On Thursday, May 11, 2023, a Cumberland County jury returned a guilty verdict against defendant Jonah Williamson on one count of Aggravated Assault – Causing Serious Bodily Injury and one count of Recklessly Endangering Another Person.  The jury’s verdict came at the conclusion of a four-day trial held before the Honorable Judge Christylee Peck.

The charges in this case stem from a stabbing that occurred at the Rodeway Inn in Wormleysburg on December 17, 2021. On that day, the Defendant was in a verbal altercation with his girlfriend/paramour that became physical. During the physical assault, the Defendant grabbed a knife and stabbed the victim multiple times in the neck, arm, and hand. As a result of the attack, the victim had to be rushed to Holy Spirit Hospital and had gaping wounds in her neck and arm. The victim also suffered a loss of feeling in her ring finger.

The December 2021 stabbing was at least the second attack by the Defendant against the same victim since April 2020. The Defendant has a extremely violent criminal history, including a 1996 conviction out of New Jersey for Manslaughter.

Sentencing in this case is scheduled for Tuesday, July 25, 2023 before Judge Peck.

The case was prosecuted from start to finish by Senior Deputy District Attorney Daniel Tarvin and Detective Nikki Sheaffer of the West Shore Regional Police Department. The prosecution team at trial also included Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Robinson and received assistance from numerous law clerks. Victim Advocate Sarah Junkins was an invaluable participant in this case, providing services and counsel to the victim from the case’s inception.

The District Attorney’s Office would like to sincerely thank the West Shore Regional Police Department for their hard work in apprehending the defendant and bringing him to justice. In addition to Detective Sheaffer’s tireless efforts, nearly every member of West Shore Regional contributed to the investigation and prosecution of the defendant. In particular, the efforts of Officers Grant Cox and Brandon Stolley were critical in the defendant’s apprehension and subsequent conviction.

The District Attorney’s Office and West Shore Regional also received valuable assistance from several other law enforcement agencies during this investigation, including the Cumberland County Forensic Investigation Division, the East Pennsboro Township Police Department and the Amtrak Police Department.

A sincere thank you to the West Shore Regional Police and other law enforcement agencies for their solid work in this case.