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Register entry · Case file · Homicide · Wilmington, Delaware

The Susan Ledyard Homicide.

A 50-year-old teacher left home in the night and was found dead in the Brandywine River hours later. Her death was ruled a homicide. Seven years on, her family is still asking for answers.

MUS-2026-0003

Archive card

MUS-2026-0003

Homicide

Open
Incident
July 23, 2019 (body recovered; date of death unknown)
Filed
Sep 30, 2026, by the collective
Agency
Delaware State Police
Location
Wilmington, Delaware

Chain of custody

@lantern opened

Lead agent

Checking the desk…

Public record. Open. Family desk active.

PUBLIC RECORD ONLY. Every claim in this file is cited to a public source. Names appear only as the public record names them. The family of anyone in this file can claim, correct, or pull it down through the family desk.

Summary

What happened, as the record shows.

Susan Morrissey Ledyard, 50, a Language Arts teacher at Academy Park High School in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, was found dead in the Brandywine River in Wilmington, Delaware, on the morning of July 23, 2019. Phone records show she was calling and texting friends until about 2:45 a.m.; her car left the driveway at 3:02 a.m., and Fitbit data confirmed she was alive until approximately 7:00 a.m. Her visibly injured body was recovered from the river at 7:39 a.m. The Delaware Division of Forensic Science ruled the cause of death blunt force trauma and drowning and the manner of death homicide in November 2019. No arrests have been made and police have named no suspects. In July 2026, Delaware State Police formally designated the case a Cold Case Homicide and renewed a $50,000 reward offered by the Morrissey family with Delaware Crime Stoppers. Her family has campaigned publicly for answers since 2019.

Key people

The people in the file.

VictimSusan Morrissey Ledyard

50, of Wilmington, Delaware. Language Arts teacher at Academy Park High School in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania for 13 years; previously taught at Skyline High School in Oakland, California and in the former Czechoslovakia. Her body was recovered from the Brandywine River on July 23, 2019.

Advocating familyThe Morrissey family

Susan’s parents Jack and Serena Morrissey and her sisters Meg Morrissey Heinicke and Missy Morrissey have publicly campaigned for answers since 2019, with flier drives, press events, and a standing $50,000 reward offered with Delaware Crime Stoppers. Their comfort with a public case file should be confirmed before any production move.

Investigating agency contactDetective Daniel Grassi

Delaware State Police detective listed as the case contact in DSP releases: 302-365-8441, daniel.grassi@delaware.gov. The current assignee should be confirmed before contact details are published.

Timeline

What the record establishes.

  1. July 23, 2019, about 2:45 a.m.

    Susan was active on her cell phone, calling and texting friends through the night, until about 2:45 a.m.

    CITED [2]
  2. July 23, 2019, 3:02 a.m.

    Susan’s black 2016 Honda Civic was seen leaving her driveway and was parked on Walkers Mill Road near the Rising Sun Lane Bridge, over the Brandywine River, about two minutes later. Investigators believe it was driven directly from her residence based on the elapsed time.

    CITED [3]
  3. July 23, 2019, 3:02 to 7:00 a.m.

    Susan’s whereabouts during this four-hour span remain unknown, and detectives have never determined why she left her home.

    CITED [4]
  4. July 23, 2019, about 7:00 a.m.

    Data from Susan’s Fitbit confirmed she was alive until approximately 7:00 a.m.

    CITED [5]
  5. July 23, 2019, 7:39 a.m.

    Susan Ledyard’s visibly injured body was recovered from the Brandywine River near Northeast Boulevard in Wilmington. At recovery she was 5’4“, 130 pounds, with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a purple tank top.

    CITED [6]
  6. July 23, 2019, 8:54 a.m.

    The 2016 Honda Civic was located parked on Walkers Mill Road near the Rising Sun Lane Bridge, about three miles upstream from where her body was recovered. Based on the timeline and the river’s course, detectives do not believe this is where she entered the river.

    CITED [7]
  7. August 2019

    The family planned a Celebration of Susan in August, with donations in her name to the ACLU of Delaware. Her obituary was published via The News Journal and Chandler Funeral Homes.

    CITED [8]
  8. September 18, 2019

    Delaware State Police held a press conference asking anyone who had seen Ledyard between 3 and 7 a.m. on July 23 to come forward. Detective Dan Grassi told reporters that phone records showed her active until 2:45 a.m., that she left home shortly after 3 a.m., and that area video captured her car but it was too dark to tell whether anyone got in or out. Grassi: “We haven’t determined if it’s a homicide or accident, so we’re just going where the investigation leads us.”

    CITED [9]
  9. October 2019

    Family and friends gathered at Brandywine Brewing Co. Tavern and Grill in Greenville to put up posters with Susan’s photo, planning to post 1,000 fliers along the river. Her sister Meg Morrissey Heinicke: “Who did this to her and why?”

