Other defendants face prison sentences for sexual abuse, weapons, robbery, and child porn charges.

Jason Slaughter, a 30-year-old from Bear was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a Superior Court judge for a 2007 murder. Slaughter pled guilty in January to Murder Second Degree in connection with the shooting of his friend, Christopher Masters. When police arrived at Masters’ home in the Summit Bridge Trailer Park in December 2007, they found him dead from a gunshot wound to the head, and Slaughter suffering from a gunshot wound to his shoulder. Slaughter told police two men arrived at the trailer and shot him and Masters. The case went cold for two years. Slaughter moved to Georgia where he was arrested for the murder of Michael Haegle in 2010. In that case, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) investigators found Slaughter was the beneficiary of a life insurance policy taken out on the victim, Haegle. During the investigation GBI found another insurance policy with Slaughter as the beneficiary and Christopher Masters as the insured. In 2012, Slaughter, already in custody in Georgia, was indicted for Masters’ murder in Delaware. In August of 2013 Slaughter was convicted of the Haegle murder in Georgia and sentenced to life plus 7 years. Slaughter’s Delaware sentence of 30 years followed by 10 years of probation for the murder of Masters will begin at the conclusion of his Georgia sentence, for which he is eligible for parole in 2042. Deputy Attorneys General Colleen Norris, Phillip Casale, and Cari Chapman, and senior paralegal Kimberly Moro prosecuted the case, with assistance from several detectives from the New Castle County Police Department, particularly Thomas Abram and Brian Shahan.

A 48-year-old Dover man will spend 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Child by a Person of Trust First Degree, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and Child Abuse Third Degree. Deputy Attorney General Kathleen Dickerson secured the plea and sentence from David Jones. In October 2016, Jones sexually abused a child that was in his care. After entering his plea in Superior Court, a judge sentenced Jones to 10 years in prison, followed by 1 year of either work release or home confinement, then 3 years of probation. Jones must also register as a Tier III sex offender.

A 33-year-old Dover man who used his bicycle to flee from police will spend 15 years in prison for a gun charge. Deputy Attorney General Lindsay Taylor secured a guilty plea to Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited and Resisting Arrest from Joshua Benson. In November 2016, Dover Police tried to stop Benson who was riding his bicycle on the wrong side of the road on Forest Street near West Street. Benson ignored the officer’s attempt and rode away, eventually getting off the bike and running. Once officers took Benson into custody, they found a loaded handgun in the pocket of his jacket. A Superior Court judge sentenced Benson, who is barred from having a gun because of a previous weapons conviction, to 15 years in prison, followed by probation.

Deputy Attorney General Chris Hutchison secured a prison sentence for a Seaford man who shot another man during an argument. A Superior Court judge sentenced 26-year-old Djefly Florestal to 10 years in prison including completion of the KEY Program. Florestal then must complete the CREST substance abuse program and spend one year on probation. In July 2016, Florestal got into an argument with the boyfriend of his former girlfriend, and shot the man in his shoulder and arm, with one of the bullets penetrating the victim’s lung. Florestal pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony and Assault First Degree in June.

Deputy Attorney General Christina Kontis secured a prison sentence for Lawrence Malandruccolo, 30, of Smyrna for his conviction on weapons, shoplifting, and conspiracy charges. In August 2016, Malandruccolo stole spools of wiring from the Home Depot in the Peoples Plaza Shopping Center in Glasgow and attempted to return them at the Home Depot in the 100 block of Sunset Boulevard in New Castle later the same day. Loss prevention officers took Malandruccolo into custody and called police. When officers arrived, they found a loaded 9mm handgun in the trunk of his car. Malandruccolo, banned from having a firearm because of previous felony convictions for drug, theft, and burglary charges, told police the gun belonged to a co-defendant who got away. Malandruccolo was convicted after a bench trial in May of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, Attempted Shoplifting and Conspiracy Third Degree. A Superior Court judge sentenced Malandruccolo to 5 years in prison followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 2 years of probation.

A 22-year-old Newark man will spend 6 years in prison for robbing two stores along Route 40 in Bear at gunpoint. Tymire Chandler pled guilty in June to Robbery First Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, two counts of Robbery Second Degree and Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited for the October 2016 robberies of the Rite Aid in the 1900 block of Pulaski Highway, and the 7-11 in the 1700 block of Pulaski Highway. Chandler entered each store and pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the cashier and demanded money. He also took money from store employees. A Superior Court judge sentenced Chandler to 6 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 1 year of probation. Deputy Attorney General Christina Kontis prosecuted the case.

A 32-year-old Magnolia man faces 2 to 25 years in prison in exchange for his no contest plea to one charge of Dealing in Child Pornography. Deputy Attorney General Julie Johnson prosecuted the case against Brad Edmisten. In January 2017, members of the Child Predator Task Force executed a search warrant at Edmisten’s home in the 600 block of Olde Field Drive, and found images of child pornography on a computer. A Superior Court judge will sentence Edmisten in September.

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