Pennsylvania

Escaped Inmate Won't Face Death Penalty at Strangulation Trial

A man charged with strangling a woman he knew after escaping from a Pennsylvania jail won't face the death penalty when he stands trial.

Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Andreassi tells the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that Robert Crissman Jr.'s case doesn't qualify for the death penalty.

He's charged with criminal homicide, escape and other charges for running away from the Armstrong County jail on July 30, while working as a trustee who retrieved inmate food trays from a truck parked outside the lockup.

Prosecutors say the 38-year-old suspect beat and strangled 55-year-old Tammy Long in her home nearby before he was arrested hours later.

Crissman's arrest prompted the warden to resign and various security reforms at the jail about 35 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

His trial starts May 9.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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