PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Delaware County officials have charged 25-year-old Shad Boccella with murder and criminal homicide in the strangulation of his cellmate at the county jail.
Officials said 54-year-old Elliott Funkhouser was found tightly wrapped head-to-toe in sheets and a blanket in his cell at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility on April 22. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
Medical staff said as they unwrapped him, they found marks on his neck and he was cold to the touch.
According to charging documents, Bocella was the only person in the cell at the time. After he was removed from the cell by investigators, he told them that he and Funkhouser had gotten into a fight.
Bocella was quoted in the court documents as saying that he "choked him out" in order to defend himself. He also told the staff that he took the victim's shoes.
Both Bocella and Funkhouser were in the county jail awaiting trial. Bocella was charged with identity theft, and Funkhouser was charged with breaking into a neighbor's home.
The GEO Group ran the correctional facility since the late 1990s. The county took control of the jail on April 6, ending a nearly $300 million per year contract with the group.
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The county said the facility is cooperating fully with the investigation, which is being handled by the Criminal Investigation Division of the DA’s Office. The county had no further comments.
Jail officials said they will review safety protocols. In a statement, warden Laura Williams said, "Safety and security remain a top priority for George W. Hill Correctional Facility. All significant occurrences are subject to an internal investigative review and any matters involving criminal matters are appropriately referred to the District Attorney’s Office. The facility remains committed to cooperating fully with the District Attorneys’ Office."