An inmate stomped a man to death inside SCI Phoenix, Montgomery County DA says

A Philadelphia man incarcerated in state prison for shooting at an off-duty police officer stomped another inmate to death, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Dwight Williams, 42, has been charged with first- and third-degree murder in the killing of Ashokkumar Guru inside his cell at SCI Phoenix on Sunday, authorities said.

The motive for the attack remained under investigation Tuesday.

Guru, 67, was serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the 2009 death of his wife, Shakuntla. Guru beat, burned, and strangled her over alleged infidelity, court records show.

Guru was found unresponsive in his cell at SCI Phoenix on Sunday morning, according to the affidavit of probable cause for Williams’ arrest.

A guard saw him lying on the ground, bloodied but still breathing, authorities said. A box covered in blood was found next to his body.

Medics who arrived at the prison to treat Guru determined that he had been beaten in the head, and had blood and bruising around his eyes, the affidavit said. A shoe print was visible on his face.

Attempts to revive Guru were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead about an hour later. A medical examiner later ruled that he died of blunt force trauma.

Another inmate told investigators that he had walked by Guru’s cell earlier that morning and had seen someone stomping on his chest, according to the affidavit. The witness said he could not identify the attacker.

Surveillance footage from the prison showed Guru leaving his cell to refill his water bottle before returning. Not long after, Williams was seen entering Guru’s cell and then leaving alone minutes later. As Williams returned to his cell, a “red substance” was seen on the bottom of his shoe, the affidavit said.

Williams has been incarcerated at SCI Phoenix since 2022, when he was sentenced to five to 10 years for aggravated assault for shooting at an off-duty Philadelphia police officer during a fight in 2019.

Investigators said the officer, who was not identified in court records, was driving in the Cedar Park section of West Philadelphia when he saw an acquaintance being attacked by a group of men, according to the affidavit of probable cause for Williams’ arrest.

The officer parked his car and went to intervene, tucking his personal gun into his waistband. As the officer pulled his friend to safety, Williams asked the officer “Why you reaching?” referring to the gun he was carrying. Williams then raised a gun of his own and fired at the officer six times, narrowly missing him, the affidavit said.

Williams was not licensed to carry a gun.

In May, while in SCI Phoenix, Williams was charged with possessing contraband for his role in a scheme with other inmates to smuggle buprenorphine (a synthetic opioid), xylazine (a narcotic commonly used as an animal tranquilizer), and naloxone into the jail during family visits. His trial in that case is pending in Montgomery County Court.