The 302 Daily Record — Thursday, October 29, 2026
THE DAY IN THE 302
Thursday was a full day across the 302 and the country around it. Delaware voters pushed early voting past 100,000 ballots. Wilmington police announced arrests in two shootings, one of them a New Year’s Eve killing from last year. Dover dealt with shots fired on River Road, where a 10-year-old girl was inside the home that was hit. Smyrna learned it is getting three new red-light cameras. Bridgeville woke up to a home invasion investigation, New Castle mourned a fatal crash, and Cecil County, Maryland carried the day’s heaviest news twice over — a federal indictment, and a 13-year-old girl killed in a hit-and-run on her way to school. Delaware will get nearly $4.73 million from a $220 million General Motors settlement, a woman found dead on Broadkill Beach in September was identified, five people were located after a stolen car crashed into a Bensalem 7-Eleven, Philadelphia charged two men over hundreds of dumped tires, and the day closed on a lighter note — a Tasmanian tiger head named Trevor, found under a bed in London. The Still Missing 302 roster held at 15, with no changes. Here is the full record.
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DELAWARE EARLY VOTING PASSES 100,000 BALLOTS
Delaware early voting has blown past 100,000 ballots.
The Department of Elections’ Votes Cast Report, updated Wednesday, October 28 at 3:04 p.m., puts the total at 104,746 ballots cast: 87,427 cast early in person and 17,319 by absentee. Sussex County leads the state with 50,078, followed by New Castle County with 38,796 and Kent County with 15,872.
That is up from 92,300 in Tuesday’s report — more than 12,000 additional ballots in a day.
Early voting runs through Sunday, November 1, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
One update since our post: by the Department’s next report, updated Thursday, October 29 at 3:05 p.m. and verified on elections.delaware.gov that afternoon, the total had climbed again to 116,273 — 98,349 early in person and 17,924 absentee — with Sussex County at 54,875, New Castle County at 43,814, and Kent County at 17,584. That newer tally had not been posted to the page when this edition was built; the numbers move daily, and the report on elections.delaware.gov is the source of record.
Source: Delaware Department of Elections, Votes Cast Report, October 28 and October 29, 2026.
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WILMINGTON — ARREST IN THE NEW YEAR’S EVE KILLING OF MARCUS FOSTER
Wilmington Police have arrested an 18-year-old in a New Year’s Eve shooting that killed a 40-year-old man.
On December 31, 2025, at 7:52 p.m., officers found Marcus Foster, 40, shot in the 600 block of West 6th Street. He died at the hospital. A short time later, Chester, Pennsylvania police detained an 18-year-old from the suspect vehicle after a crash there and recovered a .45 caliber handgun.
Detective Joseph Wicks obtained warrants in January. A grand jury indicted the suspect in February. He was extradited from Chester on October 23, 2026.
The charges are: two counts of first-degree murder, including felony murder; possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony (two counts); first-degree robbery; carrying a concealed deadly weapon; and leaving the scene of an accident.
He is being held at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $1,311,000 cash-only bail. The police release did not name him. All charges are allegations.
Source: Wilmington Police Department, October 28, 2026.
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WILMINGTON — ARREST IN THE OCTOBER 10 SOUTH FRANKLIN STREET SHOOTING
Wilmington Police have arrested a 26-year-old man in connection with an October 10 shooting that sent a 30-year-old man to the hospital.
Officers responded about 6:25 p.m. on October 10 to the 100 block of South Franklin Street and found the victim, who arrived at the hospital in stable condition, police say. Detective Ryan Kilmon identified a suspect and obtained a warrant.
On October 27, officers executed a search warrant in the 800 block of North Shipley Street and took the man into custody without incident.
He is charged with first-degree assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a person prohibited, carrying a concealed deadly weapon, and wearing a disguise during the commission of a felony.
He was committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $200,000 cash-only bail. The police release did not name him. All charges are allegations.
Source: Wilmington Police Department, October 28, 2026.
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DOVER — SHOTS FIRED ON RIVER ROAD HIT A HOME AND A PARKED CAR
Shots fired on River Road in Dover on Tuesday afternoon hit a home and a parked car — and a 10-year-old girl was inside the house at the time.
Dover Police say that around 4:22 p.m. Tuesday, October 27, shots were fired from the area of River Road and Sussex Avenue, in the 500 block of River Road. A second-story window of a nearby home and a parked, unoccupied vehicle were struck. The 10-year-old girl inside the home was not hurt, and no injuries were reported. Officers recovered multiple shell casings at the scene.
Police describe the suspects only as three Black males, all wearing dark clothing. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to call Dover Police at (302) 736-7111.
