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Delaware judge cites 'evil' and 'extreme cruelty' in sentencing couple for torturing their sons

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Delaware judge cites 'evil' and 'extreme cruelty' in sentencing couple for torturing their sons


DOVER, Delaware — A Delaware woman who was convicted of torturing her two stepsons with the knowledge and help of their father was sentenced last week to 106 years in prison by a judge who called the abuse “the most extensive and persistent evil” he has ever seen.

Mary Vinson, 46, pleaded guilty last year to 30 felony counts including kidnapping, child abuse, strangulation and reckless endangering. She had faced a minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum of 444 years.

Mary Vinson, 46, who was sentenced Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 (Delaware Dept. of Justice via AP)

“I didn’t want to hurt them,” Vinson said before sentencing, taking issue with the litany of horrors outlined by prosecutor Erik Towne and with the state’s suggestion that she was “a monster.”

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“It didn’t start out that way,” she said. “I loved those boys like they were my own.”

The boys’ father, Charles Vinson, 37, was also sentenced Thursday, to 49 years. He pleaded guilty to 12 felony counts and had faced a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 158 years.

Charles Vinson, 37, who was sentenced Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 (Delaware Dept. Of Justice via AP)

Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clarke rejected defense requests to impose the minimum sentences, citing among other things the extreme cruelty of the crimes.

Video from surveillance cameras that monitored the large closet where the boys were kept naked and starving in horrific conditions did not tell the entire story of their suffering, the judge said.

“It will be impossible for them to forget the evil done to them,” said Clarke, who refused a prosecution request to show some of the video excerpts in court. “They will carry this with them for the rest of their lives.”

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Defense attorney John Malik said Charles Vinson did not like conflict and felt manipulated by his wife: “He was in the middle between his wife and his kids, and admits that he failed his sons.”

The judge noted that, while Charles Vinson was not the primary offender, he enabled the abuse, facilitated it and sometimes participated.

Charles Vinson said he took full responsibility for his actions and accepted the consequences of his “poor decisions” regarding his sons.

“I failed them, and I feel ashamed of myself to be called a father,” Vinson said.

According to prosecutors, the boys were abused over a period of 20 months starting in early 2020. One was 9 to 10 years old at the time, while the other was abused between the ages of 11 and 13.

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Both were hospitalized several times for severe malnutrition, with one requiring a hospital stay of almost a month. The Division of Family Services finally took custody of the boys in October 2021.

Authorities said the abuse included making the boys stand motionless for long periods of time, withholding food and water, force-feeding, and beating and strangling them. Prosecutor Kristin Dewalt said they were forced to wash themselves with the same water used to clean up their urine and feces.

“The torture Mrs. Vinson inflicted on these children is almost indescribable,” Towne said.

Mark Hudson, representing the Office of the Child Advocate, said the boys are in foster care and doing markedly better, but they are still dealing with issues. Attempts at placing them with permanent families have proven unsuccessful, he said, with potential adopting parents declining to move forward after learning of the boys’ history.

Copyright © 2024 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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PennDOT, hardware stores prepare for first snow of season in Delaware Valley

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PennDOT, hardware stores prepare for first snow of season in Delaware Valley


PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Crews and customers across the Delaware Valley are gearing up for the region’s first accumulating snowfall of the season, expected late Saturday into Sunday morning.

PennDOT says it has more than 100,000 tons of salt ready and plans to deploy over 400 trucks across the region for this event.

Road crews began brining operations Friday, which will continue through the weekend with plowing on Sunday.

READ MORE | Accuweather Alert: Light snow to blanket the region Saturday night into Sunday morning

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“Maybe 1 to 3, maybe a little bit more depending on how the storm tracks,” said Brad Rudolph of PennDOT.

He added that timing is key with the snow beginning to fall on Saturday night, while many may be out and about, and with thousands expected to travel to Lincoln Financial Field Sunday for the Eagles game against the Raiders.

Preps underway for first snow of the season in Delaware Valley

“People are going to travel, they’re going to need to take it slow. We’re going to push back snow from travel lanes, we’ll make the roads passable. They may not be completely clear of snow and ice, something to consider,” Rudolph said. “We expect this storm to push out relatively early Sunday, well before that Eagles game, but we still might have some cleaning up to do. We’ll be working long after this snow is done.”

At Stanley’s Hardware in Roxborough, workers spent Friday unpacking boxes and moving thousands of pounds of salt and other supplies to fill commercial and individual orders.

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“Our aisle is filled right now. We have tons of skids of rock salt, ice melter, shovels,” said Joe Jaconski of Stanley’s Hardware.

Customers were already stocking up.

“We have food, we have shovels, just had to get some salt just to make sure we’re keeping the sidewalks nice and safe for everyone,” said Matt Skomsky of Roxborough.

Customers were steady at Stanley’s Friday, and business is expected to pick up through the weekend, but managers say don’t wait to get ready.

“I recommend just being ahead of it. Try to beat the storm because when the storm comes, it gets very busy in here-the lines wrapped around,” Jaconski said.

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PennDOT urges drivers to keep their distance from plow trucks and check the forecast before heading out.

Copyright © 2025 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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Done Deal: 695 Delaware Avenue – Buffalo Rising

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Done Deal: 695 Delaware Avenue – Buffalo Rising


Ellicott Development has expanded it local property portfolio. Ellicott’s 4628 Group Inc. purchased 695 Delaware Avenue on Wednesday for $1.025 million. Fred Kaplan Living Trust was the seller. The 8,454 sq.ft., three-story barn-like structure with mansard roofed addition is occupied by media production and marketing firm Crosswater Digital Media. It was the home of WKBW radio for a number of years. The property totals 0.4 acres in size with a large parking lot fronting Delaware Avenue.

The property is bookended by the Westbrook Apartments and Wilcox House apartment buildings, both ten-story structures. It sits across the street from 700 Delaware, the former Computer Task Group Building Ellicott purchased in 2018 and is now occupied by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.



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Man, 77, dies after collision with teen driver near Hartly, police say

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Man, 77, dies after collision with teen driver near Hartly, police say


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A 77-year-old man died following a two-car crash near Hartly on the morning of Dec. 10, Delaware State Police said.

The man, from the Dover area, has not been identified by police pending family notification.

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According to police reports, the man was driving a Honda Accord east on Judith Road approaching Hartly Road about 9 a.m., as an 18-year-old woman was driving a Ford Focus south on Hartly Road approaching Judith Road.

Police reported that a preliminary investigation shows the Honda moved from the stop sign into the Ford’s path, causing a collision.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman, from Hartly, was treated at the scene. Police said she refused to be taken to a hospital.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

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