On the evening of July 3, 2011, 22-year-old male Braheem Curtis—an African-American youth from Wilmington, Delaware—was among a small group gathered at the corner of Ninth and Kirkwood Streets. As fireworks crackled nearby in celebration of the approaching July 4th holiday, the mood shifted suddenly when 22-year-old male Sirron Benson, who lived in the neighborhood, confronted Curtis about the fireworks.
In the heat of the moment, Benson warned Curtis to stop—or that he would “get his gun.” Benson, wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt, walked away, only to return moments later, arm raised, and opened fire. Curtis fell to the ground as the first shot struck his chest. Then, while Curtis lay motionless, the young man returned and shot him again, in a chilling flash of violence. Multiple eyewitnesses—Donnie Stephens, Barbara Stephens, Shirl Williams, and Shelly Cannon, all familiar with Benson—recounted these events clearly to investigators. The bullet that struck Curtis proved fatal; he was rushed to Christiana Hospital but succumbed to a gunshot wound to the thoracic aorta. A second bullet was recovered during autopsy. Evidence would reveal that Curtis died of exsanguination from the wound to that vital artery.
Meanwhile, neighbors sprang into action: a resident of Lombard Street, witnessing a man in blue jeans and the same white T-shirt sprint past her home, observed him toss what appeared to be a black gun up onto her roof. She alerted police, prompting Sergeant Hauk of the Wilmington Police Department to retrieve a. 45-caliber Ruger Blackhawk revolver from that rooftop. Forensic examination determined that the projectiles recovered from Curtis were compatible with being fired from that type of weapon—though the bullets were too damaged to establish a definitive match. DNA analysis on the recovered revolver revealed a mixture containing Defendant’s profile among at least three others.
Authorities acted quickly. Benson was arrested in Dover on August 16, 2011, by the U.S. Marshals Service. He was formally charged with intentional First-Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. His case proceeded to trial in April 2013, where the State marshaled powerful testimony. Neighbors recounted the shooting; investigators, EMS personnel, and forensic experts contributed crucial evidence. A former jail cellmate, David Lawhorn—who had pleaded guilty to multiple burglaries—testified that Benson had confessed while incarcerated, stating that he shot Curtis, discarded the weapon on the rooftop, and fled to Dover. Though Lawhorn had an incentive in exchange for his testimony, the jury heard his admissions and weighed them alongside the other evidence.
Defendant’s attorneys argued that the evidence fell short of proving intent necessary for First-Degree Murder. They emphasized Benson’s youth, impulsive behavior, and the inconclusive physical evidence—arguing that if any homicide charge applied, it should be reduced to Second-Degree Murder, Manslaughter, or even Criminally Negligent Homicide. The State responded with a pointed rebuttal, contending that the size of the weapon and ammunition, and the nature of the shooting—particularly the second shot fired at Curtis while he was on the ground—were compelling indicators of intent to kill.
After the six-day trial, the jury deliberated for approximately two and a half hours before returning verdicts of guilty on both First-Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. The Superior Court sentenced Sirron Benson to life imprisonment for murder, plus a consecutive twenty years at Level V for the firearm offense. Benson appealed, raising procedural arguments regarding jury instructions and prosecutor’s closing statements. The Delaware Supreme Court rejected his claims, affirming the verdict, evidence admitted, and the sentence.
