Background: Convicted killer Anjuan Marion in court on Dec. 10, 2025 (WLWT/YouTube). Inset: Victim Ryan Healey (WXIX/YouTube).
A man in Ohio is still mourning the loss of his son, who was tragically shot and killed in 2023 by a teenager he did not know. The incident seemed to be a random act of violence. During a plea hearing, the father expressed his feelings towards the killer, referring to him as a “sociopath” and a “pathetic excuse for a human being.”
The father, Rob Healey, directly questioned the convicted shooter, Anjuan Marion, asking him if he truly believed he had the authority to decide the fate of another person’s life when he chose to use a firearm. Marion, who was 18 at the time of the plea hearing, admitted to a manslaughter charge related to the death of Ryan Healey in 2023. As part of his plea deal, Marion was sentenced to serve between 12 to 14½ years in prison.
Rob Healey did not hold back his emotions during the hearing, referring to Marion as “this scum of the earth” who was present in the same room. At the time of the shooting, Marion was only 16 years old, as detailed by the Cincinnati Enquirer.
“I hope he lives in pain and suffering for the rest of his life,” Rob Healey said to Hamilton County Judge Chris Wagner.
Marion was originally charged in Hamilton County Juvenile Court but was transferred to adult court last year for the April 2023 shooting, which happened in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Police found Healey’s body at East Liberty and Main streets near Rothenberg Academy after he was shot multiple times in the chest. Police say a motive for the killing was never given or determined by investigators.
A plea deal that was floated for Marion in December was denied by Wagner, according to local NBC affiliate WLWT, and he was scheduled to go on trial in July 2025 before another deal was accepted last week, the station reports.
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“Justice can be bittersweet,” Judge Wagner told Healey’s family, who was reportedly in attendance on Friday at the plea hearing. “And sometimes it hurts.”
Healey’s family described him in court as a “true rock” for his loved ones.
“(Healey’s death) has left a devastating void, especially for our mother,” said Ronald Healey, Ryan’s brother. His mother reportedly now spends her time “imprisoned in her own home (with) fear and anxiety,” per Ronald.
“I want to say I’m sorry,” Marion told the family, saying nothing else.
The young man reportedly has a 4-year-old daughter and has been taking classes to earn a high school diploma.
“Maybe something good will come out of this,” Wagner concluded.
