Wilmington, DE – Attorney General Beau Biden announced today that for the first time the Delaware
Department of Justice has obtained the Deed to a property under Delaware’s Nuisance Abatement Act.
At the Department’s request a Superior Court Judge banned the owner from the property and ordered
him to pay a penalty equal to the value of the home or to turn the property over to the State.
“We have taken bold and decisive action to make this community safer,” said Attorney General
Joseph R. Biden, III at a press conference in front of the property at 1014 Rodman Road in
Wilmington’s Canby Park neighborhood. “By holding this property owner accountable to the law
we’re making it clear that the Delaware Department of Justice is using the full measures at our disposal
to fight criminal activity that threatens our neighborhoods.”
At a trial on Tuesday, September 23 the Department of Justice proved that the property has
been the sight of constant drug traffic, prostitution activity, and that weapons have often been found on
the premises. At one point, neighborhood residents were forced to evacuate after a grenade was
discovered in the row house. Judge Peggy Ableman declared the property the site of drug and vice
crime and issued a permanent abatement order banning the owner, William J. Murphy, from the
property. The order also requires him to pay a civil penalty equal to the market value of the property
and to pay court costs. In lieu of paying the monetary penalties, Murphy was permitted to sign the
Deed of the property over to the State.
In August, 2007 Attorney General Biden launched a statewide effort to combat crime in
Delaware under the state’s Drug Nuisance and Social Vices Abatement Act. Under the Nuisance
Abatement Act, enforcement actions can take a variety of forms, including closure of a property.
The Delaware Department of Justice identifies nuisance properties up and down
Delaware through its own investigations and cooperation with state and local police agencies, local
authorities, civic associations, and neighborhood residents. Since August, 2007, the Department has
issued more than 35 written notices to property owners in all three counties. These notices state that a
nuisance exists on the property and give owners the choice of voluntarily cooperating to clean up the
illegal activity, or defending themselves in court and being forced to clean up the crime by court order.
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Senior Protection Initiative will increase educational outreach, establish statewide task force to
combat the crimes of financial exploitation, physical abuse, and neglect
Wilmington, DE – Today, Attorney General Beau Biden announced new measures to stand up for
seniors and identify and prosecute criminals who commit crimes against them.
“Through the Senior Protection Initiative the Delaware Department of Justice is redoubling
its efforts to prosecute those who have committed senior abuse, encourage victims to come forward,
and bring together state agencies, law enforcement, and advocates to tackle these crimes,” Attorney
General Biden stated.
Attorney General Biden noted that seniors are often victimized by members of their own
families who are responsible for their care. Victims usually don’t report these crimes because they
are afraid of retaliation, they are ashamed, or they don’t know where to turn for help. The statistics
are startling: it is estimated that as many as 5 million seniors are victimized every year across the
United States and that for every reported case of senior abuse, 5 are unreported.
The Delaware Department of Justice Senior Protection Initiative consists of three components:
1. Public Education. The Department of Justice will expand its public outreach with programs
that encourage victims to report their abuse, highlight the signs of senior abuse, and educate
seniors about ways to avoid being a victim.
2. Law Enforcement Education. The Department of Justice will provide training to police
agencies about ways to detect physical abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation to ensure
that police recognize the signs of senior abuse.
3. The creation of a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT). Elder abuse programs nationwide have
successfully employed MDTs to open channels of communication between prosecutors,
police, and social services representatives. These teams meet regularly to identify, respond
to, and monitor reported abuse, as a result, prosecutors become aware of cases earlier and
react more quickly, along with police, to gather evidence, build a case, and facilitate arrests.
Attorney General Biden named Deputy Attorney General Marsha White, a 20-year
Department of Justice prosecutor, to lead the Senior Abuse Initiative as the first Senior Protection
Deputy. She will serve as a central point-of-contact for all senior abuse cases and will have the
authority to determine whether criminal or civil action should be taken.
Delaware’s Multi-Disciplinary Team will consist of staff from the Department of Justice,
Adult Protective Services, and state and local law enforcement. Beginning in October, 2008 the
Delaware MDT will meet each month in every county.
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Media Release
September 11, 2008

Wilmington, DE—Today, Attorney General Beau Biden announced that Ryan Homes will pay
hundreds of thousands of dollars and will change its marketing practices following a Delaware
Department of Justice investigation of consumer complaints of deceptive marketing involving
homeowner fees at the Odessa National development in Townsend, Delaware.
“The Delaware Department of Justice is standing up for consumers who were misled when
making one of the most significant financial decisions of their lives – the purchase of their home,”
Attorney General Joseph R. Biden, III stated. “We’re holding the developer accountable to the law
and making it absolutely clear that they have an obligation to provide full disclosure to consumers.”
Homeowners of Hearthstone, a 55-and-over community within Odessa National, complained
that at the time of purchase, Ryan Homes stated that homeowners were exempt from an annual $800
fee assessment for membership to the development golf course. However, after purchase, those fees
were charged to all homeowners as mandatory assessments. Today’s agreement requires Ryan Homes,
the trade name of NVR, Inc., to pay the golf-related assessment fees of any homeowner in Hearthstone
who filed a complaint for as long as the homeowner owns the home. In addition, Ryan Homes will
reimburse those homeowners $28,858, representing fees already paid to Odessa National Golf Course,
LLC. The Delaware Department of Justice Consumer Protection Fund will also receive $25,000 in
investigative costs. In total, it is expected that Ryan Homes will pay nearly one-half million dollars.
Under the agreement homeowners have the choice of opting out of the golf course fee
obligation or to retain their golf club membership and the related assessment fee. Those who choose to
opt out will be reimbursed for any golf- related fees already paid. 68 homeowners are eligible to
participate in the agreement and must select one of these two options by November 21, 2008.
The agreement also requires Ryan Homes to advise all prospective home purchasers of golfrelated
fee obligations and to obtain homeowners’ signatures on a receipt and acknowledgement form.
Additional Delaware Department of Justice investigations at Odessa National are pending.
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Wilmington, DE – Today, Attorney General Beau Biden announced that Shannon M. Johnson, age 24
of Wilmington, was sentenced today by Judge M. Jane Brady to death by lethal injection plus 95 years
in prison.
“Shannon Johnson is a threat to society. His conviction and today’s sentence ensures that justice will
be served,” stated Attorney General Joseph R. Biden, III. “Victim and witness testimony was critically
important to securing this conviction and I want to thank them for having the courage to come
forward. Without their testimony a very dangerous person could be on the street.”
On September 24, 2006, Johnson shot and killed Cameron Hamlin in the City of Wilmington. On
November 10, 2006, Johnson approached a car in Wilmington, driven by Lakeisha Truitt. He fired a
gun at the car, smashed the driver’s side window, dragged her from the car, shot her, and fled
the scene. Truitt was taken to the hospital, where she recovered. Johnson was arrested by Wilmington
Police on November 15, 2006.
Johnson was convicted in New Castle County Superior Court on March 27, 2008 of First Degree
Murder, First Degree Assault, First Degree Reckless Endangering, three counts of Possession of a
Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and Possession of a Deadly Weapon by a Person
Prohibited.
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