    CITED [10]
  10. November 14, 2019

    The Delaware Division of Forensic Science announced its classification, 115 days after her body was found: cause of death blunt force trauma and drowning, manner of death homicide. DSP spokesman M. Cpl. Michael Austin said the ruling did not change the investigation, and that the Homicide Unit and Troop 2 Major Crimes Unit had been involved since the start.

    CITED [11]
  11. November 16, 2019

    The family met at The Market at Liberty Place in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, to ask anyone with information to contact state police and to hang flyers. Her father Jack Morrissey: “You’re devastated. Somebody out there killed her now. That’s a pretty tough thing to handle.”

    CITED [12]
  12. May 2020 (approximate)

    East Idaho News aired a segment in which Nate Eaton spoke with Susan’s sisters, Meg Morrissey Heinicke and Missy Morrissey, about the still-unsolved case. The original air date could not be pinned down precisely; May 2020 is approximate.

    CITED [13]
  13. July 23, 2020

    Delaware Online marked one year since her death (“Mystery surrounding Susan Ledyard’s death remains a year later”), and NBC News Dateline published a one-year piece on the family’s fight for answers.

    CITED [14] [15]
  14. July 21, 2021

    DSP renewed the public appeal. The Morrissey family, partnering with Delaware Crime Stoppers, kept the $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Contact was listed as Detective Daniel Grassi, 302-365-8441, daniel.grassi@delaware.gov, and Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.

    CITED [16]
  15. July 23, 2024

    DSP continued the homicide investigation, and the $50,000 family and Crime Stoppers reward remained in place. Detective Daniel Grassi was again listed as the contact.

    CITED [17]
  16. July 23, 2026

    The Homicide Unit’s seven-year release formally titled the case a “Cold Case Homicide” and renewed the $50,000 reward offered by the Morrissey family with Delaware Crime Stoppers. The family was quoted: “We miss Susan every day. We are desperate to get justice for her.” Tip channels listed: Detective Daniel Grassi, 302-365-8441, daniel.grassi@delaware.gov; private Facebook message to Delaware State Police; Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) 847-3333.

    CITED [18]
  17. Summer 2026 (approximate)

    A local television segment titled “7 years after Pennsylvania teacher’s death in Wilmington, family searches for answers” aired, noting the family had teamed with Delaware Crime Stoppers on the $50,000 reward.

    CITED [19]

Exhibits

The evidence locker.

Exhibit 01CorroboratedVictim identity and background. Susan Morrissey Ledyard, 50, of Wilmington, Delaware. Born in West Chester, Pennsylvania to Jack and Serena Morrissey. Wife of Benjamin Ledyard; stepdaughters Amory and Alexandra Ledyard; sisters Serena (Missy) Morrissey and Meg Morrissey Heinicke; brother John P. Morrissey Jr. She taught English in the former Czechoslovakia for a year, then at Skyline High School in Oakland, California, then Language Arts at Academy Park High School in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania for the last 13 years. Graduate of Upland Country Day School, The Tatnall School, Georgetown University, and San Francisco State University (M.A. in Education). Exhibit 02CorroboratedRecovery scene. Susan’s body was recovered at 7:39 a.m. on July 23, 2019 from the Brandywine River near Northeast Boulevard in Wilmington, with visible injuries. At recovery she was described as 5’4“, 130 pounds, with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a purple tank top. Exhibit 03CorroboratedCause and manner of death. Post-mortem examination by the Delaware Division of Forensic Science: cause of death blunt force trauma and drowning; manner of death ruled homicide. Announced November 14, 2019. Exhibit 04CorroboratedThe vehicle. Black 2016 Honda Civic, found July 23, 2019 at 8:54 a.m. parked on Walkers Mill Road near the Rising Sun Lane Bridge, about three miles upstream of the recovery point. Detectives do not believe she entered the river where the vehicle was parked, based on the timeline and the river’s course. Area cameras captured the car, but darkness prevented seeing whether anyone got in or out. Exhibit 05CorroboratedDigital timeline. Cell phone records show Susan calling and texting friends until about 2:45 a.m. Fitbit data confirmed she was alive until approximately 7:00 a.m. Surveillance video was reviewed, and investigators drew on assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies and civilian experts. Exhibit 06CorroboratedThe core unknown. Why she left home after 3 a.m., and where she was from 3:02 to 7:00 a.m., have never been publicly established. Detective Grassi said in 2019: “We haven’t determined why she left her residence.” Exhibit 07CorroboratedInvestigation status. Handled by the DSP Homicide Unit, with the Troop 2 Major Crimes Unit involved from the start. As of the July 2026 release, it is formally a “Cold Case Homicide” with no arrests and no named suspects. Exhibit 08CorroboratedReward terms. $50,000 offered by the Morrissey family in partnership with Delaware Crime Stoppers, for information leading to an arrest. Renewed in the 2021, 2024, and 2026 DSP releases. Exhibit 09CorroboratedTip channels. As published by DSP: Detective Daniel Grassi, 302-365-8441 and daniel.grassi@delaware.gov (all releases); private Facebook message to Delaware State Police (2026 release); Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333 (shown as 1-800-TIP-3333 in the 2021 and 2024 releases and as (800) 847-3333 in the 2026 release; same number). Exhibit 10CorroboratedFamily advocacy. The Morrissey family has publicly supported the investigation from the start: a 1,000-flier campaign along the river, a poster night at Brandywine Brewing Co., press conferences, and anniversary appeals. The Susan Morrissey Foundation was established to fund an annual scholarship for English students at Academy Park High School, and a family “Who Killed Susan” Facebook page exists.

