Delaware News

DOJ secures more than four decades in prison for fatal assault

Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Newsroom | Date Posted: Thursday, January 9, 2025


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A Georgetown man has been sentenced to more than four decades in prison for the 2022 murder of Paul McCarter. On December 13, Kevin Shorter, 26, was sentenced to 45 years in prison for convictions of Murder 2nd Degree and Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony, following an investigation into the September 2022 murder of Paul McCarter, 38. This sentence was the result of a Guilty But Mentally Ill (GBMI) plea agreement.
“I am deeply grateful to our prosecutors and to the Delaware State Police for their work in this case,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “Justice has been served; but I also know that closure is more elusive than justice. Our hearts are with the victim’s loved ones at this difficult time.”
Kevin Shorter, as a result of his ongoing mental illness, believed that victim Paul McCarter was a threat to himself.  Shorter was acquainted with McCarter as they were both members of the local homeless community. On September 7, 2022, Shorter waited for McCarter to appear at the Royal Farms on Dupont Boulevard in Georgetown. He then produced a metal baseball bat and began beating the victim, who was trying to escape, before fleeing the area. McCarter was taken to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital and later transferred to Christiana Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
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DOJ secures more than four decades in prison for fatal assault

Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Newsroom | Date Posted: Thursday, January 9, 2025


Navy blue background featuring the Delaware state seal in the center
A Georgetown man has been sentenced to more than four decades in prison for the 2022 murder of Paul McCarter. On December 13, Kevin Shorter, 26, was sentenced to 45 years in prison for convictions of Murder 2nd Degree and Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony, following an investigation into the September 2022 murder of Paul McCarter, 38. This sentence was the result of a Guilty But Mentally Ill (GBMI) plea agreement.
“I am deeply grateful to our prosecutors and to the Delaware State Police for their work in this case,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “Justice has been served; but I also know that closure is more elusive than justice. Our hearts are with the victim’s loved ones at this difficult time.”
Kevin Shorter, as a result of his ongoing mental illness, believed that victim Paul McCarter was a threat to himself.  Shorter was acquainted with McCarter as they were both members of the local homeless community. On September 7, 2022, Shorter waited for McCarter to appear at the Royal Farms on Dupont Boulevard in Georgetown. He then produced a metal baseball bat and began beating the victim, who was trying to escape, before fleeing the area. McCarter was taken to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital and later transferred to Christiana Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
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.