Source: Dover Police Department, October 28, 2026.
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THREE NEW RED-LIGHT CAMERAS COMING TO SMYRNA
The Delaware Department of Transportation is adding 15 red-light cameras across Delaware — and three of them are in Smyrna, all on Route 13:
• U.S. 13 at Duck Creek Road and the Route 1 ramps, by the rest area
• U.S. 13 at the Route 1 ramps at Simon’s Corner, by Wawa
• U.S. 13 at South Carter Road, across from Del-One Federal Credit Union
With the additions, the statewide program grows to 60 cameras: 42 in New Castle County, 11 in Kent County, and 7 in Sussex County. The three Smyrna locations appear in DelDOT’s official Electronic Red Light Safety Program report as intersections enforced by Smyrna Police, and the sites were corroborated by Town of Smyrna Ordinance 004-26, adopted in council minutes on April 20, 2026.
Smyrna Police Detective Brent Raughley said the spots were picked from DelDOT crash data, and that Route 13 through Smyrna ranks among the worst roads in the state for collisions. The announcement came in a DelDOT release from Secretary Shanté Hastings, reported by Delaware Online on October 29.
The tickets are civil — no points on your license and no hit to your insurance — and each camera takes two photos of a violation. No activation date was stated in the sources; the cameras are coming, but they are not described as live yet.
Sources: Delaware Department of Transportation / DelDOT Electronic Red Light Safety Program Report; Delaware Online, October 29, 2026.
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BRIDGEVILLE — STATE POLICE INVESTIGATING A HOME INVASION ROBBERY
Delaware State Police are investigating a home invasion robbery in Bridgeville, and detectives are asking for the public’s help.
State Police say that around 9 p.m. Tuesday, October 27, troopers responded to a home on the 21000 block of Mill Park Drive. When the resident answered a knock at the door, two masked suspects forced their way in, assaulted the man, stole property, and fled.
The victim was taken to an area hospital for his injuries. A second man inside the home was not injured.
Police describe the suspects only as two Black males wearing masks. No arrests have been made.
The Troop 4 Criminal Investigations Unit is investigating. Anyone who saw anything, or has information, is asked to contact Detective M. Marino at (302) 752-3897, send a private Facebook message to the Delaware State Police, or call Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.
Source: Delaware State Police, October 29, 2026.
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NEW CASTLE — A 30-YEAR-OLD WILMINGTON WOMAN DIES IN A WEST BASIN ROAD CRASH
A 30-year-old Wilmington woman has died after a two-vehicle crash Wednesday morning in New Castle, and State Police want witnesses to come forward.
Delaware State Police say that around 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, October 28, a Hyundai Elantra was southbound on West Basin Road, in the left-turn lane at Washington Avenue, while a Chevrolet Tahoe was northbound in the right lane. Both vehicles entered the intersection at the same time. The Tahoe’s front struck the Hyundai’s passenger side, sending the Hyundai into a traffic signal pole.
The Hyundai’s driver was taken to a hospital, where she died. Her name is being withheld until her family is notified. The Tahoe’s driver, a 21-year-old New Castle man, had non-life-threatening injuries. The road was closed about four hours.
The Troop 2 Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating. Witnesses, or anyone with video, can contact Master Corporal R. Kunicki at (302) 365-8417 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333.
Our condolences to her family.
Source: Delaware State Police, October 29, 2026.
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CECIL COUNTY — FEDERAL INDICTMENT ON CH**D EX******TION CHARGES
A federal grand jury has indicted two Cecil County residents on ch**d ex******tion charges, federal prosecutors announced October 27.
Donald Samuel Haubrick, 48, of Elkton, is charged with advertising, distributing, receiving, and possessing illegal images of ch****en. Breann Michele Lively, 26, of North East, is charged with producing and distributing them.
Prosecutors allege that from March 2024 to May 2026, Lively produced images of a ch**d victim and sent them to Haubrick at his request, in an online relationship, and that Haubrick also shared material with others online.
The penalties, if convicted, are heavier than the short post could carry. Haubrick faces 15 to 30 years on the advertising count, 5 to 20 years on receipt and distribution, and up to 20 years on possession. Lively faces 15 to 30 years on production and 5 to 20 years on distribution.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, with FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Cecil County State’s Attorney James Dellmeyer, and Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Michael A. Jackson. The case is a Project Safe Childhood case, investigated by the FBI, the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office, and Maryland State Police, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn. The release does not state a custody or arrest status, and we do not claim one.
An indictment is only a charge — both are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland, October 27, 2026.
