Veiled Verdict

💔 After spending much of his childhood battling Grey Zone lymphoma—a rare form of cancer with characteristics of both Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma—Alan Richard Olson finally received the news he had fought years to hear. In December 2018, after chemotherapy, radiation treatments, and a stem cell transplant, the 18-year-old was declared cancer-free.

Tragically, just one week later, on December 21, 2018, Olson was staying at a Motel 6 in Northeast Portland when he was robbed and shot in the back of the head. Despite surviving cancer, he lost his life to an act of violence only days after learning he was in remission.

Authorities later identified the shooter as 15-year-old Jeremiah Terrell Hannon, who was linked to a series of violent crimes in the Portland area. In 2020, Hannon pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Because he was 15 at the time of the offense, Oregon law required that he be prosecuted through the juvenile justice system, and he was sentenced to custody under the Oregon Youth Authority until no later than his 25th birthday.

Olson's story drew national attention because of its heartbreaking timing. After overcoming an extraordinary medical battle, his life was cut short just days later, and his case continues to be discussed in conversations about juvenile justice, violent crime, and sentencing laws. ❤️🕊️