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East Pennsboro Police were dispatched to an assault at Penn State Holy Spirit Hospital located at 503 N. 21st Street, Camp Hill on February 26, 2023, at 7:17 p.m., according to a release on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Officers arrived, investigated, and concluded that John Joseph Stoll Jr. of Wellvilles "attempted to kill the victim inside a patient room." The only reason his father survived is that a "staff member witnessed the incident and stopped the assault on the victim," as stated in the police release.
When the witness yelled "stop" Stoll ran out of the room— dropping the blanket he was using to cover his father's face, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Stoll was later spotted sitting in his truck outside of the hospital, police took him in for questioning, and he admitted to putting a blanket over his father’s face for approximately 30 seconds— as his father gasped for air, according to the affidavit.
The reason Stoll wanted to kill his father was not shared. His mom passed at the same hospital 10 years ago, according to her obituary, in which it is noted that Stoll, Jr. has a wife— Terri of Middletown— and numerous aunts and uncles in the York and Harrisburg area. Seven children and four grandchildren are also mentioned in the obituary but it is unclear if those are Stoll's or his sister, Patricia Ann Miller's, who predeceased their mother.
Stoll was arrested on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 11:21 a.m., according to the police release. He has been charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, and strangulation, the police say and court documents confirm. He has been held in the Cumberland County Prison after failing to post $250,000 in bail and his preliminary hearing has been set before Magisterial District Judge Michael Sanderson on March 15, according to his court docket.
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