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CECIL COUNTY — A 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL WALKING TO SCHOOL IS KILLED IN A HIT-AND-RUN
A 13-year-old girl walking to school was killed in a hit-and-run Thursday morning in Cecil County, and Maryland State Police say the driver was detained about 30 minutes later.
State Police say shortly before 7 a.m. Thursday, October 29, troopers from the North East Barrack responded to Maryland Route 272 (North East Road) at Rogers Road in Elkton for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle that had fled the scene. The victim, a 13-year-old girl from North East, was taken to a local hospital and pronounced deceased. Police believe she was walking to school.
The preliminary investigation found that a 2011 Mini Cooper traveling northbound on Route 272 toward the Rogers Road traffic light struck the pedestrian after she entered the roadway. About 30 minutes later, police located the 2011 Mini Cooper and its driver at a nearby business complex. The driver was detained; charges are pending the investigation and consultation with the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration assisted, and Route 272 was closed between U.S. 40 (Pulaski Highway) and Lums Road in North East for about three hours. The Maryland State Police Crash Team is investigating.
Anyone with information can call the North East Barrack at 410-996-7800. Callers may remain confidential.
Our condolences to her family.
Source: Maryland State Police, October 29, 2026.
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BENSALEM — STOLEN CAR CRASHES INTO A 7-ELEVEN; ALL FIVE OCCUPANTS LOCATED
A car reported stolen out of Philadelphia crashed into a 7-Eleven in Bensalem Thursday afternoon — and police say all five people who were in it have been located.
Bensalem Township Police say that around 3 p.m. Thursday, October 29, officers tried to stop the car in the 1600 block of Street Road. The driver struck a police vehicle and another, unrelated vehicle, fled at high speed, lost control, and crashed into the 7-Eleven at Street Road and Brookwood Drive, 1644 Street Road, in Bucks County.
Three of the five occupants ran after the crash. Patrol officers and detectives, assisted by multiple drones, located all five. No injuries were reported.
Police have released no charges or identities. The investigation is active, and the public was asked to avoid the area.
Tips: Bensalem Township Police at (215) 633-3719, or the department’s Crimewatch page.
Sources: Bensalem Township Police via FOX 29, CBS News Philadelphia, NBC10, and 6abc, October 29, 2026.
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DELAWARE GETS $4,726,779 FROM A $220 MILLION GENERAL MOTORS SETTLEMENT
Delaware is getting $4,726,779 from General Motors — part of a $220 million settlement over driver data GM sold behind customers’ backs.
Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Thursday, October 29, that GM will pay $220 million to settle allegations it illegally sold consumers’ private driving and location data. From 2016 through 2024, GM enrolled millions of buyers in its OnStar Smart Driver program, tracked their driving and location, and sold the data to brokers — who resold it to insurance companies that used it in setting rates. GM had told drivers it would not share their data with insurers without express consent.
Jennings helped lead a coalition of 36 attorneys general, serving on its executive committee. The settlement also requires GM to obtain express consent before collecting or disclosing driving and location data, and it adds oversight and training requirements for dealerships.
Source: Delaware Department of Justice, October 29, 2026.
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BROADKILL BEACH — WOMAN FOUND DEAD IN SEPTEMBER IS IDENTIFIED
The woman found dead on Broadkill Beach in September has been identified.
Delaware State Police have identified her as Christine Back, 61, of Villas, New Jersey. Her body was found on September 19 on the beach in the 2500 block of South Bay Shore Drive, near Milton.
Back had been reported missing to police in Lower Township, New Jersey, in September. Officers checked her home on September 14 and were unable to reach her, and her belongings were later recovered on a Cape May beach near the water.
State Police told Delaware Online on October 29 that her death does not appear to be suspicious.
Our condolences to her family.
Sources: Delaware State Police via Delaware Online, October 29, 2026.
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PHILADELPHIA — TWO MEN CHARGED AFTER HUNDREDS OF TIRES ARE DUMPED AT A SEPTA STATION
Two men are charged after police say they were caught dumping hundreds of tires out of a U-Haul box truck at SEPTA’s North Philadelphia station late Monday night.
Officers went to the station lot on the 1400 block of West Indiana Avenue about 11:48 p.m. Monday, October 26, after a report of illegal dumping, and found an estimated 200 to 350 tires unloaded on the property.
Police identified the men as Charles Arttaway, 52, of Philadelphia, and Paul Gamble, of Darby. Both are charged with criminal mischief, criminal conspiracy, and scattering rubbish.
Arttaway told NBC10 he was offered $40 at a gas station to help unload the truck and did not believe he was doing anything wrong. Police say the lot is a long-standing dumping spot — the department’s Neighborhood Services Unit has handled nine tire-and-box-truck cases there in about six weeks.
