Top stories of 2022: Delcamp sentenced, no deal given by DA

Francis Scarcella, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·2 min read

Dec. 31—SUNBURY — Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Matulewicz kept to his word in 2022 by not offering the mother of Arabella Parker any deals after she testified on behalf of the state against her then boyfriend in the beating death of the 3-year-old child.

Samantha Delcamp will now be spending up to 25 years in prison for her role in the death of the child after she was sentenced in September by Northumberland County President Judge Charles Saylor.

In May, a Northumberland County jury found the 26-year-old Trevorton woman guilty of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault for her part in Arabella's death. Saylor sentenced Delcamp to 12 to 25 years in prison but not before he delivered her some words.

"I saw pictures of her (Arabella) in the hospital and it was heartbreaking," Saylor said to Delcamp. "You criminally failed to protect your daughter in that you stayed with Jahrid Burgess."

Burgess, 21, of Trevorton, was convicted in November 2021 of third-degree murder, four felony counts of aggravated assault for a person under 13, aggravated assault for a person under 6, child endangerment and obstruction, for his role in the October 2019 incident that left Arabella with brain damage so severe doctors needed to remove part of her skull.

Burgess was sentenced by Saylor to 50 years but no less than 24 years in state prison after he was sentenced to the maximum allowed by law.

Delcamp through her attorney Michael O'Donnell, has appealed her case.

O'Donnell, of Sunbury, argued that Matulewicz should have tried Delcamp, Burgess, and a third person, Burgess' mother, Christy Willis, 54, of Sunbury, all at the same time.

Willis was convicted of lying to authorities about the October 2019 incident.

Matulewicz continued to tell the media he would not be giving Delcamp any deals in exchange for her testimony and said he made it perfectly clear in court.

Burgess was denied his appeal for a new trial by Saylor.

O'Donnell said the court erred when sentencing Delcamp because the sentence was manifestly excessive and unreasonable. O'Donnell said Delcamp had no prior record and was the victim of domestic abuse.

O'Donnell said Delcamp, who testified against both Burgess and Willis, was a key part of the convictions of both individuals.