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Police suspect drugs played role in death of convicted murderer at Fayette County prison

Robert J. Pavuchak/Post-Gazette

Police suspect drugs played role in death of convicted murderer at Fayette County prison

A murderer serving a life sentence for killing a Luzerne County fair queen died Monday at a state prison in Fayette County after, police say, he got high, fought with his cellmate and then had to be forcibly restrained.

Joseph Gacha, 42, was pronounced dead at 9:39 p.m. at State Correctional Institution Fayette, prison officials announced Thursday.

His autopsy results are pending toxicology and findings by a forensic pathologist, Phillip E. Reilly, the Fayette County coroner, said.

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But the lead investigator, Trooper Jason Zanolli, said Gacha was in a frenzied state when he died after fighting with his cellmate and prison guards.

Top left to right, Jermaine Dehonney, Daquan Marcus Harrington, and Tabitha Johnson; bottom left to right, Brittney Shelton, Cheron Shelton and Tyerra Taylor.
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“He was on some kind of illicit drug, and we’re waiting for toxicology to find out what was in his system,” Trooper Zanolli said. “They went in there and broke up the fight and dragged him out, and he petered out.” 

The trooper added that Gacha was “more than likely” high on K2, a synthetic cannabinoid that has been the scourge of prison systems and local jails. Smoking the drug can make people sick from the fumes — Trooper Zanolli said there was no indication that happened in Gacha’s case — and can sometimes make users violent.

Problems began Monday night around 8:30 when Gacha, who was in general population, attacked his cellmate, the trooper said. Guards were alerted, and they rushed to his cell to break up the fight.

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Prison staff put Gacha in a restraint chair and used pepper spray on him, according to Trooper Zanolli.

“They had a really tough time,” he said.

They took him to the infirmary, and it was there, while they were trying to remove his handcuffs, that he died as he struggled, the trooper said.

“He was fighting them the whole time.”

In this Oct. 4, 2018, Pennsylvania Corrections Department mail inspector Brian Strawser sorts inmate mail at Camp Hill state prison in Camp Hill, Pa. Pennsylvania prison officials say new mail handling procedures and other changes appear to have helped address a spate of incidents this year in which correctional officers and other staff have sought medical treatment believed to be caused by exposure to synthetic marijuana that was smuggled into state prisons. (AP Photo/Mark Scolforo)
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The trooper said the entire incident — including Gacha being restrained in the chair to his death — was captured on video. Trooper Zanolli said CPR was performed on Gacha. EMTs from Brownsville Ambulance Service were present when he was pronounced dead, according to the prison.

Gacha came to SCI Fayette in December 2018.

In 2004, he killed Carrie Martin, a 20-year-old Luzerne County fair queen, by stabbing her dozens of times during a robbery that authorities say he committed with another man. The second suspect, Daniel Kukucha, killed himself in prison before trial.

Prison officials would not answer questions about the incident or the possible presence of K2 in the facility, citing ongoing investigations.

First Published: January 2, 2020, 6:35 p.m.

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State Correctional Institution Fayette  (Robert J. Pavuchak/Post-Gazette)
Joseph Gacha, 42, who died at State Correctional Institution Fayette on Monday. Gacha was serving a life sentence in the 2004 stabbing death of Carrie Martin of Luzerne County.  (State Correctional Institution Fayette)
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