New Castle County Courthouse
A Townsend man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of four family members.
On August 18, Donald Grier Jr., 41, was sentenced to life plus 25 years in prison in New Castle County Superior Court after pleading Guilty But Mentally Ill to one count of Murder 1st Degree and one count of Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony.
The sentence follows an investigation into the fatal stabbing of Grier’s mother, father, sister, and nephew in 2021.
“This was an incredibly tragic and disturbing case,” said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. “Our thoughts, as always, are with the victims and with their surviving relatives who continue to suffer their loss. I am deeply grateful to our team and to the New Castle County Police for their excellent work in the investigation and prosecution and hope that the family can begin the path to healing.”
On December 3, 2021, News Castle County Police responded to Grier’s parents’ home at Camerton Townhouses in Townsend, Delaware after receiving multiple distress calls from neighbors who reported hearing screaming.
Grier’s father, Donald Grier Sr., was found suffering from multiple stab wounds outside the home’s front entry, while his mother, Alicia Grier, was found suffering from similar injuries inside.
Grier’s sister, Linda Santucci, and nephew, Michael Santucci, were found deceased inside the home.
Alicia Grier passed due to her injuries later that day, while Donald Grier Sr. succumbed to his injuries in the hospital several days later.
Grier was suffering from delusions about people being in danger and killed his family when he believed that they were going to prevent him from saving them or would not assist him.
This sentence was secured by Deputy Attorneys General Jamie McCloskey and Kristina Bensley with the assistance of Paralegals Stacey Coupe and Lisa Loikith, Social Worker Stacey Murphy, and Investigator Cliff Dempsey following an investigation led by Detective John Mancuso of the New Castle County Police Department.
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
Jarek can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz
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