Jermaine M. Snead, a 35-year-old Black/African American male, died suddenly on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, after a shooting in Dover, Delaware. In the early morning darkness, Dover police were called at about 1:33 a.m. to the area of West North Street and Simon Circle for a report that someone had been shot. When officers arrived, they found Snead suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso.
He was rushed to Kent General Hospital, but the effort to save him did not succeed.
Police initially withheld the victim's name while they worked to notify his family. His death became Dover's second homicide of 2021, turning a quiet stretch near Simon Circle into the center of a murder investigation.
Detectives moved quickly. During the investigation, authorities identified Nyasia Smith, 20, of Felton, Delaware, as a suspect. Police obtained an arrest warrant for her, and later that same day, at about 6:38 p.m., she was taken into custody during a traffic stop in the Felton area. When she was arrested, police said she had a loaded 9mm handgun, approximately 41.7 grams of marijuana, and a digital scale.
Smith was committed to Baylor Women's Correctional Center on a $1,150,000 cash bond. She was charged in connection with Snead's killing with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Police also filed additional charges tied to the items allegedly found during the traffic stop, including another count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a person prohibited, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.
Online reports available about the case describe the arrest and charges against Smith, but they did not provide a later publicly located outcome such as a trial verdict, plea, sentencing, or conviction.
