Christine Hessmiller didn't always get along with Gary Porter on their custodial job.
Sometimes Porter was slow. Other times he would ask questions about things that had already been explained to him, irritating Hessmiller, police say.
Differences between the coworkers allegedly erupted in violence last month, with Hessmiller beating the 81-year-old Porter so badly he had a heart attack and died inside Dunmore Elementary Center, according to a criminal complaint.
Hessmiller, 39, of Rigg Street, now faces involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with Porter's death.
Police say Hessmiller's attack was caught on video surveillance, which led to her arrest despite Hessmiller's initial claims that she discovered Porter unresponsive inside the school on the night of Aug. 27 and tried to perform CPR.
Hessmiller later claimed she lashed out at Porter in self defense. Investigators said they found no evidence of bruising to support that claim.
Porter’s death was caused by “cardiorespiratory failure due to a catecholamine release due to assault,” according to an autopsy report cited in a police affidavit.
Hessmiller is charged with involuntary manslaughter, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person.
Aug. 27: The discovery
Porter, of Dunmore, was a contracted custodial worker, district officials said.
The discovery of Porter's body took place Aug. 27, the night before classes began for the new school year. Police and medical personnel were called, Dunmore Superintendent John Marichak said.
According to the police affidavit, Hessmiller called 911 at 10:19 p.m. from her cellphone. Police and ambulance crews arrived within minutes.
Hessmiller allegedly explained to police that she and Porter were working for a cleaning service, and that she had last seen him about 15 minutes before discovering him unresponsive in the school's music hallway. She made no mention of an assault, police said.
Aug. 29: Maintenance calls police
Two days after the incident, an unnamed school district maintenance worker contacted borough police to say he had reviewed surveillance footage of the events prior to Porter's death "and noticed something concerning he wanted to share with investigators," the affidavit states.
Police said they would later learn that Hessmiller's mother — the cleaning company owner — was suspicious about her daughter's behavior after the incident and asked to review the footage with a district employee, who was a relative. That led to the police call.
Investigators visited the district's maintenance department on Aug. 30 to review the surveillance footage.
Police: Footage shows attack
According to police, key moments shown on the footage include:
- At 10:07 p.m. Aug. 27, Porter can be seen exiting an elevator as Hessmiller enters it. They talk for about 21 seconds.
- Hessmiller can be seen pushing Porter backwards and striking him 3 to 4 times on his head, neck, and shoulders. He turns his back to avoid the blows, but Hessmiller continues to attack Porter.
- Hessmiller pushes Porter against the brick wall next to the elevator. He is forced to sit down in a chair while Hessmiller continues to grab and strike him.
- Hessmiller strikes Porter six times in the head and face while he attempts to protect himself.
- The struggle continues as Porter attempts to push Hessmiller away. She bites his left hand, then picks up her cellphone while Porter remains seated.
- Hessmiller pushes the elevator button and can be seen talking to Porter and gesturing toward the music hallway about 30 feet away.
- Porter gets up and walks toward the hallway. Hessmiller continues to talk and gesture toward him in an aggressive manner.
- Another camera captures Porter walking down the music hallway at 10:08 p.m., then pushing a yellow garbage can on wheels along the hallway. He takes several labored steps and stops. He collapses onto the ground, partly into the garbage can, at 10:09 p.m, approximately 90 seconds after the assault.
- At 10:13 p.m., Hessmiller can be seen walking down the music hallway. She approaches Porter, who is on the ground, then grabs his shirt and shakes him. She can then be seen using her cellphone and walking calmly away toward the school's lobby.
- At 10:14 p.m., Hessmiller is seen propping the front doors open and standing outside for about one minute. She comes back inside using her phone, walks back outside again, and comes back inside, still on the phone, at about 10:19 p.m. That is the time when she called 911.
- At 10:21 p.m., Hessmiller can be seen approaching Porter. She kneels down, rolls him onto his back, and begins performing CPR "approximately 8 minutes after initially finding Porter on the ground," the affidavit states.
- At 10:22 p.m., her parents, William Hessmiller and Gigi Muracco — owner of the cleaning business — are seen approaching and assisting in CPR. A police officer arrives one minute later and takes over CPR. Lackawanna Ambulance personnel arrive at 10:24 p.m.
