Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Man held for trial in Upper Merion fatal shooting
UPPER MERION >> A Philadelphia man must answer to charges in Montgomery County Court that he fatally shot another man during what prosecutors characterized as “a drug deal gone bad” inside a King of Prussia hotel room.
Jonathan Albert Tunnell, 40, of the 2300 block of Bambrey Terrace, was ordered to stand trial, after waiving his preliminary hearing before District Court Judge William Maruszczak, on charges of first-, second-, and third-degree murder, person not to possess a firearm, possessing an instrument of crime and firearms not to be carried without a license in connection with the alleged June 14 fatal shooting of Henry Joseph Palmen, 35, inside a room at the Fairfield Inn in the King of Prussia section of the township.
Tunnell will remain in the county jail without bail while awaiting a formal arraignment hearing on the charges in county court. After the formal arraignment hearing, a judge will set a trial date.
At the time of Tunnell’s arrest in June, District Attorney Kevin R. Steele alleged the fatal shooting occurred “during a drug deal gone bad.”
The investigation began about 3:30 p.m. June 14 when Upper Merion police responded to the Fairfield Inn in the 200 block of Mall Boulevard for a report of an overdose victim in one of the hotel rooms, according to a criminal complaint filed by county Detective Anthony Caso and Upper Merion Detective John Wright.
Hotel staff reportedly found the victim inside a room when they went to investigate a smoke alarm sounding inside the room and immediately notified police.
Arriving officers found Palmen dead and observed he sustained a bleeding wound to the left side of his head, “which upon close inspection, appeared to be a small diameter bullet wound,” Caso and Wright alleged. Detectives also found a cellphone next to Palmen’s body and in reviewing the content observed numerous photographs and text messages related to the sale of illegal drugs, specifically marijuana, Ecstasy and other drugs, according to court papers.
When detectives processed the crime scene they discovered numerous “packaged marijuana edibles and a large amount of individual pills white and orange in color” inside the hotel room, according to the arrest affidavit.
A subsequent autopsy determined Palmen died of a gunshot wound to the head and the manner of death was ruled homicide. A forensic pathologist also noted stippling between the left ear and eye indicating that Palmen was shot from close range, according to court documents.
A relative of Palmen told detectives she spoke by phone with Palmen about 12:30 a.m. June 14 and during the conversation Palmen indicated he was driving to Pennsylvania from North Carolina to meet with Tunnell, a family friend, to sell him marijuana, according to the criminal complaint.
Investigators obtained video surveillance footage from the area of the Fairfield Inn and observed a male, later identified as Tunnell, walking along Mall Boulevard near the hotel at 10:26 a.m. on June 14 and then again at 10:46 a.m., walking quickly in the opposite direction, according to court documents.
While viewing the video surveillance footage, investigators were able to identify the man as Tunnell by the distinctive tattoos that could be seen on his hands. Hotel personnel told detectives they had observed Tunnell enter the hotel and an elevator on that day, according to court documents.
A relative of Palmen told authorities she received a phone call from Tunnell at 2:30 p.m. on June 14 and she described Tunnell “as angry, telling her that Palmen had stood him up,” according to the criminal complaint.
In the arrest affidavit, authorities alleged Tunnell has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1999, including arrests for drug violations, assault and weapons offenses. In 2005, according to the criminal complaint, Tunnell was arrested by Norristown police and charged with attempted murder and later pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in state prison.
Tunnell, according to the arrest affidavit, was released from prison in August 2020 and at that time was on federal probation related to a drug charge and on state parole related to the previous Norristown arrest.
Assistant District Attorney Allison Ruth and co-prosecutor Gabriella Hughes are handling the current prosecution.