On October 21, 2021, 55-year-old Cheryl Beckett-Brown, a female resident of Ocean View, Delaware, was tragically killed in her home in the Bethany Crest Development. Cheryl Beckett-Brown, who was African American, worked in information technology for Wicomico County public schools and was described by her son as a joyful and close companion. The shooting occurred in the early morning hours, around 4:21 a.m., and was heard by her son, Anthony Brown, who lived nearby.
Cheryl was inside the residence with a 53-year-old female roommate when the suspect arrived and began firing into the home.
Upon arrival, Delaware State Police found Cheryl Beckett-Brown deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. Witnesses at the scene provided a description of the suspect and his vehicle, which led to a swift response from law enforcement. Within ten minutes, a deputy from the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office in Maryland spotted the suspect's pickup truck driving erratically on US Route 50 near Tilghman Road. The deputy followed the vehicle to a residence in Hebron, Maryland, where the suspect was taken into custody without incident.
The suspect was identified as 38-year-old Jason R. Meredith of Hebron, Maryland. He was arrested on an out-of-state fugitive warrant and held at the Wicomico County Detention Center pending extradition to Delaware. Meredith faces multiple charges, including Murder in the Second Degree, two counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, and Reckless Endangering in the First Degree. Investigators recovered shell casings at the scene, though the exact type of firearm used had not been determined at the time. An autopsy was scheduled to confirm the precise cause and manner of Cheryl Beckett-Brown's death.
The incident shocked the quiet Bethany Crest neighborhood, where residents expressed disbelief over the violence. Many neighbors, including elderly residents, had never witnessed such a crime in the area. The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit continues to investigate the case, and authorities have encouraged anyone with information to come forward.
