Delaware News

DOJ secures lengthy prison sentences for individuals involved in brutal murder

Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Wednesday, September 4, 2024


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Two individuals have been sentenced in connection with a 2020 missing person investigation turned murder case that crossed state lines. On August 28, Leonard Church of Henderson, Maryland and Esther Wright AKA Esther Hurtado-Chavez, of Clayton, were sentenced in Kent County Superior Court. Church, 43, was sentenced to 90 years of prison, suspended after 65 years, and followed by three years of descending levels of probation for Murder Second Degree. Wright, 41, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, suspended after 25 years, and followed by three years of descending levels of probation for convictions of Kidnapping First Degree and Conspiracy First Degree. The sentences follow an investigation into the disappearance of 41-year-old Jennifer Leyanna of Felton, Delaware.
“These defendants displayed a level of cruelty that is profoundly disturbing,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “I am grateful that they have been brought to justice at long last, thanks to the persistence and teamwork of our DOJ team and a great many partners, both within law enforcement and without, who remained undaunted throughout this lengthy and challenging investigation.”
In November 2020, family members reported to Delaware State Police (DSP) that Jennifer Leyanna was missing.  After substantial efforts by both the Troop 3 Major Crimes Unit and the State Police Homicide Unit to locate Leyanna, it became increasingly clear that her disappearance was not voluntary. In January 2021, detectives identified a residence on Route 8 in Hartly, Delaware as a crime scene, and DSP’s Troop 3 Evidence Detection Unit executed a search warrant there. It took another year and a break in the investigation for authorities to locate Leyanna’s remains buried in the backyard of a residence in Henderson, Maryland. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Queen Anne’s and Caroline County Sheriff’s Offices, State’s Attorneys’ offices in Queen Anne’s and Caroline County, the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Delaware Division of Forensic Science, and the Delaware State Bureau of Identification assisted DSP in the investigation.
The investigation revealed that on October 9, 2020, Leonard Church beat, bound, suffocated, and ultimately killed Leyanna at the Hartly residence based on a minor dispute over property. Wright was present during the brutal murder and assisted with binding Leyanna. Church, along with Wright, then transported Leyanna’s body to the Henderson property, which belonged to one of Church’s family members. Church then buried Leyanna’s remains with Wright present.
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DOJ secures lengthy prison sentences for individuals involved in brutal murder

Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Wednesday, September 4, 2024


Navy blue background featuring the Delaware state seal in the center
Two individuals have been sentenced in connection with a 2020 missing person investigation turned murder case that crossed state lines. On August 28, Leonard Church of Henderson, Maryland and Esther Wright AKA Esther Hurtado-Chavez, of Clayton, were sentenced in Kent County Superior Court. Church, 43, was sentenced to 90 years of prison, suspended after 65 years, and followed by three years of descending levels of probation for Murder Second Degree. Wright, 41, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, suspended after 25 years, and followed by three years of descending levels of probation for convictions of Kidnapping First Degree and Conspiracy First Degree. The sentences follow an investigation into the disappearance of 41-year-old Jennifer Leyanna of Felton, Delaware.
“These defendants displayed a level of cruelty that is profoundly disturbing,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “I am grateful that they have been brought to justice at long last, thanks to the persistence and teamwork of our DOJ team and a great many partners, both within law enforcement and without, who remained undaunted throughout this lengthy and challenging investigation.”
In November 2020, family members reported to Delaware State Police (DSP) that Jennifer Leyanna was missing.  After substantial efforts by both the Troop 3 Major Crimes Unit and the State Police Homicide Unit to locate Leyanna, it became increasingly clear that her disappearance was not voluntary. In January 2021, detectives identified a residence on Route 8 in Hartly, Delaware as a crime scene, and DSP’s Troop 3 Evidence Detection Unit executed a search warrant there. It took another year and a break in the investigation for authorities to locate Leyanna’s remains buried in the backyard of a residence in Henderson, Maryland. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Queen Anne’s and Caroline County Sheriff’s Offices, State’s Attorneys’ offices in Queen Anne’s and Caroline County, the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Delaware Division of Forensic Science, and the Delaware State Bureau of Identification assisted DSP in the investigation.
The investigation revealed that on October 9, 2020, Leonard Church beat, bound, suffocated, and ultimately killed Leyanna at the Hartly residence based on a minor dispute over property. Wright was present during the brutal murder and assisted with binding Leyanna. Church, along with Wright, then transported Leyanna’s body to the Henderson property, which belonged to one of Church’s family members. Church then buried Leyanna’s remains with Wright present.
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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.