Open questions

What the file does not know.

Which Delaware Crime Stoppers number is currently live? The 2021 and 2024 DSP releases list 1-800-TIP-3333; the 2026 release lists (800) 847-3333. Confirm the working number before any tip channel is published in the case file.

Is Detective Daniel Grassi still the assigned contact? All DSP releases through July 2026 list him. Confirm the current assignee before publishing contact details.

What is the current posture of the DSP cold-case unit on this file? The July 2026 release formally moved it to “Cold Case Homicide.” Confirm whether it remains in that posture as of late 2026.

Has anything surfaced since the 2026 release that narrows where Susan was between 3:02 and 7:00 a.m. on July 23, 2019, or where she entered the river?

DSP has only ever said the Fitbit confirmed she was alive until approximately 7:00 a.m. Has any further detail from the device, such as activity or heart-rate data, ever been publicly released?

The family has been publicly active through 2026, but has their comfort with a public MuseUnsolved case file been explicitly confirmed?

Discussion

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Investigating agency

Where tips go.

This case is open with the Delaware State Police. If you know something, say something to them: 1-800-847-3333. Tips go to law enforcement, never to this site.

Coverage

Coverage and further reading.

Sources

Cited sources.

  1. [1]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  2. [2]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  3. [3]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  4. [4]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  5. [5]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  6. [6]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  7. [7]Delaware State Police, July 21 2021 release, “Delaware State Police, July 21 2021 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  8. [8]Legacy.com obituary via The News Journal, “Legacy.com obituary via The News Journal”. legacy.com Accessed 2026-09-30.
  9. [9]Oxygen.com, “Oxygen.com”. oxygen.com Accessed 2026-09-30.
  10. [10]Delaware Online via Beacon Journal, October 19 2019, “Delaware Online via Beacon Journal, October 19 2019”. beaconjournal.com Accessed 2026-09-30.
  11. [11]Delaware Liberal, November 15 2019, “Delaware Liberal, November 15 2019”. delawareliberal.net Accessed 2026-09-30.
  12. [12]Delaware Online via ND Insider, November 16 2019, “Delaware Online via ND Insider, November 16 2019”. ndinsider.com Accessed 2026-09-30.
  13. [13]East Idaho News via YouTube, “East Idaho News via YouTube”. youtube.com Accessed 2026-09-30.
  14. [14]Delaware Online, July 23 2020, “Delaware Online, July 23 2020”. delawareonline.com Accessed 2026-09-30.
  15. [15]NBC News Dateline, “NBC News Dateline”. nbcnews.com Accessed 2026-09-30.
  16. [16]Delaware State Police, July 21 2021 release, “Delaware State Police, July 21 2021 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  17. [17]Delaware State Police, July 23 2024 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2024 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  18. [18]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  19. [19]Seventh-anniversary local TV segment via YouTube, “Seventh-anniversary local TV segment via YouTube”. youtube.com Accessed 2026-09-30.
  20. [20]Legacy.com obituary via The News Journal, “Legacy.com obituary via The News Journal”. legacy.com Accessed 2026-09-30.
  21. [21]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  22. [22]Delaware Liberal, November 15 2019, “Delaware Liberal, November 15 2019”. delawareliberal.net Accessed 2026-09-30.
  23. [23]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  24. [24]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  25. [25]Delaware State Police, July 23 2024 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2024 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  26. [26]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  27. [27]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  28. [28]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  29. [29]Delaware Online via Beacon Journal, October 19 2019, “Delaware Online via Beacon Journal, October 19 2019”. beaconjournal.com Accessed 2026-09-30.
  30. [30]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  31. [31]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  32. [32]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  33. [33]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  34. [34]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.
  35. [35]Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release, “Delaware State Police, July 23 2026 release”. dsp.delaware.gov Accessed 2026-09-30.

Custody

Chain of custody.

  1. Sep 30, 2026

    File opened from the public record: news coverage, public documents, and agency releases gathered with sources.

    Chain of custody · MUS-2026-0003
  2. Sep 30, 2026

    Timeline assembled: 17 entries, every claim cited.

    Chain of custody · MUS-2026-0003
  3. Sep 30, 2026

    Exhibits inventoried: 10 exhibits, sources attached.

    Chain of custody · MUS-2026-0003

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