Seifullah Abdul-Salaam is heading back to prison to spend the rest of his life behind bars, after avoiding the death penalty during a resentencing trial. This comes after a jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision on whether to send him back to death row.
“I was disappointed, obviously," said New Cumberland Police Chief Richard Wiley. "I think this impacted my officers that are in the department today.”
Abdul-Salaam was originally given the death penalty for the killing of New Cumberland Police Officer Will Cole during a robbery in 1994. His sentence would later be overturned in 2018, after an appeals court ruled that Abdul-Salaam's attorney should have called witnesses to testify about abuse he suffered as a child during his initial sentencing.
New Cumberland Police Chief Richard Wiley said the new ruling was hard for his officers to accept.
“Not one person is left in the department when this incident occurred," said Wiley. "But they all felt the sorrow and anguish that the community felt back in 1994.”
During the sentencing hearing, Officer Cole's sister, Wendy, told the court she was upset about the decision and said her family has never been the same since his death.
Another person told the court that New Cumberland lost its innocence after the shooting.
“Old wounds were opened decades later," said Sean McCormack, Cumberland County District Attorney. "That’s not a small thing.”
Since 2015, Pennsylvania has imposed a ban on carrying out executions, and Governor Shapiro has pledged not to approve any execution warrants for as long as he remains in office in Harrisburg.
Even with the moratorium in place, District Attorney McCormack felt it was crucial to reinstate Abdul-Salaam's initial death penalty.
I've personally wrestled with the issue of capital punishment over the years," stated McCormack. "However, as I mentioned initially, I swore an oath as a district attorney to enforce the law.
Before exiting the courthouse, Abdul-Salaam offered an apology to Officer Cole’s family for the suffering he inflicted and expressed gratitude to the jury for showing him kindness. Authorities trust that Abdul-Salaam will seize this new opportunity and improve himself.
“Hopefully he does and maybe he can make an impact on someone’s life that will make better decisions," said Wiley.
