June 7, 2022 - Commonwealth v. Alison Morris:  Cumberland County Judge Christylee L. Peck today sentenced Alison Morris to 7 years to 14 years in state prison for the October 26, 2020, stabbing death of Ryan Young.  On April 7, 2022, Morris pleaded no contest to the charge of voluntary manslaughter.  Her no contest plea acknowledged that had the case gone to trial the Commonwealth would have been able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Morris killed Young and that any claims of self defense were not legally viable. 

Morris and Young were living together in an apartment with their children in Upper Allen Township in October of 2020.  On the night of his death, Morris and Young had been engaged in an argument.  During the course of the argument Morris fatally stabbed Young in the leg severing his femoral artery.  

Numerous members of Ryan Young’s family attended today’s sentencing proceedings.  Young’s eldest son, sister and father all testified at the proceedings.  They expressed to Judge Peck the impact that the loss of Ryan has had on their family.  They explained how Ryan stayed in the often tumultuous relationship with Morris because of his concern for their children.  He feared if he moved out of the home, they would be in danger due to Morris’ statements that she would harm her children.  Cumberland County District Attorney Seán M. McCormack presented to the court text messages between Morris and Young.  In those messages Ryan Young expressed concern for the safety of his children in response to Morris’ threats to harm herself and the children.  In his text responses to Morris, Young also worried about Morris’ mental health.

McCormack stated after the sentencing, “Ryan’s death was tragic.  One might say his death was senseless.  However, he stayed in a relationship with Morris to protect his children, in doing so he accomplished his goal but at the sacrifice of his own life.  His sister Brittany may have said it best today when she told Judge Peck, ‘In the sense that he was protecting his children, his death will never be senseless to me.’”  

District Attorney McCormack also complemented the Upper Allen Police for all their hard work during their investigation into Ryan Young's death.  "It was their thorough investigation that directly lead to the sentence handed down today by Judge Peck.  Their extra efforts to track down text messages, witnesses and other evidence clarifying the nature of this relationship was extremely helpful for us to be able to paint in the courtroom today a full picture of the events surrounding Ryan Young's death."