Published: November 30, 2007 11:02 pm      

Inmate is sentenced for assaulting guard

HOLLIDAYSBURG — A Blair County man serving a life sentence for the stabbing death of a 6-year-old boy will spend an additional 27 to 54 months in prison for assaulting a prison guard.

Tyrone native Nathan Shaw, 27, was sentenced Friday for the September 2006 assault on Robert Miller, a guard at the Blair County Prison where Shaw was being held awaiting trial for the murder of Jared Klein. He was convicted of the assault in September.

In handing down the sentence, Blair Judge Timothy Sullivan said Shaw has exhibited a total disregard for the victim.

“The defendant is capable of and has exhibited extreme violence toward women, children and those in authority,” Sullivan said.

Jared was the son of Shaw’s former girlfriend, who prosecutors say was attempting to defend his mom on the night of his death, Dec. 26, 2005, against an attack by the defendant.

Following the beating and rape of the mother and Jared’s murder, Shaw gained national attention when he fled police and was on the run for three days.

He was captured in Oklahoma and returned to Blair County.

In January, a jury convicted him of murder, rape and the beating. He was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison without the chance of parole.

Blair County District Attorney Richard Consiglio said he prosecuted Shaw on the assault charges because of ongoing efforts to release murderers as they grow older and other efforts to minimize sentencing.

“His (Shaw’s) propensity for violence is well established now. This individual has absolutely no respect for life, for humanity, for other persons, except for himself – and he loves himself,” Consiglio told the court.

Shaw is at SCI-Dallas, outside Wilkes-Barre.