Delaware News

DOJ Convicts Keith Gibson For Killing Spree 

Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | News | Date Posted: Tuesday, November 14, 2023


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Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Tuesday that a New Castle County jury convicted Keith Gibson of 25 charges,including two counts of murder, relating to a brutal crime spree in the summer of 2021. He faces a mandatory life sentence.

“Our prosecutors did phenomenal work on a deeply disturbing case,” said Attorney General Jennings. “The defendant carried out a vicious, cold-blooded crime spree, killing two and injuring four people in Delaware, and facing pending charges for yet more violence in Pennsylvania. He was armed and wearing a bulletproof vest when law enforcement arrested him, and it is difficult to fathom how much more destruction he would have caused had he not been apprehended. I’m proud of our prosecutors and of law enforcement who ensured that he will spend the rest of his life in a prison cell. Above all else, we are thinking of his victims, including those whose lives were cut short and whose families are still healing from this man’s crimes.”

On May 15, 2021, Gibson shot and killed Leslie Ruiz-Basilio, 28, during a robbery at a Metro PCS store on Kirkwood Highway in Elsmere and stole her vehicle. Less than a month later, Gibson shot and killed Ronald Wright, 42, during a street robbery, and assaulted another victim. Over the following three days, Gibson robbed and/or assaulted another three victims, including attempted murder against one, along with a host of weapons and drug offenses. Gibson was arrested on June 8 in connection with the robbery of a Wilmington Rite-Aid.

Gibson’s convictions are as follows:

  • Four counts of Murder 1st Degree
  • Attempted Murder 1st Degree
  • Thirteen counts of Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony
  • Four counts of Robbery 1st Degree
  • Conspiracy 2nd Degree
  • Theft of a Motor Vehicle
  • Wearing Body Armor During the Commission of a Felony

Additional charges against Gibson, including several drug charges, are pending in Superior Court.

Gibson’s conviction was secured by Deputy Attorneys General John Downs and Ipek Kurul. Deputy Attorneys General Matt Frawley and Sam Kenney also worked on the case, including on securing Gibson’s indictment. The prosecution was supported by Senior Paralegal Stacey Coupe and Social Workers Donna Lindsey and Marilyn Torres. The investigation was led by the Wilmington Police Department and the Elsmere Police Department, with support from law enforcement partners in the New Castle County Police Department, the Newport Police Department, the City of New Castle Police Department, the Newark Police Department, the Philadelphia Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and the ATF, in addition to support from T-Mobile Asset Protection and the Ruiz-Basilio family.

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DOJ Convicts Keith Gibson For Killing Spree 

Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | News | Date Posted: Tuesday, November 14, 2023


Navy blue background featuring the Delaware state seal in the center

Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Tuesday that a New Castle County jury convicted Keith Gibson of 25 charges,including two counts of murder, relating to a brutal crime spree in the summer of 2021. He faces a mandatory life sentence.

“Our prosecutors did phenomenal work on a deeply disturbing case,” said Attorney General Jennings. “The defendant carried out a vicious, cold-blooded crime spree, killing two and injuring four people in Delaware, and facing pending charges for yet more violence in Pennsylvania. He was armed and wearing a bulletproof vest when law enforcement arrested him, and it is difficult to fathom how much more destruction he would have caused had he not been apprehended. I’m proud of our prosecutors and of law enforcement who ensured that he will spend the rest of his life in a prison cell. Above all else, we are thinking of his victims, including those whose lives were cut short and whose families are still healing from this man’s crimes.”

On May 15, 2021, Gibson shot and killed Leslie Ruiz-Basilio, 28, during a robbery at a Metro PCS store on Kirkwood Highway in Elsmere and stole her vehicle. Less than a month later, Gibson shot and killed Ronald Wright, 42, during a street robbery, and assaulted another victim. Over the following three days, Gibson robbed and/or assaulted another three victims, including attempted murder against one, along with a host of weapons and drug offenses. Gibson was arrested on June 8 in connection with the robbery of a Wilmington Rite-Aid.

Gibson’s convictions are as follows:

  • Four counts of Murder 1st Degree
  • Attempted Murder 1st Degree
  • Thirteen counts of Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony
  • Four counts of Robbery 1st Degree
  • Conspiracy 2nd Degree
  • Theft of a Motor Vehicle
  • Wearing Body Armor During the Commission of a Felony

Additional charges against Gibson, including several drug charges, are pending in Superior Court.

Gibson’s conviction was secured by Deputy Attorneys General John Downs and Ipek Kurul. Deputy Attorneys General Matt Frawley and Sam Kenney also worked on the case, including on securing Gibson’s indictment. The prosecution was supported by Senior Paralegal Stacey Coupe and Social Workers Donna Lindsey and Marilyn Torres. The investigation was led by the Wilmington Police Department and the Elsmere Police Department, with support from law enforcement partners in the New Castle County Police Department, the Newport Police Department, the City of New Castle Police Department, the Newark Police Department, the Philadelphia Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and the ATF, in addition to support from T-Mobile Asset Protection and the Ruiz-Basilio family.

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.