Delaware News

DOJ obtains prison sentence for fatal 2022 shooting

Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Newsroom | Date Posted: Friday, February 27, 2026


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A Sussex County man has been sentenced to prison for the 2022 shooting death of Jermaine Meadows.
Lance Leatherbury, 27, of Laurel, was sentenced on February 27 to 15 years in prison. The sentence follows Leatherbury’s plea of No Contest to charges of Manslaughter, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and Conspiracy Second Degree.
 
“The defendant’s actions are yet another shocking example of our need to throw everything we’ve got at the gun violence epidemic,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “Our DOJ trial team and the Wilmington Police Department deserve high praise for never giving up in seeking accountability and justice for the victim’s family.”
On February 21, 2022, Leatherbury approached Jermaine Meadows as he sat in his car on the 700 block of Warner Street in Wilmington, shooting and killing him before fleeing. He was subsequently arrested on July 25, 2023, after an investigation by the Wilmington Police Department.
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DOJ obtains prison sentence for fatal 2022 shooting

Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Newsroom | Date Posted: Friday, February 27, 2026


Navy blue background featuring the Delaware state seal in the center
A Sussex County man has been sentenced to prison for the 2022 shooting death of Jermaine Meadows.
Lance Leatherbury, 27, of Laurel, was sentenced on February 27 to 15 years in prison. The sentence follows Leatherbury’s plea of No Contest to charges of Manslaughter, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and Conspiracy Second Degree.
 
“The defendant’s actions are yet another shocking example of our need to throw everything we’ve got at the gun violence epidemic,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “Our DOJ trial team and the Wilmington Police Department deserve high praise for never giving up in seeking accountability and justice for the victim’s family.”
On February 21, 2022, Leatherbury approached Jermaine Meadows as he sat in his car on the 700 block of Warner Street in Wilmington, shooting and killing him before fleeing. He was subsequently arrested on July 25, 2023, after an investigation by the Wilmington Police Department.
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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.