Delaware

Delaware man arrested almost 30 years after Florida homicide of girlfriend

Published

3 months ago

September 7, 2024

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Delaware man arrested almost 30 years after Florida homicide of girlfriend

A Delaware man has been charged with murder in a decades-old cold case outside of Tampa, Florida.

Delaware State Police arrested 72-year-old Stephen Ford on Aug. 16 during a traffic stop near his home in Georgetown.

Ford has been charged with second-degree murder with a weapon in the death of 45-year-old Doris A. Korell in December 1996 in Palmetto, Florida, according to Manatee County police. Korell, who was Ford’s girlfriend at the time, was found in a ditch off of U.S. Route 41 and was stabbed 83 times, Manatee County police said.

Ford was extradited and booked into Manatee County Jail on Aug. 30.

Ford and Korell had lived together in St. Petersburg, and Korell had a daughter in Maryland who had reported her missing in December 1996. Later that month, Ford attempted suicide by ingesting bleach, and he continually denied any involvement, Manatee County police said.

“An eye for an eye,” Ford said to Manatee County police in 1997 when detectives asked him what should happen to the person who killed Korell. “If I killed her, I should get the death penalty.”

Soon after, a letter from him to an ex-girlfriend said, “He has no time for you know who, and hopes she’ll leave soon. … I hope she gets the message that I don’t want her here anymore.”

Other than that letter, physical evidence and leads from both St. Petersburg and Manatee County police became sporadic and the case became cold in 1997.

In 2017, the case was reopened by cold case detectives, and six years of investigations found enough evidence to produce probable cause to arrest Ford on charges in Korell’s homicide. During the investigation, people who knew Korell said she feared Ford, and they had financial troubles and common arguments, according to Manatee County police.

Those details and other evidence led Manatee County police to believe Ford was acting on the consciousness of guilt, they said.

More on the investigation: ‘If I killed her, I should get the death penalty’: Man arrested in 1997 Manatee cold case

Shane Brennan covers New Castle County with a focus on Newark and surrounding communities. Reach out with ideas, tips or feedback at slbrennan@delawareonline.com. Follow @shanebrennan36 on X, formerly Twitter, for the latest news and updates.

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Delaware

Dolgeville vs Delaware Academy

Published

2 hours ago

November 23, 2024

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N. Scott Trimble

High School football 2024 Class D playoffs: Dolgeville vs. Delaware Academy

Dolgeville battles Delaware Academy at Cicero-North Syracuse Friday, November 22, 2024 for the Class D playoffs. (N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com)Get Photo

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Delaware

The Delaware Springboard Villages to build a new community center – 47abc

Published

10 hours ago

November 22, 2024

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The Delaware Springboard Villages to build a new community center – 47abc

GEORGETOWN, Del. – The Delaware Springboard Villages announced Friday, that they would be breaking ground on a new community center. Co-founder of the organization, Jeffrey Ronald thinks this new center will bring more unity into the neighborhood.

“Breaking ground on this community center is not just for the participants of the Springboard Village. It’s for the broader Georgetown community where they will have access to job training, life skills like financial planning, communication skills, and healthcare.”

The state-of-the-art facility will feature computer labs, a telehealth conference room, staff offices, and a commercial kitchen. These resources will help guests toward self-sufficiency.

Executive Director, of Springboard Delaware, Judson Malone thinks this can be life-changing for those in need.

“It gives them a completely new perspective, and it is incredible when people come from the woods. It’s almost transformational, their whole outlook changes, and so the community center is going to build on that.”

According to Springboard Delaware, nearly 25% of guests have gained full employment. Around one-third have transitioned to permanent housing. Ronald is excited about the future of the Springboard Villages.

Governor-elect, Matt Meyer supports the organization. Ronald believes this will only grow stronger. “Matt Meyer who spearheaded the Hope Center, has been to the Springboard Village. He has kindly declared, and we think wisely declared, that he wants to replicate this model across the entire state. Hoping to help disadvantaged Delawareans build a better life.”

The villages are located on the property of the First State Community Action Agency behind their Georgetown headquarters. It houses up to 40 individuals.
It is the expectation they come in with a plan to find full employment.

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