Family 'definitely wants justice.' Trial set for man accused of killing Delmar officer

The trial of Randon Wilkerson, the man accused of killing 54-year-old Delmar Police Cpl. Keith Heacook in 2021, is set to begin Monday in Georgetown.

The trial, originally scheduled for November 2022, has been delayed by continuances, one of which was requested due to “a possible involuntary intoxication defense,” according to court documents.

Wilkerson has waived his right to a jury trial, and the case will be heard by Judge Craig Karsnitz in Sussex County Superior Court. The trial starting Oct. 16 is expected to last four weeks.

Heacook's death affected the entire Delmar community and hit home for first responders throughout the region. He left behind a wife, a son and a handful of siblings. One of his sisters, Anita Feaster, spoke to Delaware Online/The News Journal by phone.

"The family definitely wants justice," she said.

What happened April 25, 2021

Just after 5 a.m. that day, a 911 call came in from Buckingham Drive in the Yorkshire Estates community, reporting Wilkerson was "fighting with everyone in the residence and destroying the house," according to his warrant.

A few moments later, another 911 call was received from across the street, where an elderly couple had been seriously assaulted, according to police.

Heacook responded and was brutally attacked by Wilkerson inside the Yorkshire Estates residence, police said. When dispatchers couldn’t reach him, more police were sent to the scene. They discovered the 22-year police veteran “unconscious, face down, with sustained blunt force trauma to his head, which was surrounded by a large volume of blood,” the warrant said.

Background: Man accused of killing Delmar officer Keith Heacook, injuring couple charged with murder

A witness told police they saw Wilkerson repeatedly stomp on Heacook’s head while he lay unconscious, police said.

Across the street, Wilkerson had beaten Steve and Judy Franklin, 73 and 76, respectively, with numerous glass figurines, police said. They were both significantly injured.

Wilkerson was found in the yard behind the Yorkshire Estates residence and taken into custody without further incident. He confessed to ingesting large amounts of illegal narcotics and alcohol and to assaulting his roommates and the Franklins, according to police, but denied assaulting any police officer.

Heacook died in the hospital three days later.

Wilkerson, then 30 years old, was charged with first-degree murder and a slew of other offenses. He remains in custody at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna.

More: 'True heart of a servant': Delmar Corporal Heacook memorialized as hundreds attend funeral

What’s happened since

After Heacook’s death, grief flowed from the Delmar community and beyond. A caravan of police vehicles escorted his body home to Delmar and hundreds attended his funeral.

Then came the fundraisers and memorial events, such as a Jeep convoy and a softball tournament. Heacook Fest is now held annually at Kylan Barn in Delmar, featuring live music and benefiting various first-responder nonprofits. In August, a Delmar street was renamed “Cpl. Keith Heacook Way.”

Wilkerson’s trial was originally scheduled for November 2022 but has been delayed due to continuance requests from both his lawyers and prosecutors.

The last continuance was requested because Wilkerson’s attorney had discovered “a possible involuntary intoxication defense,” according to court documents. If proven in court, the defense could relieve him of criminal liability, but whether the defense will actually be used is unknown.

More: Keith Heacook was on a ventilator before — it inspired him to become a police officer

Wilkerson's attorney, Patrick Collins, did not return a request for comment. Collins has represented some of Delaware's most notorious criminals, such as Kristie Haas and Derrick Powell. Derrick Powell was convicted of killing another Sussex County police officer, Chad Spicer of the Georgetown Police Department, in 2011.

Feaster said prosecutors are asking for life without parole. She was brief when describing her feelings about the trial.

"I feel he needs to do the time for the crime," she said.

Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on Sussex County and beyond. Reach her at marvelmcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: What to know about trial of suspect in Delmar Cpl. Keith Heacook's death