Sources: NBC10, 6abc, and FOX 29, October 28, 2026.
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ODD NEWS — TREVOR, THE TASMANIAN TIGER UNDER THE BED
The Tasmanian tiger has been extinct since 1936. Nobody expected one to turn up under a bed in London.
A family there had a taxidermied thylacine head — nicknamed “Trevor” — stashed under a bed for years. They only realized what it was after a nearly identical head sold at a UK auction in August for £62,600, about $85,000, according to Auctioneum.
The auction house says X-rays show the original skull still intact inside the mount, and Dr. Stephen Sleightholme of the International Thylacine Specimen Database has authenticated it. It is only the third documented preserved thylacine head in the world.
Trevor goes under the hammer November 26, estimated at £30,000 to £50,000.
Check under your beds, Delaware. You never know.
Source: Auctioneum, reported October 29, 2026.
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STILL MISSING 302
The roster held Thursday. The Delaware State Police Missing Children page was re-checked in Thursday’s scans: no additions and no removals. Fifteen people are still missing. Day counts count the day the person vanished as Day 1. We’re the megaphone, not the tip line — sightings go to the police number listed for each case.
• ADRIANA PABLO, 16 — Laurel, DE — Day 14 — missing since October 16, last seen on Daniel Street. Tips: Delaware State Police Troop 5, 302-337-1090.
• MAKHYI WATSON, 15 — Salisbury, MD — Day 47 — missing since September 13, Onley Road. Tips: Salisbury Police Department, 410-548-3113.
• MILAN HOBBS, 14 — Newark, DE — Day 8 — missing since October 22. Tips: New Castle County PD, (302) 573-2800. (Whisper case — listed by police, no alert issued.)
• JAYCE BRIDDELL, 15 — Dover, DE — Day 15 — missing since October 15. Tips: Dover Police Department, 302-736-7111. (Whisper case — listed by police, no alert issued.)
• ROBERT PARDUCCI, 72 — Georgetown, DE — Day 5 — missing since October 25, Simpler Branch Road. Gold Alert issued by Delaware State Police. Tips: Delaware State Police Troop 4, (302) 856-5850.
• KYLE TORRANCE, 13 — Wilmington, DE — Day 115 — missing since July 7. Tips: New Castle County PD, (302) 573-2800. (Whisper case — listed by police, no alert issued.)
• JACHAELA CARROLL, 15 — Wilmington, DE — Day 211 — missing since April 2. Tips: Wilmington Police Department, 302-654-5151. (Whisper case — listed by police, no alert issued.)
• SINCERE TURNER, 17 — Wilmington, DE — Day 432 — missing since August 24, 2025. Tips: Wilmington Police Department, 302-654-5151. (Whisper case — listed by police, no alert issued.)
• NYASHA DORSEY, 13 — Wilmington, DE — Day 446 — missing since August 10, 2025. Tips: Wilmington Police Department, 302-654-5151. (Whisper case — listed by police, no alert issued.)
• BERNARD WHITE, 15 — Newark, DE — Day 466 — missing since July 21, 2025. Tips: New Castle County PD, (302) 573-2800. (Whisper case — listed by police, no alert issued.)
• NATHAN STEVENS, 13 — Wilmington, DE — Day 467 — missing since July 20, 2025. Tips: Wilmington Police Department, 302-654-5151. (Whisper case — listed by police, no alert issued.)
• KIYAEJA BLUNTSON, 11 — Wilmington, DE — Day 511 — missing since June 6, 2025. Tips: Wilmington Police Department, 302-654-5151. (Whisper case — listed by police, no alert issued.)
• RACHEL CHASE, 16 — New Castle, DE — Day 5 — missing since October 25. Tips: New Castle County PD, (302) 573-2800. (Whisper case — listed by police, no alert issued.)
• MELEAH FULTON, 16 — Wilmington, DE — Day 3 — missing since October 27. Tips: Wilmington Police Department, 302-654-5151. (Whisper case — listed by police, no alert issued.)
• KORTNEY DOLLARD, 35 — Bear, DE — Day 3 — missing since October 27, last seen leaving a family member’s home on Cymbal Court, Newark, in a dark green Honda Pilot, Delaware plate PC562527. Gold Alert issued by New Castle County PD. Tips: New Castle County PD, (302) 573-2800, or 911.
Cleared from the board, and not forgotten: Chanel McNeil, 17, of Wilmington, and William Skinner, 45, of Wilmington — both located October 21, their Gold Alerts cancelled.
A share is the whole job on this one.
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That’s the record for Thursday, October 29, 2026. The full stories, as they ran, are on the Team Murphy Media 302 page, and this Record will be back tomorrow night with the next day’s.
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