Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for the Killing of a Fellow Inmate at Federal Prison
| U.S. Attorney’s Office October 12, 2012 |
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani has sentenced Allen Archie Hurley, age 46, to life imprisonment on two counts related to the death of a fellow inmate at the United States Penitentiary at Canaan. On June 22, 2012, a jury took approximately one hour to find Hurley guilty of manslaughter and the illegal possession of a weapon by an inmate.
According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, the evidence at trial established that on April 25, 2010, Hurley killed inmate Joseph O’Kane by stabbing him approximately 92 times in his own cell at USP Canaan. Hurley admitted at trial that he utilized a sharpened weapon, commonly known as a “shiv” or “shank,” to kill Joseph O’Kane but contended that he did so while acting in self defense. In rendering its guilty verdict, the jury rejected the Hurley’s self-defense claim.
The case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Gurganus.