New Castle County Police are expected to charge Donald Greir Jr. with a fourth count of murder after his father passed away this morning.
Grier was originally charged with three counts of felony Murder 1st degree, one count of Felony Attempted Murder 1st, and related charges after four people were brutally stabbed in a Townsend home earlier this month. Sources familiar with the case told FSU early this morning that Donald Grier, 68, who had been in Christiana Hospital since the Townsend incident, had succumbed to his injuries.
The incident began at approximately 4:00 p.m., on Friday, December 3, 2021, when patrol officers from the New Castle County Division of Police were dispatched to the 300 block of Camerton Lane in Townsend in reference to a report of an injured subject yelling for help.
When the officers arrived at the scene, they discovered a 68-year-old male on the front steps who had sustained multiple stab wounds to his upper body. The officers rendered First Aid while additional officers entered the residence to check on the occupants. Those officers located a second victim, a 61-year-old-female, inside of the residence, also suffering from multiple stab wounds. Two additional victims, 53-year-old Linda Santucci, and 19-year-old Michael Santucci were also located inside of the residence. These victims had also sustained severe injuries to their upper bodies and were found to be deceased, according to police.
First State Update obtained the video below that captures the end of the police pursuit involving Grier.
The Donald Grier Sr. and Alicia Grier were flown by helicopters to Christiana Hospitals. Alicia later succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.
While officers were securing the crime scene, information was obtained that the suspect had fled in the victim’s red pick-up truck and this information was broadcasted.
Assisting officers located the vehicle and suspect on Summit Bridge Road in the area of Bethel Church Road, at which time the officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the suspect failed to stop and a pursuit ensued. During the pursuit, the suspect identified as 40-year-old Donald Grier struck other vehicles including a police vehicle prior to the pursuit ending and him being taken into custody, according to police.
Grier, taken to a local area hospital for minor injuries, suffered in the crash was released from the hospital and transported to police headquarters where he was charged.
FSU has learned that Grier had a criminal record in Delaware, was on probation, and had outstanding warrants at the time of the incident He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in the New Castle County Court of Common Pleas on December 21, 2021,
NCCPD issues the following statement regarding Grier’s death:
Earlier today detectives from the New Castle County Division of Police were notified that a fourth victim has succumbed to injuries sustained during this incident. The additional victim, identified as Donald Grier, 68, was pronounced deceased at 12:02 a.m. at Christiana Medical Center. The other victims, Alicia Grier, 70, Michael Santucci, 19, and Linda Santucci, 53, all died on the night of the incident, December 3, 2021.”
[media-credit name=”Cellphone photo captures first responders at the scene in Townsend” align=”aligncenter” width=”800″]
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[media-credit name=”The pursuit and crash closed down Route 896 in the area of the C and D Canal while police investigated. (DelDOT)” align=”aligncenter” width=”707″]
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