Delaware
New bills would require Delaware to keep DNA evidence in criminal cases
Gov. Meyer addresses crime, closure of the Plummer Center
Gov. Meyer recently addressed crime statistics and the closure of the Plummer Center during a recent interview with The News Journal.
Television crime dramas have trained audiences to believe DNA evidence is always collected, stored and available to be tested years later. In Delaware, that assumption is often wrong. A new legislative package would overhaul how the state preserves biological evidence, a change advocates say could determine whether wrongly convicted people ever get a real chance to prove it.
According to data from the University of Michigan Law School, Delaware has recorded just five known exonerations. That figure stands in sharp contrast to nearly 4,000 exonerations nationwide since 1989. Lawmakers and advocates say the disparity is evidence of a criminal justice system that makes it difficult to prove innocence after a conviction becomes final.
Efforts to address that concern center on Senate Bill 214, introduced by Sen. Kyra Hoffner. The bill would, for the first time, require the state to preserve biological evidence connected to criminal cases. The proposal is supported by Innocence Project Delaware, which has received nearly 200 requests for post-conviction assistance since opening in 2020 from people who say they were wrongly convicted.
Dan Signs, a staff attorney with Innocence Project Delaware, said Delaware is one of a small handful of states without a formal statute that sets clear standards for how long biological evidence must be preserved. As a result, there is no uniform system for maintaining blood, semen, hair or other material that could later be tested using DNA technology unavailable at the time of trial.
By failing to keep pace with national standards, Delaware leaves people with credible innocence claims unable to access evidence that could vindicate them.
What’s in Senate Bill 214?
If passed, SB 214 would mandate the preservation of all biological evidence in the state’s custody that is connected to a criminal investigation or prosecution. Evidence would have to be retained for as long as a crime remains unsolved or for as long as a convicted person remains in custody, regardless of whether the conviction resulted from a trial or a guilty plea.
The bill also spells out the when biological evidence may be destroyed. Under limited and clearly defined circumstances, destruction would be allowed only if all five of the following conditions are met:
- More than five years have passed since the conviction became final and all appeals are exhausted.
- The evidence is not tied to a Class A through Class E felony.
- No other state or federal law requires the evidence to be preserved.
- The state sends certified written notice of its intent to destroy the evidence to specified parties, including anyone still incarcerated because of that conviction.
- No person who has received such notice files a motion for DNA testing or a written request to retain the evidence within 180 days.
For evidence that is too large or impractical to store, the state would still be required to preserve any portions likely to contain biological material. If evidence that should have been preserved cannot be produced, courts would be required to hold a hearing to determine whether its destruction was intentional.
The legislation would take effect 30 days after becoming law.
Legislative package to reform forensic justice
SB 214 is intended to work in tandem with two additional bills introduced by Hoffner that target other barriers to post-conviction relief.
SS1 for Senate Bill 57 would eliminate outdated technological restrictions and legal processes that hinder defendants from pursuing innocence claims. The bill would modernize Delaware’s post-conviction DNA testing law by removing time limits that prevent access for those convicted before DNA testing became routine and allow individuals to petition courts for post-conviction DNA testing.
SS1 for Senate Bill 58 would establish a formal court process for challenging convictions that relied on forensic methods later shown to be unreliable or discredited.
Advocates point to a growing list of forensic techniques once treated as authoritative but now widely questioned or rejected:
- Bite mark analysis
- Hair comparison analysis
- Certain arson investigation methods
- Comparative bullet lead analysis
Breakthroughs in DNA testing and forensic science have repeatedly exposed flaws in these methods, leading to exonerations in other states.
What happens next?
The two post-conviction reform bills are awaiting consideration in the Senate Finance Committee. SB 214 is expected to be heard in the Senate Corrections and Public Safety Committee later this January.
Supporters say the proposals together would mark a systemic shift in Delaware’s approach to justice. Instead of relying on procedural conclusions, the state would commit to preserving evidence and revisiting past cases when science advances or new facts emerge, allowing truth, even when delayed, a chance to come to light.
To share your community news and activities with our audience, join Delaware Voices Uplifted on Facebook. Nonprofits, community groups and service providers are welcome to submit their information to be added to our Community Resources Map. Contact staff reporter Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@delawareonline.com.
Delaware has had no shortage of football players who excelled at the high school level, sparking their teams and earning fans’ admiration.
