DOJ secures life sentence, additional time for offender in 2024 attempted murder case

A Milford man has been sentenced to more than a lifetime in prison for a brutal attempted murder that took place in 2024.

On September 10, Derrick Legree, 39, was sentenced by a Kent County Superior Court Judge to life, plus an additional 21 years in prison for convictions of Attempted Murder First Degree, Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Deadly Weapon by a Person Prohibited, Aggravated Menacing, two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and Breach of Conditions of Bond During Commitment. The State's Motion to Declare Defendant a Habitual Offender was granted, which enhanced sentencing penalties for the Legree.

"Thanks to the hard work of our DOJ team and our partners in law enforcement, and the bravery of the victim, this violent offender will never hurt anyone again," said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. "I hope that this knowledge will bring the victim some peace as she continues to heal."

On November 3, 2024, Legree physically beat the victim before attacking her with a glass liquor bottle and stabbing her five times with a knife at their apartment complex in Milford. The attack left her with life-threatening injuries that required emergency surgery, extensive hospitalization and aftercare. Legree fled before police could arrive but was eventually arrested in Philadelphia and extradited back to the state of Delaware.