New Kensington woman convicted of helping cop killer asks for release from jail

A New Kensington woman awaiting sentencing for helping a cousin avoid capture following the murder of a city police officer claims she is at high risk to contract the coronavirus and should be released from jail.

In court documents filed this week, Lisa Harrington, 33, claims her pregnancy and a diagnosed respiratory ailment makes her a candidate for house arrest rather than remaining in the Westmoreland County Prison prior to a sentencing hearing that has yet to be scheduled.

“Such action would balance the interests of the commonwealth while ensuring that an at-risk individual such as Ms. Harrington is not placed at unnecessary or unreasonable risk,” wrote defense attorney Adam Gorzelsky.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rita Hathaway ordered Harrington to appear by video from the jail for a hearing scheduled for Friday morning.

Harrington was immediately jailed after her $175,000 bond was revoked following her conviction on March 5 of four counts of hindering the apprehension of Rahmael Holt, who was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the November 2017 fatal shooting of New Kensington police officer Brian Shaw. Prosecutors said Harrington drove Holt from New Kensington after the shooting and disposed of the suspected murder weapon. She was also found guilty of tampering with evidence and a firearms offense.

Harrington during her jury trial denied helping Holt evade capture and claimed she had no contact with any weapons. Prosecutors said the gun used in Shaw’s murder was never found. Witnesses at trial testified they saw Harrington remove an object, believed to be the murder weapon, from the basement of a New Kensington home. Harrington claimed at trial the object was a crack pipe.

Westmoreland County prosecutors have said they will ask that Harrington serve multiple years in prison for her crimes and in court documents indicated they oppose her release from jail.

A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled because of court delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Gorzelsky said that Harrington, who has no prior criminal record and was convicted of nonviolent crimes, risks her life and that of her unborn child if she remains behind bars.