Delaware News

Former Delaware Man Indicted for 2007 Shooting Death

Criminal Division | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | News | Date Posted: Friday, July 20, 2012



Former Delaware Man Indicted for 2007 Shooting Death
Life Insurance Scheme Alleged Motive for Killing

 

Wilmington – Attorney General Beau Biden announced today that his office has obtained an indictment charging former Delaware resident Jason Slaughter with the 2007 shooting death of Christopher Masters.

 

In the early morning hours of December 14, 2007, New Castle County Police responded to reports of a shooting at the Summit Bridge Trailer Park and found Masters, age 22, shot to death inside his home.  Slaughter, a friend of Masters who was found with a gunshot wound outside the home, reported to police that he was shot in a home invasion.  Although Slaughter’s story was inconsistent with the evidence there were no other leads and the investigation continued.

 

“Despite the time and distance covered by this case, the voices of the victims and their families will be heard thanks to the ongoing hard work and collaboration among prosecutors, investigators and police both here in Delaware and in Georgia,” said Biden.

 

In 2010, Georgia police contacted Delaware authorities after they had charged Slaughter and his wife with the May, 2010 shooting death of Michael Haegele in Mauk, GA.  During that investigation detectives found documentation that Slaughter was in possession of a $250,000 life insurance policy on Masters for which he was the named beneficiary.  Similarly, in the Georgia case, Slaughter was in possession of a $500,000 life insurance policy on Haegele for which he was the named beneficiary.  With this new information, New Castle County police continued the investigation, which led to this week’s indictment.

 

Slaughter, age 25, is charged with one count of First Degree Murder and One count of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony in the death of Christopher Masters. He remains held without bail in Georgia while he awaits trial there for the 2010 murder.  The Attorney General’s Office will be taking steps to extradite Slaughter to Delaware upon the conclusion of the Georgia case.

 

The Delaware Department of Justice reminds the public that an indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a jury trial at which the State bears the burden of proving each charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

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Former Delaware Man Indicted for 2007 Shooting Death

Criminal Division | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | News | Date Posted: Friday, July 20, 2012



Former Delaware Man Indicted for 2007 Shooting Death
Life Insurance Scheme Alleged Motive for Killing

 

Wilmington – Attorney General Beau Biden announced today that his office has obtained an indictment charging former Delaware resident Jason Slaughter with the 2007 shooting death of Christopher Masters.

 

In the early morning hours of December 14, 2007, New Castle County Police responded to reports of a shooting at the Summit Bridge Trailer Park and found Masters, age 22, shot to death inside his home.  Slaughter, a friend of Masters who was found with a gunshot wound outside the home, reported to police that he was shot in a home invasion.  Although Slaughter’s story was inconsistent with the evidence there were no other leads and the investigation continued.

 

“Despite the time and distance covered by this case, the voices of the victims and their families will be heard thanks to the ongoing hard work and collaboration among prosecutors, investigators and police both here in Delaware and in Georgia,” said Biden.

 

In 2010, Georgia police contacted Delaware authorities after they had charged Slaughter and his wife with the May, 2010 shooting death of Michael Haegele in Mauk, GA.  During that investigation detectives found documentation that Slaughter was in possession of a $250,000 life insurance policy on Masters for which he was the named beneficiary.  Similarly, in the Georgia case, Slaughter was in possession of a $500,000 life insurance policy on Haegele for which he was the named beneficiary.  With this new information, New Castle County police continued the investigation, which led to this week’s indictment.

 

Slaughter, age 25, is charged with one count of First Degree Murder and One count of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony in the death of Christopher Masters. He remains held without bail in Georgia while he awaits trial there for the 2010 murder.  The Attorney General’s Office will be taking steps to extradite Slaughter to Delaware upon the conclusion of the Georgia case.

 

The Delaware Department of Justice reminds the public that an indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a jury trial at which the State bears the burden of proving each charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

# # #

 

image_printPrint


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.