crimes. He was not tested for any alcohol – he was the one who was driving the vehicle but he got away from the scene without having to give a breathalyzer, I’m not sure how that happened. But it does not appear he was involved in the assaults.”
In her July 10 post, Morrow-Stickrod said 76-year-old Lois Morrow was knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion, fractured skull, brain bleeding, a contusion on the back of her head that required staples, a detached eye lens and cuts and bruises to her arms and legs. Her father was also knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion, the post said. Additionally, Morrow-Stickrod shared on July 23 that Lois Morrow was told on July 19 that she was showing signs of dementia as a result of the alleged attack.
Photo: Lydia Schembre
Lois Morrow, 76, (left); Douglas Morrow, 79, (middle); Stacie Morrow-Stickrod (right).
Cameras at the Montgomery Inn’s Boathouse location weren’t working, but in Morrow-Stickrod’s July 10 Facebook post about the incident, she included a now-viral video that appears to capture the aftermath of the assault.
The over-3-minute video launched this story into the national spotlight, depicting a chaotic scene. The blurry video shows an argument, and as the person filming regains balance, Douglas and Lois Morrow are both seen lying on the pavement, with blood visible next to Lois Morrow’s head.
In the video, Kevin Youkilis, a former UC and Red Sox baseball player, is seen arguing with Steve Raleigh.
Youkilis addressed the viral video in a July 13 Facebook post, saying he was eating dinner with an agent when he saw the incident break out. Youkilis tried to deescalate the situation, according to his Facebook post.
Who is Steve Raleigh?
Steve Raleigh is a local celebrity and a staple to many Cincinnatians’ daily routines. He has appeared on WCPO for almost 20 years.
He’s been a meteorologist for around 40 years, working in other major cities like San Francisco, Charlotte and Memphis. He started at WCPO in 2005.
Once the video of the incident at Montgomery Inn went viral, WCPO released a statement implying there was more to the story and that Steve Raleigh hadn’t been charged with a crime.
“[The incident] is still under investigation, and at this time no charges have been filed against anyone,” said Jeff Brogan, WCPO vice president and general manager in a July 12 statement. “His account is consistent with the police report, which does not name him, and with what we have reviewed on video. The video does not show the incident from start to finish."
Steve Raleigh’s social media pages quickly disappeared after the parking lot video started racking up views. Hours later, he was notably absent from WCPO’s 5 p.m. newscast. He hasn't returned to air since. WCPO has not publicly stated whether Steve will return to the air in light of prosecutor's most recent announcement.
Powers steps back, Tekulve steps in
Weeks after the incident, Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve was appointed special prosecutor for the case after Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers stepped back from the investigation.
According to court documents, Tekulve was appointed because "a conflict exists in this matter that makes it inappropriate for [Powers] to proceed."
"It is important that the public have confidence in equal application of the law," Powers said in a statement. "No duty is more important for a Prosecutor. With this appointment, the public can be assured that justice in this matter will be administrated fairly and impartially."
Connie Pillich, the Democratic candidate for Hamilton County prosecutor and former state representative, told CityBeat that while she trusts the police to investigate thoroughly, Powers’ previous silence on the case had an “appearance of impropriety.”
According to reporting from WCPO, the prosecutor's office said that the conflict of interest had to do with Leis.
Leis donated a total of $800 in three separate contributions to Powers’ campaign over the past year, according to campaign finance reports.
Merlyn Shiverdecker of Carr & Shiverdecker, who is representing the Raleigh family, has also supported Powers’ campaign financially over the past two years. Shiverdecker contributed a total of $5,000 in two separate $2,500 donations to her campaign committee, Powers for Prosecutor, on April 10, 2023 and June 14, 2023, according to Powers’ 2023 semiannual campaign finance reports.
Additionally, Shiverdecker appears on a list of contributors on Powers’ host committee for a reception in support of Powers on June 4, 2024. Shiverdecker is listed on the document as an “Advocate,” a term indicating that he donated $1,000 to Powers’ committee.
However, Powers isn’t the only prosecutor Shiverdecker has supported financially. According to a 2019 annual campaign finance report, the Raleigh family’s lawyer also donated $250 to Tekulve’s campaign for Clermont County prosecutor back in 2019.
Tekulve is also connected to Powers. On April 10, Tekulve’s campaign committee donated $500 to Powers’ campaign committee, according to Tekulve’s 2024 post-primary campaign finance report.
CityBeat reached out to Powers’ office for comment on her decision to step back from the case and received the following statement: “Unfortunately, due to the fact that a special prosecutor has been appointed, we will not have further comment on the matter and will be deferring all questions to the special prosecutor. This is to protect the integrity and independence of the special prosecutor’s investigation.”
Pillich told CityBeat that the time it took for Powers to recognize the conflict of interest “raises serious concerns.”
“Why did it take so long to recognize this conflict of interest? Was the endorsement by this prominent figure not considered a conflict five weeks ago?” Pillich said in her statement. “This delayed response undermines public trust and raises questions about the integrity of the office.”
Editor's note: This story was updated after publishing to include statements provided by the Morrow family's attorney. CityBeat reached out to the Raleigh family's attorney for comment but did not hear back by press time.
