Lewes man faces attempted murder charge

A Lewes man faces attempted murder, kidnapping, strangulation and other charges Dec. 15 after police said he repeatedly assaulted a woman.

Court records state the 911 center received a call at 3:09 a.m. Dec. 13 from someone saying “please help me” before hanging up. When the 911 operator called back on the line, records state, a man said his girlfriend was drunk before he disconnected the call. The operator could not contact anyone following the initial call, traced to a phone owned by Shane Windell, 31, records state.

Although records state the woman said she did not make the 911 call, she also said her memory was “a little muddled from the incident” and “she is grateful because she believed she was going to die and that Shane was going to kill her.” 

Police responded at 3:12 a.m. to a home in the 33000 block of Tidal Way for a welfare check and said they were greeted by Windell.

“Shane was in the foyer by the front door and bleeding from the arms, then fell backwards on the floor of the foyer,” court records state.

Inside the home, records state, a naked woman, bruised and bleeding from her face was standing in front of the living room couch. She told police Windell had been living with her for about a month, and the two had been out with friends earlier in the evening before returning home. Once home, records state, she said Windell’s mood changed, and he began accusing her of cheating on him, yelling at her and physically assaulting her. She said he threw her on the bed, punched her in the face, and choked her about four times before the police knocked on the front door, records state.

The woman told police Windell used a kitchen knife to cut himself. Records state his wound was self-inflicted with damage to the artery, not tendon. He was taken to Beebe Healthcare where police said he was found to be in violation of his probation, and he was remanded to the custody of the Department of Correction. A violation of probation hearing had been scheduled Oct. 23 in connection with earlier traffic violations, according to court records.

The woman was also taken to Beebe Healthcare, records state, but then flown to Christiana Hospital after scans showed brain hemorrhaging that posed a danger of imminent death by stroke, and brain damage from blocked blood flow to the brain.

Windell was released from the hospital Dec. 15 and charged with attempt to commit first-degree murder; first-degree kidnapping, terrorize victim, or a third person; strangulation or suffocation – causes serious physical injury to another person; and terroristic threatening. He was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution in default of $1,041,000 cash bond.

The Delaware State Police Troop 4 Criminal Investigations Unit continues to investigate this incident and asks anyone who has any information regarding the incident to contact Det. L. Coleman at 302-752-3813, send a private Facebook message to the Delaware State Police or contact Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.