Delaware News


Gunman in Port Mahon Murder Sentenced to Life in Prison

Criminal Division | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Friday, October 26, 2018


Photo of prison bars and cell

Other defendants face prison time for assault, DUI, weapons, and child pornography charges

The third person involved in a 2016 murder on the Port Mahon fishing pier was sentenced by a Superior Court judge to spend the rest of his life in prison. Deputy Attorneys General Lindsay Taylor and Alicia Porter secured the sentence for Daiquan Bordley, 24, of Smyrna. In March 2016, Bordley and another man, Zhyee Harmon, 25, of Dover, waited on the pier while a third co-defendant, 21-year-old Chelsea Braunskill of Camden-Wyoming, lured 24-year-old Dontray Hendricks to the pier in order to rob him. A fight broke out and Bordley fatally shot Hendricks in the stomach. Bordley, convicted in a non-jury trial in August 2018 of Murder First Degree, Robbery First Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and Conspiracy Second Degree, was sentenced by the Court to life in prison plus 6 years, followed by 2 years of probation. Braunskill pled guilty to Murder Second Degree and Conspiracy Second Degree and received a sentence of 20 years and 6 months in prison, followed by 6 months of home confinement then one year of probation. Harmon pled guilty to Conspiracy Second Degree in June 2017, and was sentenced to one year of probation after serving 10 years on weapons charges connected to a gun trafficking operation he ran in Dover. Detective Dan Grassi of the Delaware State Police was the chief investigating officer, with DOJ social workers Kerry McElwee and Esther Powell, paralegal Sue Balik, and administrative assistants Gina Chambers and Amanda Balke working on the prosecution of the cases.

A Superior Court judge sentenced an Ellendale man to more than 15 years in prison for his role in a traffic crash that critically injured a young girl. In March 2018, Oliver Barnes, 40, was driving almost 100 miles per hour when he ran into a car at a stop light at the intersection of Bay Road and Blue Hen Boulevard in Dover. At the time of crash, Barnes had a blood alcohol content of .25, more than three times the legal limit. A 10-year-old girl sitting in the car Barnes hit suffered permanent injuries as a result of the crash. Barnes pled guilty in August 2018 to Assault First Degree and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol. A Superior Court judge sentenced Barnes to 15 years and 9 months in prison including completion of the KEY Substance Abuse Program, followed by completion of the CREST Substance Abuse Program, then one year of probation in the CREST aftercare program. The attorneys and staff of the Kent County Felony Trial Unit prosecuted the case, with assistance from social workers Kerry McElwee and Esther Powell. The Dover Police Department conducted the investigation on the case.

Keenan Anderson, 26, of Wilmington, received a 26-year prison sentence for weapons convictions and violations of probation. In May 2017, Wilmington Police stopped Anderson in the 500 block of West 7th because he had an active warrant for his arrest. When taking Anderson into custody, they found him carrying a handgun. In January 2018, a Superior Court jury convicted Anderson, barred from having a gun because of a previous rape conviction, of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited and Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon. A Superior Court judge sentenced Anderson to 26 years in prison, followed by a period of probation. Deputy Attorneys General Zachary Rosen and Periann Doko prosecuted the case, assisted by paralegal Jessica Ascione and investigator Guillermo Santiago.

A 52-year-old Wilmington man was sentenced to 31 years in prison for stabbing a woman he had been in a relationship with, then intimidating her about the criminal charges against him. James Cooper pled guilty in June 2018 to Burglary First Degree, Assault First Degree, Act of Intimidation, and Breach of Bond During Commitment. In February 2017, the victim asked Cooper to leave her home, saying he was drunk. Cooper left but returned through an unlocked back door and stabbed the woman in the chest. While being held in jail after his arrest, Cooper violated the no contact order by calling the victim from prison, successfully dissuading the victim from going to court. With continued outreach and contact with the victim by the DOJ and Wilmington Police Department, the victim ultimately decided to attend the sentencing and provide a written impact statement to the Court.  A Superior Court judge sentenced Cooper as a habitual offender, due to previous felony convictions for assault and unlawful sexual contact, to 31 years in prison, followed by 6 months of home confinement or work release, then 2 years of probation. Deputy Attorney General Cari Chapman prosecuted the case, with assistance from Wilmington Police Detective Joe Miller, DOJ social worker Jenn Kutney-Soper and paralegal AnnMarie Corrigan.

A Camden man, currently in prison for 2014 convictions for Rape Third Degree and Dealing in Child Pornography, faces additional prison time after pleading guilty to another Rape Third Degree. Deputy Attorney General Jan van Amerongen secured a guilty plea from Jason Anker, 38, to raping a child less than 16 years old in March of 2012. The victim did not reveal the information until 2017. A Superior Court judge will sentence Anker to between 2 and 25 years in prison in February 2019.

