Montco Man Charged With Delco Cellmate's Killing Is Committed To Psychiatric Care

NORRISTOWN, PA — A Norristown-area man who has been charged in the death of his cellmate at the Delaware County Prison has been ordered recommitted to a Montgomery County psychiatric facility after a recent competency hearing, according to court records and media reports.

Shad Murray Boccella, 25, of Bridgeport Borough in Montgomery County, is facing homicide charges in connection with the death of his Delaware County Prison cellmate, 54-year-old Elliot Funkhouser, according to a report in the Daily Times newspaper.

Court records show that Boccella had been scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge Wendy B. Roberts.

He is facing charges of criminal homicide, first-degree murder and third-degree murder, the docket sheet in the case shows.

The Daily Times reported that cellmate Funkhouser's killing back in April was determined to be ligature strangulation.

The report says that Delaware County Assistant District Attorney Jenna Rose Smith had filed a petition for involuntary commitment at Norristown State Hospital due to what she said was Boccella's incompetence this spring after the charges were filed.

The petition was subsequently granted by a state judge, but it must be revisited every 60 days, which was the reason for this Tuesday's competency hearing, according to the article, which also stated that Boccella reportedly told investigators he had strangled his cellmate in an instance of self-defense because he had been involved in a physical attack by Funkhouser, who was in jail on robbery and burglary charges.

Court records in the case show that Boccella was originally jailed on misdemeanor charges of receiving stolen property, identity theft, false identification to law enforcement officers and other charges.

Those charges were filed back in February by the Haverford Township Police Department in Delaware County.

Boccella was arraigned on those charges back in March, records show, and trial in that case had been scheduled to begin this Monday, but the proceedings appear to have been on hold pending the outcome of the involuntary commitment due to the ongoing murder case.

Records show that a status conference in the original case is scheduled to be held in late September before Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge George M. Green.

Court records show that Green granted the petition for Boccella's recommitment to Norristown State Hospital for psychiatric evaluation and ongoing treatment during Monday's hearing.

Records show that Boccella is being represented by Philadelphia-based attorney Jason R. Young.