The best of them went on to collegiate and pro success.
With the United States nearing its 250th anniversary of gaining independence, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time.
At the root of that are the high school athletes who became familiar names in their schools, communities and the state of Delaware while making headlines with their athletic exploits. The USA TODAY Network hopes to first spotlight those individuals.
Here in Delaware, we’re compiling lists of the best players in several sports. We begin with football, which has long garnered the most attention.
These are our choices for Delaware’s 10 greatest football players, listed alphabetically:
Jamie Duncan, Christiana
Duncan was a central figure in Christiana’s rise to power. He was 1992 state Defensive Player of the Year after also being first-team All-State at linebacker as a junior in 1991. He also starred as a tight end and running back. At Vanderbilt, he was a second-team All-American linebacker in 1997 and made 425 career tackles while earning SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Duncan then appeared in 96 NFL games with 56 starts over seven seasons.
Chris Godwin, Middletown
The wide receiver sparked Middletown to the 2011 and 2012 state titles and was a state Player of the Year honoree. He then starred at Penn State, catching 154 passes for 2,421 yards and 18 TDs. He was a third-round 2017 draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Godwin was All-Pro in 2019 and won the Super Bowl after the 2020 season. He’s caught 612 passes for 7,626 yards and 41 touchdowns in nine NFL seasons, all with the Bucs.
Duron Harmon, Caesar Rodney
Harmon was state Defensive Player of the Year while sparking the Riders to the 2008 state championship. He then played in 50 games at Rutgers, starting his last two seasons and intercepting six passes while earning All-Big East at safety. Harmon was then a key part of the New England Patriots’ secondary, spending seven of his 11 seasons there and winning three Super Bowls. He played in 168 NFL games and had 24 interceptions.
Kwame Harris, Newark
Harris was the state’s most heavily recruited high school football player ever while being a three-time first-team All-Stater and Lineman of the Year. He went to Stanford and was a three-year starter and first-team All-Pac 10 choice as a senior. Harris was a first-round draft pick, 26th overall, by the 49ers and played 86 games with 55 starts in six NFL seasons.
Bilal Nichols. Hodgson
Nichols was All-State as both a defensive lineman and tight end for the Silver Eagles. He then was a three-time All-Colonial Athletic Association choice at Delaware, making 104 career tackles, with 17½ for lost yardage, in 44 games, along with three forced fumbles, two interceptions and several blocked kicks. The Bears chose him in the fifth round of the 2018 draft. Nichols has now played in 104 NFL games with 88 starts for Chicago, Las Vegas and Arizona.
Brian O’Neill, Salesianum
O’Neill was a first-team All-State defensive end at Salesianum and recruited to Pittsburgh as a tight end, which he also played at Sallies. O’Neill moved to offensive tackle as a red-shirt freshman and ended up starting 37 games from 2015-17 and was first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference as a senior. A second-round 2018 draft choice, O’Neill has been the Vikings’ starting right tackle ever since.
Luke Petitgout, Sussex Central
Petitgout parlayed his stellar career with the Golden Knights into a scholarship to Notre Dame, where he started his last two years at offensive tackle. Chosen 19th overall by the Giants in the 1999 NFL Draft, Petitgout played in 117 NFL games with 110 starts over eight years with New York and another with Tampa Bay.
Darnell Savage, Caravel
Savage bounced back from a broken leg that cost him most of his junior season to rush for 1,298 yards and 13 touchdowns and make 54 tackles as a Caravel senior. He then started every game in the Maryland secondary from the season finale of his freshman year through his senior season, intercepting eight passes and making 182 tackles. He was then a first-round pick, 21st overall, in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. Savage has played in 97 NFL games with 83 starts in seven seasons, the first five with the Packers, and intercepted 10 passes.
Steve Watson, Saint Mark’s
Watson was a first-team All-State wide receiver for the Spartans’ 12-0 1974 state championship team. He then starred at Temple, catching 98 passes for a then-school-record 1,629 yards from 1975-78. The free-agent signee then had a prolific pro career with the Denver Broncos, making the Pro Bowl after the 1981 season, when his 13 touchdown catches led the NFL, and winning the Super Bowl after the 1987 season. Watson’s 353 career catches netted 6,112 yards and 36 touchdowns.
