Tragic End for Father Serving Short DUI Sentence
A 41-year-old father, Erick Gainer, met a brutal end just hours after he began serving a 90-day sentence for driving under the influence (DUI) at a Pennsylvania prison. Authorities report that the bartender was fatally assaulted by his cellmate in an apparently unprovoked attack.
A Nightmare Unfolds in Cumberland County
According to court documents, the incident occurred on October 23 at the Cumberland County prison. A fellow inmate reported hearing Gainer screaming "Stop!" and "Help! What did I do to you?" from his cell. He was found badly battered with a swollen brain.
Gainer's girlfriend, Tessa Shorb, had dropped him off at the facility the day before, reassuring him it was a safe jail. "It wasn't even 24 hours from when I dropped him [off at prison] when I got the phone call from the warden," the grieving Shorb said.
The Fatal Assault and Aftermath
The alleged attacker, Dangelo Nowlin, 33, of California, was sharing a cell with Gainer. An affidavit states that another inmate witnessed Nowlin toss the "defenseless" Gainer from an upper bunk onto the cell floor around 11:50 a.m. and then proceed to punch and kick him while he was asleep.
Gainer was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery but succumbed to his injuries around 6:30 p.m. on October 24, the day after the attack. His brother, Lonnie Gainer, called it a "cold-blooded murder," describing Erick as a "kind, gentle soul" who wouldn't hurt a fly.
Nowlin, who was already serving time for trespassing and assault, has now been charged with criminal homicide. The motive for the attack remains unclear.
