Cuyahoga County grand jury indicts Cleveland man in April 2025 killing of Maple Heights resident Raymel Ryan

Indictment filed after January arrest in Kinsman neighborhood homicide

A Cuyahoga County grand jury has indicted a 20-year-old Cleveland man accused in the April 2025 killing of a Maple Heights resident who was shot while sitting in a car on the city’s East Side.

The indictment names Leantoine Bates and includes charges of aggravated murder, murder, aggravated robbery, felonious assault, attempted grand theft of a motor vehicle and possessing criminal tools. The case centers on the death of Raymel Ryan, 48, who was killed April 24, 2025, near East 106th Street and Elliot Avenue in the Kinsman neighborhood, authorities said.

What investigators say happened

Police have said Ryan was inside a vehicle when he was shot. Emergency responders transported him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Public court records and the indictment outline the alleged offenses but do not, at this stage, resolve key questions such as the precise sequence of events leading up to the shooting, any alleged motive, or whether additional suspects may be involved.

Procedural steps and current custody status

Bates was arrested on Jan. 7, 2026, and later appeared in Cleveland Municipal Court, where he entered a not guilty plea. A judge set bond at $2 million, and he remained held at the Cuyahoga County Jail as the case proceeded to the grand jury.

Following the indictment, the case is set to move forward in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Court scheduling reflects a return date of Jan. 22, 2026, for the next hearing.

How a grand jury indictment shapes the next phase

A grand jury indictment is a formal charging decision that allows felony allegations to proceed in Common Pleas Court. It is not a finding of guilt. The prosecution must still prove each charge beyond a reasonable doubt at trial, and the defendant maintains the presumption of innocence.

Aggravated murder and murder counts typically reflect allegations involving an intentional killing, while accompanying charges in this case—such as aggravated robbery, attempted grand theft of a motor vehicle, and possessing criminal tools—suggest prosecutors believe the homicide occurred alongside other criminal conduct. The exact theory of the case will be tested through motions, evidence review, and, if not resolved by plea, a trial.

Prior court history noted in public records

Common Pleas Court records also show Bates has been the subject of multiple felony cases in 2024 and 2025, with one case later dismissed after guilty pleas were entered in the other matters. Records further reflect several arrests in 2024 and 2025 that resulted in multiple charges, including a 2024 guilty plea in a case that included domestic violence and carrying a concealed weapon.

• Defendant: Leantoine Bates, 20, of Cleveland
• Victim: Raymel Ryan, 48, of Maple Heights
• Location: E. 106th Street and Elliot Avenue, Kinsman neighborhood
• Key dates: April 24, 2025 (killing); Jan. 7, 2026 (arrest); Jan. 22, 2026 (scheduled court date)

As the case advances, hearings will determine what evidence is admissible, whether bond conditions change, and whether the matter proceeds to trial or is resolved before trial.