A 29-year-old New Castle County man has been found guilty in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred in August 2024.
On October 16, 2025, a Superior Court jury convicted Michael R. Toombs of Claymont on multiple charges, including Murder First Degree, Felony Murder First Degree, Robbery First Degree, and Drug Dealing. Toombs was also convicted on four counts of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. The verdict followed a joint investigation by the New Castle County Police Department and the Delaware Department of Justice.
According to investigators, on the morning of August 23, 2024, 35-year-old Devontre Taylor arranged by phone to meet Toombs at a Claymont apartment complex for a drug transaction. The two met around 10:20 a.m., and moments later, Toombs fatally shot Taylor before fleeing to his nearby apartment. Police arrested Toombs later that day, recovering the handgun used in the murder, hundreds of bags of fentanyl, and Taylor’s phone during a search of the residence.
Attorney General Kathy Jennings commended the collaborative work between law enforcement and prosecutors, stating, “The defendant made a living – if you can call it that – by spreading misery and death. Not content just to commit murder with his own hands, he also hurt countless more in our state by dealing fentanyl. We are all fortunate as Delawareans that, through their vigilant work, the New Castle County Police Department and our Department of Justice trial team have ensured that he will spend the rest of his days unable to offend again.”
Colonel James J. Leonard, III of the New Castle County Police Department added, “We commend the diligent efforts of our officers, investigators, and the Delaware Department of Justice whose hard work and dedication helped bring justice to the victim and their family.”
Toombs was previously acquitted in 2022 shooting death of rideshare driver, Roger Williams, in Wilmington.
Sentencing for Toombs is tentatively scheduled for January 2026. An additional charge of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited was severed from the trial and will be addressed at sentencing.