Randy White, McKean
White was just a second-team All-State running back at McKean High, though he also excelled on defense for the Highlanders. He then became a College Football Hall of Famer at Maryland and a Pro Football Hall of Famer with the Dallas Cowboys. The defensive end won the Outland Trophy as college football’s top lineman in 1974. Drafted second overall by Dallas, he was a 9-time Pro Bowl pick in 14 NFL seasons, getting 111 sacks in 209 games. White was MVP of the Cowboys’ Super Bowl XII win.
USA TODAY 250 for 250: Who do you think is the best of the best?
Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
Watch highlights from MOT Charter School’s Senior Prom
MOT Charter School students arrive at their senior prom and make their best entrances at Deerfield Golf Club on April 1, 2026.
Delaware Online/The News Journal has launched a new Prom of the Week contest, and we need your help choosing which prom stands out above the rest.
For years, Delaware Online has covered prom celebrations across the First State. Now, readers can vote each week for their favorite prom from those we feature.
Voting runs from Sunday through 5 p.m. Thursday.
Videographer Joseph Johnson will produce a special video feature highlighting each week’s winning prom.
Here are this week’s contenders for Prom of the Week.
So rally your school, win the spotlight, and let your night shine.
Delaware
Delaware State Police Announces 2025 Trooper and Professional Staff of the Year – Delaware State Police – State of Delaware
Date Posted: Saturday, April 25th, 2026
The Delaware State Police announced the recipients of the 2025 Trooper of the Year and Professional Staff of the Year Awards during a ceremony on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. To highlight the importance of the event, notable attendees included Governor Matt Meyer, Chief Deputy Attorney General Dan Logan, Department of Safety and Homeland Security Secretary Joshua Bushweller, Colonel William D. Crotty, and Sergeant Shawn Doherty, President of the Delaware State Troopers Association, who all offered congratulatory remarks.
Trooper of the Year
The Delaware State Police Trooper of the Year is awarded annually to one sworn employee who is recognized by their peers as having outstanding character and integrity and whose actions or performance significantly exceeded expectations during that calendar year.
From the twelve nominees, Colonel Crotty and the Executive Staff selected Corporal Robert Prettyman as the 2025 Trooper of the Year for his exceptional efforts and contributions to the Division and the citizens of the State of Delaware.
Trooper of the Year Nominees
Trooper First Class Colin Osler – Troop 1
Detective Justin Adams – Troop 2 Criminal Investigations Unit
Trooper First Class Jonathan Lado – Troop 2 Patrol
Detective Brandon Yencer – Troop 3 Criminal Investigations Unit
Trooper First Class Jacob Pangle – Troop 3 Patrol
Detective Heidi Lingo – Troop 4 Criminal Investigations Unit
Trooper First Class Brian Nieto – Troop 4 Patrol
Corporal Robert Prettyman – Troop 5
Corporal/1 Matthew “Ty” Snook – Troop 6
Corporal/1 Ryan Nowakowski – Troop 7
Corporal Emanuel Velez – Troop 9
Detective Michael Macauley – Headquarters
Professional Staff of the Year
The Delaware State Police Professional Staff of the Year is awarded annually to one employee whose service with the Delaware State Police has been outstanding throughout the course of that calendar year.
From the eleven nominees, Colonel Crotty and the Executive Staff selected Revered Jeffrey A. Miller, Sr. as the 2025 Professional Staff of the Year. Reverend Miller is assigned to Troop 2 and also serves as a Chaplain for the division.
Professional Staff of the Year Nominees
Ms. Mayra Cruz-Chavez – Victim Services
Ms. Ashleigh Haines – State Bureau of Identification
Ms. Sonia Jonas – Troop 3
Mr. Barry Laise – KENTCOM
Ms. Kerry-Gene Lussier – Information Technology
Reverend Jeffrey A. Miller, Sr. – Troop 2
Ms. Heather Neeld – RECOM
Ms. Donna Newth-Showell – Troop 6
Mr. Schyler Outten – SUSCOM
Ms. Nicole Sund – Delaware Information Analysis Center
Mr. Robert Zurlo – Troop 5 Transportation
Additionally, Troopers, Professional Staff, and non-divisional members received several awards for Life Saving, Exceptional Performance, the Superintendent’s Citation, and Valor.
Congratulations to all award nominees and the recipients. Please enjoy the award ceremony highlight video below.
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