Crissman’s Capture Ended 48 Hours of Horror
WPXI Channel 11’s Amy Marcinkiewicz asks Robert Crissman it he’s on drugs and if he killed Tammy Long. (courtesy WPXI.com)
by Jonathan Weaver
It is the story first reported by the Kittanning Paper last Thursday morning that had local residents still talking about it at breakfast this morning.
Even as she is laid to rest today at noon at a funeral service, the horrific details of the strangulation of Tammy Long by an Armstrong County Jail escaped-inmate still continue to haunt our community.
Robert Crissman is now being housed in the Butler County Jail on felony charges, including the death of a Rayburn woman.
The first sigh of relief came last Friday at approximately 8:40 AM when Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Andreassi confirmed that the alleged perpetrator - Robert Crissman - was apprehended.
Crissman, in jail because of a probation violation - a self-described heroin addict - escaped from the Rayburn Township facility early Thursday morning by simply walking away from the facility. By Thursday night, the community was looking over their shoulder, knowing Crissman was still lerking in the darkness.
“Rob A.” lives on Hoover Road – which is parallel to Route 28/66 in Boggs Township – and called police.
“Between 3 and 5:30PM (Thursday), a truck drove up the road. I wave to all my neighbors, but it wasn’t a truck I was used to seeing. Around 10AM, I saw the news – they gave a description of the truck and showed (Crissman’s) picture, and right away I called the State Police because I knew that was the truck,” “Rob A.” said.
Police thanked the vigilant neighbor, but still Crissman remained allusive.
Andreassi described last Friday morning’s events.
“The series of events started at approximately 7:30AM this morning. Calls began to come in to the 9-1-1 center that a vehicle matching the description of that stolen yesterday along Rayburn Road was spotted along State Route 1034 in Boggs Township,” Andreassi said.
“Additional calls then come in of an individual matching the description of Crissman being in that area possibly carrying a gas can.”
Armstrong County 9-1-1 Dispatcher Nelda Martin relayed the call she received Friday morning to Sheriff Bill Rupert.
And, again a few minutes later, a 9-1-1 call was fielded by Dispatcher Nelda Martin that Crissman was at her door.
Martin, a dispatcher for Armstrong for a total of 15 years, said she received the distress call about 8:20AM
“She was very calm – I could hear a child crying and she just said a man had come to her door and said he needed help. She said ‘OK, just a minute.’ She described him to me and said she had seem him on the news (Thursday) night,” Martin said. “She shut the door, locked the door, took her kids and went to the back bedroom.”
When the caller did not answer the door following a second knock, Crissman allegedly stole her truck from the driveway.
As a resident of Kittanning Borough, Martin said she was not anxious when relaying to Sheriff Bill Rupert the caller’s information.
“That’s just constant in here what you do,” Martin said. “You take a crazy situation and defuse it. My concern was her – I could feel like I was in the bedroom with her.”
Sheriff Bill Rupert said a large perimeter already surrounded the area was established before the 9-1-1 call was made.
Sheriff Rupert said the information from Martin’s update only helped tighten the perimeter.
“Detective Roofner put out the information right away about what color truck it was, what kind of truck it was, so that enabled the entire law enforcement community that set up the perimeter (until) State Police located the vehicle and were in pursuit,” Sheriff Rupert said. “it was a great combination of all law enforcement.”
A five-to-seven mile vehicle pursuit ensued before Crissman’s capture along State Route 1034, State Route 28/66 and Williamson Road. Crissman was apprehended after he tried to ram a Pennsylvania State Police vehicle and lost control of his vehicle.
Pennsylvania State Police Troop D Commanding Officer Steve Ignatz said about 75 state troopers in 30-40 police vehicles from various barracks – including Butler, Indiana, Clarion, Punxsutawney, Kiski Valley and Kittanning - were involved in searching for Crissman during Thursday and into Friday morning.
“When it first occurred, we did bring in a lot of assets just because of the serious nature of the escape,” Commander Ignatz said. “I think it worked out very well considering all of the logistics that were involved and the tragic circumstances of this homicide.”
While Crissman was on the run from police Thursday, he allegedly murdered Tammy Long – who Andreassi said was an acquaintance of Crissman.
Coroner Brian Myers said Friday morning’s autopsy found that Long died due to strangulation, as well as blunt force trauma to the head. Criminal documents say Crissman hit Long repeatedly with a ceramic toilet bowl lid before strangling her with string in the bathroom.
According to criminal documents filed within District Magisterial Judge James Owen’s office Friday, Crissman is charged with criminal homicide and murder for Long’s death, the theft of Long’s maroon Chevrolet Silverado, aggravated assault for injuring Trooper James Karlo’s hand Friday morning, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and escape – all felony counts.
He is now being housed in the Butler County Jail without bond.
Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Andreassi was accompanied by (L-R) Armstrong County Commissioner Chair David Battaglia, Sheriff Bill Rupert, Pennsylvania State Police Troop D Commanding Officer Steve Ignatz and Coroner Brian Myers at a press conference Friday morning when describing Robert Crissman’s arrest.
Local News | jweaver August 3, 2015
By ktown_kid, August 3, 2015 @ 7:42 AM
Now lets prosecute this animal scott! The last 3 got county jail time over the wick city ordeal, todd johnson is home on monitoring after he murdered someone. Step up to the plate and earn your money!!