UPDATE: Shikellamy hires former state police trooper to lead police department

Aug. 13—SUNBURY — Shikellamy School Board members voted to hire former Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Shawn Williams to lead the school district's police department during their meeting Thursday night.

Williams, who retired as a 17-year homicide detective from the state police in 2019, worked out of the Hazleton barracks, which covered four counties in the state. Williams is currently employed in the Luzerne County District Attorney's Office. Williams said he will be leaving the position at the end of the month.

Williams said he saw the position advertised and wanted to be able to use his experience in law enforcement to help kids.

"I am coming to the district with three things I will do," Williams said. "Protect, prevent and connect."

Williams addressed the board after directors Wendy Wiest, Slade Shreck, Lori Garman, Dave Persing, Jeff Balestrini, Gretchen Walter and Mike Erb voted in favor of the hire.

"I am thankful for this opportunity and I am looking forward to meeting with everyone and getting started," Williams said.

Garman said she was happy for the district. "It's obvious he comes with a mountain of experience," she said. "He is very well connected and I am looking forward to all the great programs he will bring to the district."

As news of Williams hiring became public, former state trooper Matt Burrows and current Warrior Run police officer, said Shikellamy picked the right person.

"Shikellamy hired a quality experienced person in Shawn Williams and he can relate the needs of the student body and staff," Burrows said.

Sunbury Police Chief Brad Hare said he knows Williams and looks forward to working with him.

"This is a great hire," he said. "He will be an asset to our community and we at the Sunbury Police Department look forward to working with him."

Superintendent Jason Bendle and Shreck said they were pleased to have Williams on board.

"We are excited to get him started and we are thrilled to have him in our district," Bendle said.

Shreck agreed. "We hired a person ready to start programs for our kids and that's great," he said.

Williams said he has plans of bringing new, modern programs to the district in an attempt to help educate students.

"As I have done my entire career, I will give 100-percent," Williams said. "It is important to show a healthy relationship between children and law enforcement and I can't think of a better way then an educational setting."

Williams will be paid $63,000 per year.

Work on high-profile cases

Williams has made several arrests in high-profile murder cases, including the arrests and convictions of Maria Sanutti-Spencer, 54, of Selinsgrove, and her father Anthony "Rocco" Franklin, 77, of Harrisburg, for the murder of Frank Spencer, 46, of Millville, in 2012; and Harold David Haulman, 43, an alleged serial killer, who was arrested for the murders of McClure resident Tianna Phillips, 25, who went missing in 2018, and Bloomsburg resident Erica Shultz, 26, who went missing late last year.

Williams traveled to Argentina to make the arrest on Franklin and bring him back to Pennsylvania to stand trial.

Williams was also essential in his role in the capture of Eric Frein, who shot and killed state police Cpl. Bryon K. Dickson during a shooting rampage at the Blooming Grove police barracks on Sept. 12, 2014. Frein also shot and seriously injured Trooper Alex Douglass.

Law enforcement experience

Williams had been a member of the Pennsylvania State Police since 1999 and became a member of the Criminal Investigation Assessment Unit, which is a behavioral assessment unit assigned to supervise and investigate active and cold case homicides and missing persons investigations of significance.

As a member of the Troop N Major Case Team, Williams was tasked with analyzing complex and high profile homicide and death investigations. Williams has been involved in multiple death penalty prosecutions regarding adult and child victims.

Williams became a Corporal in 2005.

The CIA Unit assigned Williams to have an additional duty as a designee for the Amber Alert Program in the State of Pennsylvania.

Williams reviewed missing child incidents, investigations and made the decision whether to activate the Pennsylvania Emergency Alert System, which affects a large populous of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.