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Christopher Keith Phy, 38, most recently of the 7800 block of Manor Drive, West Hanover Township, Harrisburg, died from what prison officials are calling an "apparent suicide," as stated in the release from the Dauphin County Prison emailed to Daily Voice by Dauphin County Communications Director Jennifer Fitch.
A fellow inmate found Phy hanging in an empty cell – which was used as a bathroom for individuals housed in the prison Dayroom, according to the release. He was unresponsive and not breathing at 1:18 a.m. on Dec. 11.
Prison staff called medical emergency services but Phy was ultimately pronounced dead at 1:53 a.m. on Monday. His family has been notified.
His reason for imprisonment was stated as follows:
"Phy had been in Dauphin County Prison since Nov. 20, 2023, when he was arrested and booked on charges of child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility."
His preliminary hearing set before Magisterial District Judge George A. Zozos had recently been continued from Dec. 7 and re-scheduled before Magisterial District Judge William C. Wenner on Dec. 21, according to his latest court docket. He was being held on $150,000 in bail as set by Judge Zozos at his Nov. 20 preliminary arraignment, as detailed in his latest court docket.
The 10 child pornography possession charges and criminal use of facility charge stem from an Aug. 3, 2023 incident, as stated in his recent docket. Additional details were not immediately available when Daily Voice inquired.
Phy has a lengthy criminal record with him being convicted or pleaded guilty to many offenses including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, statutory sexual assault, corruption of minors, harassment, and possession of child pornography, as well as numerous traffic offenses, according to his previous court dockets.
He has been a lifetime registered sex offender since 2004 for two counts of sexual abuse of children, and again in 2005 for involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, according to the Pennsylvania State Police Megan's Law Sex PA Sexual Offender Registry.
His death will be investigated by the Dauphin County Prison Internal Affairs, the Dauphin County Criminal Investigation Division, and the Dauphin County Coroner, according to Fitch.
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