Delaware State Police

Superintendent Colonel William D. Crotty

State Police Detectives Arrest Wilmington Woman for 2023 Homicide

Date Posted: Friday, January 9th, 2026

The Delaware State Police have arrested 46-year-old Krista Rule of Wilmington, Delaware, for murder following a 2023 homicide in Dover.

On June 25, 2023, troopers responded to Case Ridge Road in Wolf Creek in Dover for a report that 72-year-old Denise Wood was found dead inside of her bedroom. The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit assumed the investigation and found that Wood had been stabbed to death. Through the course of the investigation, detectives ultimately identified the victim’s daughter, Krista Rule, as the suspect.

On January 6, 2026, after a thorough and detailed investigation by the DSP Homicide Unit, Rule was indicted by a Kent County Grand Jury for the murder of her mother.

On January 7, 2026, Rule was arrested and taken to Troop 2, where she was charged with the crimes listed below, arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2, and committed to Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution on a $2,100,000 cash bond.

Murder 1^st Degree (Felony)
Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)

If you or someone you know is a victim or witness of a crime or have lost a loved one to a sudden death and need assistance, the Delaware State Police Victim Services Unit / Delaware Victim Center is available to offer you support and resources 24 hours a day through a toll-free hotline at 1-800-VICTIM-1 (1-800-842-8461). You may also email the Victim Services Unit at DSP_VictimServicesMail@delaware.gov.