William Stankewicz, the man convicted of a brutal machete attack on kindergarten students at an elementary school in Pennsylvania in 2001, has passed away in prison, according to officials. The 78-year-old Stankewicz was found unresponsive in his cell at the State Correctional Institution at Dallas on Monday morning.
Stankewicz had been serving a 132- to 264-year sentence for a criminal homicide conviction from York County. He had been housed at the facility near Wilkes-Barre since May 2012. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has notified the Pennsylvania State Police, who will conduct an investigation into his death. The official cause of death will be determined by the Luzerne County Coroner’s Office.
The attack that occurred on February 2, 2001, at North Hopewell-Winterstown Elementary School left 14 people injured, including 11 kindergarten students. Principal Norina Bentzel, who suffered severe cuts and a broken arm while helping subdue Stankewicz, was among the most seriously injured.
During his court proceedings, Stankewicz revealed that he carried out the attack out of anger over his divorce from his Russian-born ex-wife. He claimed that she falsely accused him of molesting her daughters and used him to gain entry into the United States. Stankewicz stated that he targeted the elementary school because he was unable to locate his ex-wife’s residence.
Prior to the attack, Stankewicz had made threats to kill his ex-wife and her daughters. He had also threatened immigration officials and a Pennsylvania congressman after his failed attempt to have his ex-wife deported. As a result, Stankewicz served two years in federal prison for these threats.
In relation to the machete attack, Stankewicz pleaded no contest to charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, and possessing weapons on school grounds.
The tragic incident left a lasting impact on the community and the victims involved. The news of Stankewicz’s death brings closure to a painful chapter in their lives.
