State police reported this morning that troopers captured an escaped Armstrong County Jail inmate suspected of killing a woman. The homeowner did not answer the door, but gave police a description of Crissman’s clothing and vehicle, Rupert said.
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They said he escaped Thursday morning from the Armstrong County Jail in Rayburn, which is about 40 miles from Pittsburgh.
He is accused of sneaking out of the jail while on cafeteria duty and walking directly to the house of Tammy Long, 55, who lived a mile away, Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Andreassi told reporters. A coroner says she was strangled and also suffered blunt force trauma to the head.
Police did not say how the 55-year-old Long was killed. The couple let him into their Rayburn Road home, and the man then left for work.
Officials said Mr Crissman was being held on modest, non-violent drug charges and had only a few days more to serve in jail before he was released on probastion.
“We don’t believe they knew he was an escapee”, Andreassi said.
Long, who was an acquaintance of Crissman, invited him into her home without knowing he was an escaped inmate, Andreassi said. “They didn’t even know he was in jail”.
Crissman was last seen driving Slagle’s maroon 1999 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab pickup truck.
Barry Crytzer said he hired Crissman off and on over the past year as a handyman performing yardwork and maintenance.
Crissman had been in jail since July 24 for violating probation on a drug charge.
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“When they said it was a homicide it shocked me because he was a really passive guy”, said Crytzer.