Sept. 4: Hessmiller interview
Dunmore police and Lackawanna County detectives interviewed Hessmiller at her Rigg Street apartment on Sept. 4, the affidavit states. She agreed to speak, but only through the screen door. Hessmiller was advised the conversation was being recorded by a police body camera.
Hessmiller told police she and Porter had worked for the same cleaning company for multiple years.
Hessmiller admitted under questioning that she sometimes did not get along with Porter because he would "come to work and ask her where items are located when he had already been shown where the items are located," the affidavit states.
"Investigators could see that this agitated Hessmiller," the affidavit adds.
Hessmiller said she was panicked, which is why she did not tell officers about the assault, the affidavit states.
Hessmiller said Porter had followed her into the school and then into the elevator, both of which were inconsistent with the surveillance footage.
She allegedly told police that Porter was screaming at her, demanding to know where a garbage can was located. The argument escalated, Hessmiller said, and Porter lunged into the elevator at her and she pushed him back.
Hessmiller claimed Porter lost his balance "a little bit" and fell onto a wooden bench next to the elevator, but continued to grab at her and threaten to "beat the crap" out of her.
Hessmiller then said Porter threatened to kill her once they were off school property, grabbing her arm and causing a bruise on her left bicep. She said she struck him to get him off of her.
"Hessmiller explained at this point she bit the victim in the hand and smiled at investigators," the affidavit said, adding that Hessmiller said that's when Porter let go of her arm.
Investigators said they saw no evidence of bruising on her left bicep. She claimed to have a cellphone photo of the bruise. Police had a warrant for her phone, which she turned over along with the security password.
Hessmiller said Porter got up and walked down the hallway. "I shouldn't have done what I did," she allegedly told investigators, but said it was all in self-defense.
She claimed this was not the first time Porter had assaulted her, and that her mother had video of Porter attacking her a year earlier.
Hessmiller told police she went to the school's second floor to check on two chores, then returned downstairs and found Porter collapsed on the floor. She said she panicked and made calls to her parents and 911 before beginning CPR.
When asked about why she did not mention an assault to police at that time, Hessmiller said she was panicked.
She also said she felt bad Porter died, but he had been told not to put his hands on her, the affidavit states.
Asked if Porter had shown any visible signs of of distress or illness, Hessmiller responded that "he kinda looked piqued," but had worked six hours prior to the incident.
"Hessmiller explained that the victim worked slowly, which required her to work longer and harder," the affidavit states.
She allegedly told investigators that Porter had no pulse when she found him, "and definitely died from a heart attack," adding that her mother and father assisted with CPR and she "didn't just leave him there."
Sept. 6: Interview with the parents
According to the affidavit:
Investigators met with Hessmiller's parents, William Hessmiller and Gigi Muracco, two days later.
Muracco, the owner of Gigi Muracco Clean Right Co., allegedly told police she received a call from her daughter the night of Aug. 27 stating "Gary is not breathing," adding that she had shaken him. Muracco said she told her daughter to call 911 immediately and that she was coming directly to the school.
Muracco said she and her husband arrived to find Porter unresponsive, and they continued CPR. She said her daughter did not say anything about an assault. William Hessmiller gave police a similar account
Police said Muracco told them her daughter asked several times if she had heard from the police after Porter's death, and she asked why.
"I don't know, I am just wondering," Hessmiller allegedly responded.
Muracco said this made her suspicious, but she never thought an assault had taken place.
On Aug. 29, Muracco reviewed the surveillance footage with a district employee she is related to, she told police, to determine a timeline of Porter's death.
"It was at this time she witnessed Hessmiller assaulting the victim," the affidavit states, and the unnamed relative immediately notified police.
Muracco said she confronted her daughter about the assault, asking why she never disclosed it.
"I don't want to get into trouble," Hessmiller allegedly replied.
She told her father: "I was scared," the affidavit states.
Hessmiller was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Paul J. Ware in Dunmore, and committed to the Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail, court documents show.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. Sept. 25 before Ware.
