The man accused of working with a teen girl during a deadly 2021 robbery was sentenced to 44 years to life in prison on Aug. 28.
Christian Henderson, 23, who acted as his own attorney during his trial and retrial, was convicted in June of killing Luke Macke.
Macke was shot and killed in Westwood on June 24, 2021.
More than 30 friends and family members of Macke’s came to the sentencing before Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Alison Hatheway. Henderson was supported by a defense attorney as well as two people who worked with him in the foster care system.
Macke’s family along with prosecutors asked Hatheway for the maximum sentence, saying Henderson put them through four years of misery by firing defense attorneys and representing himself.
“Are you a monster?” Macke’s younger brother Mitchell asked, saying that Henderson had made a mockery of the legal process.
Macke’s father, Craig Macke, said he always used to believe in forgiveness and redemption, but the past four years have made him doubt that.
“Society is better off without you,” he said, asking Hatheway to “not spare any mercy” for Henderson.
Macke’s younger sister, McKenna, was in college at the time of her brother’s killing. She said now every childhood memory with her brother is “laced with sadness.”
She called Henderson pathetic, weak, cold-blooded and ruthless.
“Rot in hell,” she said.
Man lured to area by 16-year-old girl
Macke, 23, had been lured to the area via social media by 16-year-old Savanah Wilson, according to prosecutors, and Henderson was there waiting to rob him.
Henderson, who was 19 at the time, approached Macke holding a gun. When Macke tried to flee, Henderson shot him. Prosecutors said Henderson had previously planned to rob Macke with a stun gun as well.
Attorney Ryan Ragland, who represented Henderson during the sentencing, said Henderson did not understand the legalities of the case and chose to represent himself because his life of trauma led him to trust no one but himself.
Ragland recounted a life in and out of foster homes. She said he committed his first theft of bread and milk to help his seven younger siblings.
“He had nothing and no one,” Ragland said. “He is not some evil mastermind.”
His former Guardian ad Litem, Megan Busam, spoke on his behalf. Crying, she said Henderson’s instability in life pushed him to do what he had to do to survive. She said he is a young man with goals, who could do good things.
‘Pure evil’
Nicole Koffin, Macke’s mother, said his hard upbringing was no excuse to kill. She said Henderson has blamed everyone but himself and showed no remorse.
“We didn’t know pure evil existed until we met you,” Koffin said.
Henderson apologized to the judge, but not Macke’s family, when he was given a chance to speak.
“I do not stand here without remorse,” he said. “I’m not a terrible person.”
He also said he would do something that Macke’s family would not: “forgive them for what they have said … I forgive everybody.”
Wilson, now 21, is also facing charges including murder. Her case is still pending with her next hearing scheduled for Sept. 17.
Henderson will receive credit for the over 1,400 days he’s already been incarcerated. He did ask Judge Hatheway to appoint an attorney to represent him on appeal.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Man convicted of killing Luke Macke gets 44 years to life in prison