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Gunman in Port Mahon Murder Sentenced to Life in Prison

Criminal Division | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Friday, October 26, 2018


Photo of prison bars and cell

Other defendants face prison time for assault, DUI, weapons, and child pornography charges

The third person involved in a 2016 murder on the Port Mahon fishing pier was sentenced by a Superior Court judge to spend the rest of his life in prison. Deputy Attorneys General Lindsay Taylor and Alicia Porter secured the sentence for Daiquan Bordley, 24, of Smyrna. In March 2016, Bordley and another man, Zhyee Harmon, 25, of Dover, waited on the pier while a third co-defendant, 21-year-old Chelsea Braunskill of Camden-Wyoming, lured 24-year-old Dontray Hendricks to the pier in order to rob him. A fight broke out and Bordley fatally shot Hendricks in the stomach. Bordley, convicted in a non-jury trial in August 2018 of Murder First Degree, Robbery First Degree, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and Conspiracy Second Degree, was sentenced by the Court to life in prison plus 6 years, followed by 2 years of probation. Braunskill pled guilty to Murder Second Degree and Conspiracy Second Degree and received a sentence of 20 years and 6 months in prison, followed by 6 months of home confinement then one year of probation. Harmon pled guilty to Conspiracy Second Degree in June 2017, and was sentenced to one year of probation after serving 10 years on weapons charges connected to a gun trafficking operation he ran in Dover. Detective Dan Grassi of the Delaware State Police was the chief investigating officer, with DOJ social workers Kerry McElwee and Esther Powell, paralegal Sue Balik, and administrative assistants Gina Chambers and Amanda Balke working on the prosecution of the cases.

A Superior Court judge sentenced an Ellendale man to more than 15 years in prison for his role in a traffic crash that critically injured a young girl. In March 2018, Oliver Barnes, 40, was driving almost 100 miles per hour when he ran into a car at a stop light at the intersection of Bay Road and Blue Hen Boulevard in Dover. At the time of crash, Barnes had a blood alcohol content of .25, more than three times the legal limit. A 10-year-old girl sitting in the car Barnes hit suffered permanent injuries as a result of the crash. Barnes pled guilty in August 2018 to Assault First Degree and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol. A Superior Court judge sentenced Barnes to 15 years and 9 months in prison including completion of the KEY Substance Abuse Program, followed by completion of the CREST Substance Abuse Program, then one year of probation in the CREST aftercare program. The attorneys and staff of the Kent County Felony Trial Unit prosecuted the case, with assistance from social workers Kerry McElwee and Esther Powell. The Dover Police Department conducted the investigation on the case.

Keenan Anderson, 26, of Wilmington, received a 26-year prison sentence for weapons convictions and violations of probation. In May 2017, Wilmington Police stopped Anderson in the 500 block of West 7th because he had an active warrant for his arrest. When taking Anderson into custody, they found him carrying a handgun. In January 2018, a Superior Court jury convicted Anderson, barred from having a gun because of a previous rape conviction, of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited and Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon. A Superior Court judge sentenced Anderson to 26 years in prison, followed by a period of probation. Deputy Attorneys General Zachary Rosen and Periann Doko prosecuted the case, assisted by paralegal Jessica Ascione and investigator Guillermo Santiago.

A 52-year-old Wilmington man was sentenced to 31 years in prison for stabbing a woman he had been in a relationship with, then intimidating her about the criminal charges against him. James Cooper pled guilty in June 2018 to Burglary First Degree, Assault First Degree, Act of Intimidation, and Breach of Bond During Commitment. In February 2017, the victim asked Cooper to leave her home, saying he was drunk. Cooper left but returned through an unlocked back door and stabbed the woman in the chest. While being held in jail after his arrest, Cooper violated the no contact order by calling the victim from prison, successfully dissuading the victim from going to court. With continued outreach and contact with the victim by the DOJ and Wilmington Police Department, the victim ultimately decided to attend the sentencing and provide a written impact statement to the Court.  A Superior Court judge sentenced Cooper as a habitual offender, due to previous felony convictions for assault and unlawful sexual contact, to 31 years in prison, followed by 6 months of home confinement or work release, then 2 years of probation. Deputy Attorney General Cari Chapman prosecuted the case, with assistance from Wilmington Police Detective Joe Miller, DOJ social worker Jenn Kutney-Soper and paralegal AnnMarie Corrigan.

A Camden man, currently in prison for 2014 convictions for Rape Third Degree and Dealing in Child Pornography, faces additional prison time after pleading guilty to another Rape Third Degree. Deputy Attorney General Jan van Amerongen secured a guilty plea from Jason Anker, 38, to raping a child less than 16 years old in March of 2012. The victim did not reveal the information until 2017. A Superior Court judge will sentence Anker to between 2 and 25 years in prison in February 2019.

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  , , ,


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.