It was a brisk February morning with temperatures hovering in the 30s when New Castle County Police were called.
When officers arrived snow from a recent storm was still covering vehicles along Carlisle Road in the Brookside area of Newark. The officers responded after 6:00 am, following a report concerning a suspicious vehicle parked on the roadway.
As the officers approached the red sedan, free of snow, they made a grim discovery. Inside, they found 20-year-old Zyitae Britt and 19-year-old Elijah Covington, both dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
The incident, which occurred on February 12, 2021, has since remained an active investigation for the New Castle County Division of Police Cold Case Squad. Despite the passage of more than three years, authorities have not made any arrests in connection with the murders of Britt and Covington.
In the aftermath of the discovery, then Colonel Vaughn M. Bond, Jr., expressed his condolences and assured the public of the police department’s commitment to solving this “senseless crime.”
As the investigation continues, detectives have reached out to the community for assistance. Sgt. Mackie of the Criminal Investigations Unit has been actively soliciting information from the public that may lead to a breakthrough in the case. Mackie can be reached at (302) 395-8252, or via email at [email protected]