Delaware News

2017 Shooting Could Mean Life in Prison

Criminal Division | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Friday, December 14, 2018


Photo of prison cells

Other defendants face prison time for sexual abuse, arson, and weapons charges

An Ellendale man faces the possibility of life in prison after pleading guilty to killing one of his friends. Deputy Attorneys General Susan Schmidhauser and Stephen Welch secured the plea from 36-year-old Don Martinez. In July 2017, Martinez was in the parking lot of the Silver Lake Estates housing complex in Milford with his friend Kevin King when the two began to argue. Martinez shot King numerous times, killing him. Martinez pled guilty to Murder Second Degree, for burglary and aggravated menacing, faces 26 years to life in prison when sentenced by a Superior Court judge in February. Detectives John Horsman and Tim Maloney investigated the case for the Milford Police Department, and DOJ social worker Ester Powell and paralegal Sue Balik assisted with the prosecution.

A Middletown man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for committing numerous sex acts with a minor child over the course of a year. Joseph Jones, 30, pled guilty in August to Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child. From 2016 through November 2017, Jones repeatedly abused a child in his care. A Superior Court judge sentenced Jones to 40 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 12 months of probation. Jones must also register as a Tier III sex offender. Deputy Attorney General Kelly Sheridan prosecuted the case with paralegal Jayna Quillen, social worker Lisa Rapko, and officers from the Middletown Police Department assisting in the investigation and prosecution.

A Superior Court jury convicted a Townsend man of setting his home on fire after an argument with his daughter. Deputy Attorney General Matthew Bloom secured the guilty verdict for 42-year-old Christopher Gregg. In November 2017, Gregg argued with one of his children, trashed her bedroom, and threw her belongings out of the window. Once the house was empty, Gregg set fire to the house and a barn about 100 feet away. The fires also damaged a truck parked nearby. The home, known as the Vandyke-Heath House, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The jury convicted Gregg of 2 counts of arson in the second degree and 1 count of arson in the third degree. Gregg faces up to 18 years in prison when sentenced by a Superior Court judge next year. The State Fire Marshal’s office investigated the fire. Deputy Attorney General Amanda DiLiberto, investigator Guillermo Santiago, social worker Courtney Cochran, and paralegal Lisa Loikith prepared and prosecuted the case.

A 32-year-old Wilmington man received a 12-year prison sentence in exchange for his plea on drug and weapons charges. Alanderer Willis pled guilty in Superior Court to Drug Dealing – Tier 4 cocaine, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a felony, and Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited. In April 2018, Wilmington Police had a warrant to search Willis’s car, and, when they attempted to Willis resisted and ran. Willis was subdued with a Taser and police found him with a loaded 9mm handgun, while a search of the car turned up cocaine. After the plea, a Superior Court judge immediately sentenced Willis, barred from having a gun because of previous drug and weapons convictions, to 12 years in prison, followed by 18 months of probation. Deputy Attorney General William Leonard prosecuted the case with assistance of paralegal Caitlin Lynam. Wilmington Police Department Detective Justin Wilkers was the chief investigating officer.

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2017 Shooting Could Mean Life in Prison

Criminal Division | Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Friday, December 14, 2018


Photo of prison cells

Other defendants face prison time for sexual abuse, arson, and weapons charges

An Ellendale man faces the possibility of life in prison after pleading guilty to killing one of his friends. Deputy Attorneys General Susan Schmidhauser and Stephen Welch secured the plea from 36-year-old Don Martinez. In July 2017, Martinez was in the parking lot of the Silver Lake Estates housing complex in Milford with his friend Kevin King when the two began to argue. Martinez shot King numerous times, killing him. Martinez pled guilty to Murder Second Degree, for burglary and aggravated menacing, faces 26 years to life in prison when sentenced by a Superior Court judge in February. Detectives John Horsman and Tim Maloney investigated the case for the Milford Police Department, and DOJ social worker Ester Powell and paralegal Sue Balik assisted with the prosecution.

A Middletown man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for committing numerous sex acts with a minor child over the course of a year. Joseph Jones, 30, pled guilty in August to Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child. From 2016 through November 2017, Jones repeatedly abused a child in his care. A Superior Court judge sentenced Jones to 40 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either home confinement or work release, then 12 months of probation. Jones must also register as a Tier III sex offender. Deputy Attorney General Kelly Sheridan prosecuted the case with paralegal Jayna Quillen, social worker Lisa Rapko, and officers from the Middletown Police Department assisting in the investigation and prosecution.

A Superior Court jury convicted a Townsend man of setting his home on fire after an argument with his daughter. Deputy Attorney General Matthew Bloom secured the guilty verdict for 42-year-old Christopher Gregg. In November 2017, Gregg argued with one of his children, trashed her bedroom, and threw her belongings out of the window. Once the house was empty, Gregg set fire to the house and a barn about 100 feet away. The fires also damaged a truck parked nearby. The home, known as the Vandyke-Heath House, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The jury convicted Gregg of 2 counts of arson in the second degree and 1 count of arson in the third degree. Gregg faces up to 18 years in prison when sentenced by a Superior Court judge next year. The State Fire Marshal’s office investigated the fire. Deputy Attorney General Amanda DiLiberto, investigator Guillermo Santiago, social worker Courtney Cochran, and paralegal Lisa Loikith prepared and prosecuted the case.

A 32-year-old Wilmington man received a 12-year prison sentence in exchange for his plea on drug and weapons charges. Alanderer Willis pled guilty in Superior Court to Drug Dealing – Tier 4 cocaine, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a felony, and Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited. In April 2018, Wilmington Police had a warrant to search Willis’s car, and, when they attempted to Willis resisted and ran. Willis was subdued with a Taser and police found him with a loaded 9mm handgun, while a search of the car turned up cocaine. After the plea, a Superior Court judge immediately sentenced Willis, barred from having a gun because of previous drug and weapons convictions, to 12 years in prison, followed by 18 months of probation. Deputy Attorney General William Leonard prosecuted the case with assistance of paralegal Caitlin Lynam. Wilmington Police Department Detective Justin Wilkers was the chief investigating officer.

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.