Healy convicted of assault, sexual abuse

Louis Michael Healy was convicted in federal court of charges he attacked, threatened and sexually assaulted a woman Oct. 13 at his home near Hays.

The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana announced Tuesday that Healy, 40, was found guilty after a trial in U.S. District Court in Great Falls of assault resulting in serious injury, aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact.

Sentencing is set for July 26, with Healy facing up to life in prison.

According to the U.S. Attorney release, Healy was charged after a woman said he had strangled and sexually assaulted her, and threatened her while holding a knife to her throat.

Some of Healy's neighbors testified during the trial that the woman woke them up at 4 a.m. pounding on the door, saying her boyfriend was going to kill her.

The woman and Healy had been drinking, and Healy had asked her to marry him, the release said. The woman told him that she would not marry him unless he could prove he had stopped talking to his ex-girfriend.

After they went to Healy's residence, the woman found emails on his computer that indicated he still was talking to his ex-girlfriend, and when she became upset he grabbed her while she was sitting in a rolling chair and shoved her across the room.

The woman crashed, hitting her head, and when she woke Healy was choking her. He then went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and held it to her throat, the release said.

A short while later, Healy sexually assaulted her, the release said.

Later, the woman ran from the house while Healy was in the bathroom, and she ran to the neighbors' home.

When law enforcement officers arrived at Healy's home he was walking, carrying two black bags, and the officers used pepper spray to subdue him when he refused to stop walking as ordered.