Over the weekend, a Pennsylvania man serving a life sentence for second-degree murder passed away at the UPMC Altoona medical center. The 68-year-old had been granted a medical transfer to receive better treatment for his quadriplegia, just 12 days prior to his death.
The inmate, who had spent 49 years in prison, was released on compassionate grounds by an Allegheny County judge last month. He had been on life support due to a back injury that had been misdiagnosed for several years, leading to paralysis from the chest down after surgery.
The District Attorney's office, which had opposed the release, declined to comment on the man's passing. His lawyer described him as an optimistic individual who was confident about his eventual release.
The deceased had been convicted in 1975 for the shooting death of a dry-cleaning business co-owner during an attempted robbery, a crime he had consistently denied committing.
Pennsylvania's compassionate release law applies to seriously ill inmates expected to die within a year. Approximately 50 individuals have been granted compassionate release in the state over the past 15 years.
According to the lawyer, many incarcerated individuals in Pennsylvania are in need of compassionate release due to advanced age and health issues. She emphasized the challenges faced by prisons in providing adequate care for elderly and sick inmates.
She highlighted the necessity of compassionate release as a crucial avenue for elderly prisoners to access the care they require outside of the prison system.
