Delaware News

DOJ secures manslaughter, drug indictments for fatal overdose

Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Newsroom | Date Posted: Friday, January 23, 2026


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A Dover woman has been indicted for her involvement in an overdose death that occurred in March 2024.
Susan Carter, 47, was indicted by a Kent County Grand Jury on December 1, 2025, on charges of Manslaughter, Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, and Conspiracy Second Degree. The indictments follow an investigation by the Delaware State Police and the Delaware Department of Justice.
 
“This is another reminder of the deadly toll the opioid epidemic has taken on our community,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “I’m grateful to the Delaware State Police for their work in this case and to the prosecutors working to secure justice.”
“This manslaughter indictment demonstrates our shared commitment to accountability for those who profit from the distribution of deadly drugs,” said Colonel William D. Crotty, Superintendent of the Delaware State Police. “This investigation represents the first of its kind for our agency and holds individuals criminally responsible for an overdose death linked to fentanyl distribution. We are grateful for the relentless dedication of our detectives and the Delaware Department of Justice in pursuing justice for the victim and their family.”
On March 1, 2024, Troop 3 of the Delaware State Police was dispatched to a residence in Dover following a report of a suspected overdose. There, they discovered an unresponsive man, aged 33, who was determined to have died as a result of a fentanyl overdose. A subsequent review of the victim’s phone by the Delaware State Police’s Kent County Drug Unit identified Susan Carter as the dealer of the fentanyl and her now-deceased boyfriend, Jeffrey Gruwell, as the individual who delivered it.
Carter was arraigned on December 16, 2025, and is being held on $500,000 cash bail. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty by trial.
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DOJ secures manslaughter, drug indictments for fatal overdose

Department of Justice | Department of Justice Press Releases | Newsroom | Date Posted: Friday, January 23, 2026


Navy blue background featuring the Delaware state seal in the center
A Dover woman has been indicted for her involvement in an overdose death that occurred in March 2024.
Susan Carter, 47, was indicted by a Kent County Grand Jury on December 1, 2025, on charges of Manslaughter, Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, and Conspiracy Second Degree. The indictments follow an investigation by the Delaware State Police and the Delaware Department of Justice.
 
“This is another reminder of the deadly toll the opioid epidemic has taken on our community,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “I’m grateful to the Delaware State Police for their work in this case and to the prosecutors working to secure justice.”
“This manslaughter indictment demonstrates our shared commitment to accountability for those who profit from the distribution of deadly drugs,” said Colonel William D. Crotty, Superintendent of the Delaware State Police. “This investigation represents the first of its kind for our agency and holds individuals criminally responsible for an overdose death linked to fentanyl distribution. We are grateful for the relentless dedication of our detectives and the Delaware Department of Justice in pursuing justice for the victim and their family.”
On March 1, 2024, Troop 3 of the Delaware State Police was dispatched to a residence in Dover following a report of a suspected overdose. There, they discovered an unresponsive man, aged 33, who was determined to have died as a result of a fentanyl overdose. A subsequent review of the victim’s phone by the Delaware State Police’s Kent County Drug Unit identified Susan Carter as the dealer of the fentanyl and her now-deceased boyfriend, Jeffrey Gruwell, as the individual who delivered it.
Carter was arraigned on December 16, 2025, and is being held on $500,000 cash bail. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty by trial.
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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.