Delaware News

Biden’s Office Secures Indictments for Two Wilmington Homicides

Criminal Division | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Thursday, February 7, 2013



Wilmington – Attorney General Beau Biden announced today that his office has secured murder indictments for two Wilmington shooting deaths that occurred last year.

 

“Senseless gun violence is taking too many lives in our City,” Biden said.  “We’re using the full force of the law to hold offenders accountable and make our neighborhoods safer for our families.”

 

On Monday, February 4, the Attorney General’s Office secured an indictment charging Joshua Stephenson with the Christmas Eve shooting death of 29 year-old Myron Ashley in Wilmington.  On December 24, 2012, Stephenson, age 27, of Wilmington, was visiting a relative in the home she shared with Ashley and their young son.  While the relative and her son were upstairs in the home, Stephenson shot Ashley for an unknown reason in the first floor living room.  When the relative rushed downstairs and confronted Stephenson about the shooting, he struck her as he fled from the home.  A handgun suspected to have been used in the crime was recovered at the scene.

 

The New Castle County Grand Jury indicted Stephenson on one count each of Murder 1st Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, Assault 3rd Degree, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.  Stephenson was arrested in Wilmington the day after the crime and has been held without bail since that time.

 

Monday’s indictment follows the January 22, 2013 indictment of 24 year-old Max Turner for the July, 2012 shooting death of Winfield Archie and the wounding of another victim on Wilmington’s west side.  On July 24, 2012, Turner was part of a small group of men who, near the corner of 9th and Jackson Streets, fired multiple gunshots down 9th Street at unknown targets.  Shots struck two wholly innocent victims who were working on a car parked along 9th Street approximately 1 ½ blocks from the shooters, and Archie died from his wounds.  The victims were not the intended targets of the shooters.

 

The New Castle County Grand Jury indicted Turner on the charges of Murder 2nd Degree, three counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and one count each of Assault 2nd Degree, Reckless Endangering 1st Degree, and Possession of a Firearm By a Person Prohibited.  At the time of the indictment Turner was being held on $80,000 cash bail following his August 25, 2012 arrest on unrelated drug dealing charges.  Bail was set at $630,000 cash at Turner’s arraignment Tuesday in Superior Court on the new indicted charges.

 

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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Biden’s Office Secures Indictments for Two Wilmington Homicides

Criminal Division | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Thursday, February 7, 2013



Wilmington – Attorney General Beau Biden announced today that his office has secured murder indictments for two Wilmington shooting deaths that occurred last year.

 

“Senseless gun violence is taking too many lives in our City,” Biden said.  “We’re using the full force of the law to hold offenders accountable and make our neighborhoods safer for our families.”

 

On Monday, February 4, the Attorney General’s Office secured an indictment charging Joshua Stephenson with the Christmas Eve shooting death of 29 year-old Myron Ashley in Wilmington.  On December 24, 2012, Stephenson, age 27, of Wilmington, was visiting a relative in the home she shared with Ashley and their young son.  While the relative and her son were upstairs in the home, Stephenson shot Ashley for an unknown reason in the first floor living room.  When the relative rushed downstairs and confronted Stephenson about the shooting, he struck her as he fled from the home.  A handgun suspected to have been used in the crime was recovered at the scene.

 

The New Castle County Grand Jury indicted Stephenson on one count each of Murder 1st Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, Assault 3rd Degree, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.  Stephenson was arrested in Wilmington the day after the crime and has been held without bail since that time.

 

Monday’s indictment follows the January 22, 2013 indictment of 24 year-old Max Turner for the July, 2012 shooting death of Winfield Archie and the wounding of another victim on Wilmington’s west side.  On July 24, 2012, Turner was part of a small group of men who, near the corner of 9th and Jackson Streets, fired multiple gunshots down 9th Street at unknown targets.  Shots struck two wholly innocent victims who were working on a car parked along 9th Street approximately 1 ½ blocks from the shooters, and Archie died from his wounds.  The victims were not the intended targets of the shooters.

 

The New Castle County Grand Jury indicted Turner on the charges of Murder 2nd Degree, three counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and one count each of Assault 2nd Degree, Reckless Endangering 1st Degree, and Possession of a Firearm By a Person Prohibited.  At the time of the indictment Turner was being held on $80,000 cash bail following his August 25, 2012 arrest on unrelated drug dealing charges.  Bail was set at $630,000 cash at Turner’s arraignment Tuesday in Superior Court on the new indicted charges.

 

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

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