By Mark Gilger
The News-Item
COAL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Attempted criminal homicide charges have been filed against a former inmate at SCI-Coal Township who allegedly sliced a correctional officer’s neck with a razor-like weapon last August.
William Amos Cramer, 23, who is serving a life sentence for murdering his cellmate in Cambria County Prison in August 2012, now faces charges of criminal attempt to commit homicide, two counts of aggravated assault, assault by a life prisoner, possessing instruments of crime and possessing an offensive weapon relating to an Aug. 31 assault of Correctional Officer Francisco Charriez in the east yard at SCI-Coal Township.
Cramer, who was transferred to SCI-Dallas in Luzerne County following the attack, presently is incarcerated at SCI-Mahanoy in Schuylkill County. He was previously identified by state police and a prison official as the person responsible for cutting Charriez, but wasn’t charged until Thursday by Trooper Ronald Zanella. The charges were filed at the office of Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III.
Police said Cramer, who was stabbed by another inmate with a “homemade instrument” three days before the attack on Charriez, is accused of placing the guard in a choke hold while using a razor-like weapon to cut his neck. Zanella said Charriez was able to fend off his attacker, but suffered injuries to his neck, face, head, right eye, left shoulder blade, hands and back that required hospital treatment.
After the attack, Cramer walked through a crowd of inmates and asked Charriez if he “wanted more.” Upon seeing other correctional officers approaching, Cramer put his hands in the air and laid on the ground on his belly, police said.
Charriez then approached Cramer, placed his knee in the middle of his back and handcuffed his one arm until being assisted by other correctional officers in restraining the inmate.
Charriez told police he believes Cramer threw the razor-like weapon when he placed his hands in the air. Police said the weapon was never found.
After being transferred to SCI-Dallas, police said Trooper Charles Prula, a criminal investigator with state police at Wyoming, interviewed Cramer, who admitted that he wanted to kill Charriez.
Prison officials at SCI-Coal Township reserved comment when asked Monday about Cramer’s new charges.
Cramer was first sent to prison in 2009 for up to nine years on a robbery case in Fayette County. Two convictions followed for simple assault in separate incidents in 2010 while in custody at SCI-Huntingdon.
Three aggravated assault cases have since been dismissed following his murder conviction: a December 2012 incident while he was being held at SCI-Rockview and two separate incidents in 2011 at the Cambria County jail.