New Castle, DE – A New Castle man is now facing multiple felony charges in connection to a 2024 death investigation in Newark that authorities say escalated into a homicide case.
According to Delaware State Police, troopers responded around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 23, 2024, to a retention pond near Christiana Hospital along Ogletown Stanton Road, where 42-year-old Amie Bradley of North Carolina was found unresponsive. First responders reportedly began life-saving measures before Bradley was transported to a nearby hospital, where she later died.
Investigators with the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit launched an extensive inquiry, treating the case as suspicious. Authorities allege that through evidence and investigative efforts, 24-year-old Shawn Wootson was identified as a person of interest. Detectives allege Wootson strangled Bradley and attempted to sexually assault her before allegedly fleeing out of state shortly after the incident.
Police said findings were presented to a New Castle County Grand Jury, which indicted Wootson on Monday. He was taken into custody on Tuesday with assistance from the agency’s Special Operations Response Team.
During processing at Troop 2, authorities allege Wootson attempted to escape while confined in an interview room by accessing the ceiling. He was quickly apprehended after a taser deployment, and officials said additional charges related to the alleged escape attempt are pending.
Wootson has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree attempted rape. He was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court 2 and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $2,060,000 cash bond.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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