Manuel Ramirez, a 41-year-old Hispanic/Latino male, was shot in the head while sitting in his favorite backyard chair at the New Castle Mobile Home Park just south of Wilmington on the evening of Tuesday, April 22, 2014. First responders arrived around 7:09 p.m. to the 3100 block of New Castle Avenue and found him on the ground; he was pronounced dead at the scene according to county cold-case materials, while contemporaneous reporting noted he died the next day at the hospital.
His family had been outside near their home moments before they heard a single gunshot.
The case quickly drew public appeals for information. Detectives said they had no named suspects at the time but released a composite sketch and a description of a man seen near the fence line shortly before the shooting: a Black male, about 30 years old, average build, bald or with very short hair, wearing a blue or green shirt. Authorities urged witnesses to come forward with tips to help identify the shooter.
Ramirez worked in landscaping and was described by his family as a quiet, hardworking father of three. An obituary published days later confirmed his identity as Manuel DeJesus Ramirez, age 41, of New Castle, and recorded his date of death as Wednesday, April 23, 2014. Despite the public appeals and the sketch release, no arrests have been reported in connection with his killing, which remains an open investigation with New Castle County Police.
