​

Rob Pursley, the youngest of three sons, was raised by a mother and father that provided an endless supply of support and unconditional love to their three boys. Rob’s life came to a sudden and tragic end when a murderer took his life while attempting to steal his car.
 

Rob was a graduate of Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he lettered in basketball. Rob played basketball at Bellarmine College for two years before returning home to earn his business degree from the University of Cincinnati. Rob was an accomplished financial advisor with nearly ten years of experience in helping others plan for their financial futures.
 

Rob was a very passionate person who leveraged his great determination to overcome all obstacles that stood in his way. Rob had many exceptional qualities, but his greatest quality was his ability to make and stay friends with people from all walks of life. Rob was truly a friend to everyone and a stranger to nobody. He touched so many lives during his 28 years and our family is so proud that Rob’s friends are from a variety of backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses. Over 800 family member and friends paid their final respects to Rob at his visitation. The memorial service lasted more than five hours and provided everyone with an opportunity to share how much Rob would be missed and that his memories will live eternally in our hearts. Our family received hundreds of sympathy cards and touching letters that described Rob as being:

​

• The kind of friend that defined loyalty, commitment and the essence of joy

• The type of person that people can’t help but to gravitate towards because of his enthusiasm and charisma

• The type of basketball teammate that would do whatever it took to help the team…and the type of teammate that was more like a brother to me

 

We will never forget Rob’s beautiful eyes, unforgettable smile, wonderful sense of humor, and his loving nature. The Pursley family remains an incredibly strong family that honors Rob by making the absolute most out of each and every day. When we need inspiration, we simply look upward to Rob. He will always be with us.

 

CIRCUMSTANCES OF ROB'S MURDER

​

On January 14, 2006, Rob arrived at Mulligans restaurant at 6:30 P.M. Mulligans is located in Hyde Park which is an affluent Cincinnati suburb. Rob parked in Mulligans parking area and was fatally shot as he was walking into the restaurant.

 

Six months later, the Cincinnati Police Department arrested career criminal Lonnie Webster for the murder of Rob. Webster previously served several years in prison after being convicted of multiple violent crimes. Shortly after Webster was released from prison, he was shot during a gun battle which violated the terms of his post-release control. That should have resulted him in being sent back to prison. Webster’s parole officer did not take the necessary steps to put him back in prison which would have prevented the murder of Rob.

 

Lonnie Webster was convicted of Rob’s murder and is currently serving a sentence of 80 years to life. Webster will be over 100 years old before he first becomes eligible for post-release control. Thank God Webster will be in prison for the remainder of his life and will not be able to hurt any other families.