Delaware State Police have taken into custody a 24-year-old New Castle resident in connection with a deadly incident that occurred at Christiana Hospital last November.
Shawn Wootson now faces murder and attempted rape charges related to the death of 42-year-old Amie Bradley from North Carolina. The victim was discovered unresponsive near a retention pond on the hospital grounds at 4755 Ogletown Stanton Road in Newark on November 23, 2024, around 8:30 p.m.
Emergency responders immediately began lifesaving measures when troopers arrived at the scene. Bradley was rushed to the medical facility by ambulance but succumbed to her injuries.
The circumstances surrounding Bradley’s death prompted investigators from the Delaware State Police Criminal Investigations Unit and Homicide Unit to launch a comprehensive probe. Their investigation revealed evidence suggesting Wootson had strangled the victim and attempted sexual assault.
Wootson became a suspect but managed to leave Delaware soon after the incident occurred, making it difficult for law enforcement to locate him for months.
A New Castle County Grand Jury reviewed the case findings on March 16, 2026, and issued an indictment against Wootson for Bradley’s killing. The following day, detectives working alongside the DSP Special Operations Response Team successfully arrested Wootson and brought him to Troop 2 headquarters.
During questioning at the police facility, Wootson made a dramatic escape attempt while taking a break from his interview. He managed to access the ceiling tiles in the interview room but was quickly recaptured after officers deployed a taser. The incident prompted authorities to surround the building with additional law enforcement as a safety measure. Police say additional charges related to the escape attempt are forthcoming.
Following his arraignment at Justice of the Peace Court 2, Wootson was ordered held at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution under a $2,060,000 cash bond. He faces two counts of Murder in the First Degree and one count of Attempted Rape in the Second Degree.
