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Person of interest named in death

3 min read

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The investigation of a possible homicide in the death of SCI-Greene inmate Ronald Yarbough, 22, of Cresson, is ongoing, according to Cpl. Andrew Zimmer, crime scene investigator for the state police.

Yarbough was found unresponsive in his cell in the special needs unit of the prison just after 6 p.m. Jan. 10 and pronounced dead by Greene County Deputy Coroner William Lewis at 8:03 p.m.

Yarbough’s cellmate, Raphael Spearman, 23, of Philadelphia, is considered a person-of-interest in Yarbough’s death, according to Zimmer. Yarbough, who was at SCI-Greene since Sept. 13, shared the cell with Spearman for a short time, according to Tracy Shawley, public information officer for SCI-Greene.

“He (Spearman) has some cuts on his face and hands that he claimed he received from the other inmate (Yarbough),” Zimmer said. “He was treated for the injuries in the SCI-Greene medical department.” Zimmer did not specify how Spearman may have received the cuts.

Zimmer said there are no cameras inside the cells of inmates but there are cameras located in the common areas, such as the hallway leading up to the cell.

Spearman was arrested May 22, 2010, by the Philadelphia police department for possessing a firearm without a license. He was sentenced to six to 16years in prison.

Yarbough pleaded guilty in June 2012 to the aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, stemming from an incident in Cambria County in 2010. He was serving a sentence of one to four years.

Court records indicate Yarbough underwent multiple mental health evaluations and Sept. 13, 2012, he was being held in the Cambria County jail “pending an appropriate evaluation by the Cambria County Mental Health Department for placement in a mental health residence.”

The special needs units of the Department of Corrections were established to provide a safe and secure setting, along with specialized treatment services for inmates identified as being unable to function in a general population housing unit. An inmate in this category may include someone diagnosed as mentally ill, emotionally unstable or mentally, physically or developmentally challenged. Placement does not require a mental health commitment process, according to a DOC handout for families of inmates.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has come under fire from the Department of Justice in recent years for its handling of inmate mental health issues. In 2011, an investigation into the facility at SCI-Cresson showed there was inadequate mental health care provided to prisoners who have mental illness and the DOC failed to adequately protect such prisoners from harm.

In December, a $91 million, five-year contract was awared to MHM Services, a Virginia-based company, to expand its existing work for the DOC delivering psychiatric services to inmates. This contract was signed despite opposition from several state legislators and the Service Employees International Union that issued a statement. The SEIU said well-trained psychological services workers decide necessary treatment and therapy on a daily basis for inmates and are involved in decisions of their parole and release and this is not something that should be turned over to a for-profit organization.

An autopsy on Yarbough performed by the medical examiner’s office in Pittsburgh is incomplete pending further investigation of what took place at SCI-Greene, according to Chief Deputy Coroner Mary Lewis.

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