How did Wilmington police identify the woman accused of fatal attack?

Moments before witnesses saw a woman “senselessly” beat another woman to death in Wilmington, the suspect was drawing hearts with his initials in the dust on nearby car windows, according to court documents.

Laverne Sealey is being held in jail on $140,000 cash bail in connection with the Oct. 24 attack. The 31-year-old man is accused of murdering 49-year-old Lisa Fakis.

Wilmington officers responded to the 200 block of N. Lombard St. just after 9 p.m., after receiving 911 calls stating that Fakis was unresponsive, according to court documents. There they found him “bleeding profusely” from his head, police said.

Police attempted to help the woman, but she died at the scene, according to court documents. Wilmington police previously said Fakis’ death was confirmed at the hospital.

Detectives found two “significant” bloodstains nearby, likely from where Fakis was attacked. Witnesses later told police that he walked some distance from where he was beaten before collapsing.

Police were able to piece together what happened through “numerous” witnesses.

What caused the attack?

Just before the attack, residents saw a black woman, later identified as Sealey, walking in the area, according to witness statements detailed in court documents. She was wearing navy blue pouch-like pants, a black hooded sweatshirt, “visible” red lipstick and a brown wig.

At one point, he placed several items he was carrying into two separate cars and used his finger to blow dust off the cars. Police later saw hearts and Sealey’s initials, “LS,” on the rear windows.

Then he started reading books.

Witnesses told police they soon saw him “senselessly attacking” Fakis. It is unclear where Fakis was before the attack or whether he and Sealey knew each other.

According to court documents, Sealey punched Fakis in the head multiple times and then dragged him out of the alley. Witnesses told police that Fakis also took his backpack.

After the attack, Sealey left the area. Fakis, meanwhile, stumbled “incoherently” toward witnesses before collapsing where police found him.

Red lipstick may have helped ID Sealey

After speaking with witnesses and obtaining a description of Sealey, police relayed the information to patrol officers, according to court documents.

“Several minutes later,” patrol officers found a woman walking on Front Street who “looked exactly like” what witnesses said she did, a detective wrote in an arrest warrant.

Officers stopped Sealey and found him to have extraordinary capias. They arrested him on a warrant, then took him back to the scene of the attack, according to court documents.

Witnesses still being questioned blamed Sealey for Fakis’ death, according to the arrest warrant. The warrant also says one person may have been involved in the attack, but details remain unclear.

Sealey remains in prison.

Got a clue? Send to Isabel Hughes at [email protected] or 302-324-2785. For breaking news, follow him on X at @izzihughes_

What caused the attack?

Red lipstick may have helped ID Sealey

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