In the early morning hours of Sunday, April 22, 2012, the body of Ronald Hardy, a 56-year-old Black male from New Castle, Delaware, was discovered in the northside parking lot of the Delaware Truck Plaza. A passerby stumbled upon the scene at approximately 9 a.m. and alerted the authorities.
Delaware State Police homicide detectives quickly took over the investigation.
The state's medical examiner officially ruled Hardy's death a homicide, though the specific cause of his death was not publicly released. Investigators began to piece together the events leading to his demise, turning their attention to his missing vehicle.
Hardy's truck, a tan 1992 Ford Ranger with Delaware license plate CL71413 and distinctive black steel wheels with small silver center caps, was nowhere to be found. Surveillance footage from the truck plaza indicated that the vehicle had been driven away from the location at around 10 p.m. the previous night. Police issued a public alert for the missing truck, hoping it would lead them to a suspect.
In the years following Ronald Hardy's death, there have been no publicly announced arrests or identification of any suspects in connection with his murder. The case has grown cold, leaving his family and community without answers or a sense of justice for his untimely death. The investigation into the homicide of the man remembered by some as a kind and caring spirit remains open.
