Once a proud refuge for outlaws on the run, Cincinnati is fighting to maintain its’ fugitive business.

Jennifer Hyatte and her husband George killed a guard in a Tennessee courtroom and headed north on I-75. Rather than hole up in the Queen city, however, the two paid a cabbie hundreds of dollars to drive them to an America’s Best Value Inn in Columbus.

“Cincinnati is just too scary,” Hyatte later said, “I didn’t want my husband shot for no reason just because he’s black.”

Another recent escapee, Vernon Lee Parker, chose Richmond, KY as his hideout after breaking out of a western Kentucky prison.

Mayor Luken acknowledged the damage to the city. “Fugitives often have disposable income that helps supports motels, pizza delivery establishments, and home bullet removal services.”

While admitting the city’s image has suffered among convicts on the run, the mayor was quick to point out that Cincinnati is working on a fugitive recovery plan.

”The Margaret Garner opera should help polish our image in ‘slave states’,” Luken said. Luken also pointed to the recent expansion of the downtown convention center. “We hope to bring in events such as Bill Goodman’s Gun and Knife show.”