Dover, DE – Delaware State Police have arrested a Wilmington woman in connection with a 2023 homicide that left a 72-year-old woman dead inside her Dover home, authorities confirmed Friday.
According to the Delaware State Police, troopers responded on June 25, 2023, to a residence on Case Ridge Road in the Wolf Creek area of Dover, Kent County, for a death investigation. Inside a bedroom, officers found Denise Wood, 72, deceased. An autopsy later determined Wood had died from stab wounds, and the case was ruled a homicide.
Investigators with the DSP Homicide Unit spent more than two years reviewing evidence, conducting interviews, and analyzing forensic findings. Through that investigation, detectives allegedly identified the victim’s daughter, Krista Rule, 46, of Wilmington, as the suspect.
On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, a Kent County grand jury indicted Rule on multiple felony charges. She was arrested the following day, Wednesday, January 7, and taken into custody without incident.
According to police, Rule was transported to Troop 2, where she was formally charged with:
- Murder 1st Degree (Felony)
- Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
Rule was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2 and committed to Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution on a $2.1 million cash bond, police said.
Authorities emphasized that the investigation remains active and that Rule is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Anyone affected by violent crime or seeking assistance is encouraged to contact the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit / Delaware Victim Center, available 24 hours a day at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461).
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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