PITTSBURGH — A member of the Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board is responding to a strongly worded letter from the Allegheny County District Attorney after a murder inside the county jail last month.
District Attorney Stephen Zappala asked the board to suspend its operational investigation into the murder of Tyronne Good. He also cautioned them against releasing sensitive information that could compromise the criminal investigation conducted by the Allegheny County Police.
Chief Investigator Rick Earle spoke with board member Bethany Hallam about the letter.
Hallam told Earle that she would never compromise an investigation and that she’s glad the DA wants to work with the board, but she also said that the jail board has a legal obligation to find out what went wrong.
District Attorney Stephen Zappala, in a letter obtained by 11 Investigates, is requesting the Jail Oversight Board delay its operations investigation at the jail while County Police conduct the investigation into the murder of inmate Tyrone Good, who died after being attacked by a group of inmates in a cell last month.
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The DA wrote that he’s concerned about potential evidence being compromised.
But Jail Oversight Board Member Bethany Hallam says the board finished its probe before receiving the letter.
She said they already interviewed inmates and watched the jailhouse videos of the attack.
“We had completed our investigation ahead of that letter being sent out, but of course we do respect the District Attorney wanting to cooperate and see how we can be of assistance to him and his investigation and also how they can be of assistant to us in our quest to make sure the jail is a safe place for everyone inside there and to make sure that nothing like this ever, ever happens again,” Hallam told Earle.
Zappala, in the letter, also asked the jail board to coordinate with county investigators to “prevent inadvertent dissemination of criminal investigative information.”
He also indicated that board members are bound by non-disclosure agreements during their investigation.
Hallam refuted that.
“That’s simply not true. Actually, the exact opposite. We have a statutory duty under Pennsylvania state law to investigate any conditions, dangerous situations inside that jail, that we have do to that. That is not something we are choosing to do; it is something we are required to do,” said Hallam.
Hallam also said the board would never do anything to compromise the police investigation.
The DA also referenced conflicting information about Good’s death.
On the day of the murder, Hallam publicly stated that Good had been stabbed, but the DA said that might not be the case.
Hallam defended her initial statements.
“That initial report of the incident being a stabbing did come directly from a preliminary report from the Medical Examiner, and so I also think it’s just the district attorney expressing frustration,” said Hallam.
In the letter, the DA said it now appears Good, who was charged with murdering his girlfriend, died of blunt force trauma.
No charges have been filed yet in Good’s murder, but 11 Investigates has learned that as many as eight inmates may have been involved.
11 Investigates also reported that a jail guard, who was initially suspended in connection with the incident, later resigned.
It’s unclear why she resigned.
County Police are conducting the investigation into Good’s murder.
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