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Unsolved Murder — No Arrest

The Murder of Samantha Neuwien

● Unsolved Cold Case Homicide Wilmington, Delaware July 2013 12 Years Unsolved
Victim
Samantha Neuwien, 35
Found
July 12, 2013 — 300 Block, Shipley Street
Cause of Death
Bludgeoning and Stabbing
Status
No Arrest — Case Open
Location
Apartment above family appliance business
Investigating Agency
Wilmington Police Department Cold Case Unit
Tip Line
(302) 576-3937
Anonymous Tips
1-800-TIP-3333
01
Victim Profile

Samantha Neuwien

Samantha Neuwien
Samantha Neuwien
Victim, Age 35

Samantha Neuwien

Samantha Neuwien was 35 years old and lived in an apartment above her family's appliance business on the 300 block of Shipley Street in Wilmington, Delaware. She was found in her apartment on July 12, 2013, having sustained multiple serious wounds from both a blunt object and a blade. She was transported to the hospital and spent the next 16 days in a coma. She never regained consciousness and succumbed to her injuries on July 28, 2013.

Her death was ruled a homicide. No arrest has ever been made. The Wilmington Police Department's Cold Case Unit, which includes WPD investigators and an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, continues to investigate her murder as of 2025.

Samantha was a member of a family known in the Wilmington community through their business. She was killed inside her own home. More than 12 years have passed and the person responsible for her death has never been identified or charged. Her case remains open and investigators are actively seeking information from the public.

01
Overview

What We Know

On July 12, 2013, Wilmington Police Department officers were dispatched to the 300 block of Shipley Street in Wilmington, Delaware. Inside an apartment above a family-owned appliance business, they found 35-year-old Samantha Neuwien suffering from multiple serious wounds. Investigators determined she had been bludgeoned and stabbed inside her own home. She was transported to the hospital in critical condition.

Samantha spent 16 days in a coma and never regained consciousness. She died on July 28, 2013, and her death was ruled a homicide. The nature of the attack, involving both blunt force and a blade, indicated significant violence within the apartment itself. The full details of what investigators found at the scene have not been publicly released.

No arrest has ever been made in connection with Samantha's murder. The Wilmington Police Department's Cold Case Unit took over the investigation and has publicly appealed for information from the public on multiple occasions, most recently in 2025. The unit is composed of WPD cold case investigators and an embedded agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Investigators believe someone in the Wilmington community has information that could help bring this case to resolution, and they continue to urge anyone with knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Samantha's death to come forward.

02
Chronology

Case Timeline

July 12, 2013
Samantha Found in Her Apartment
Wilmington Police officers are dispatched to the 300 block of Shipley Street. They find Samantha Neuwien, 35, in her apartment above her family's appliance business suffering from multiple serious wounds. Investigators determine she has been bludgeoned and stabbed. She is transported to the hospital in critical condition.
July 12 to July 28, 2013
Samantha Spends 16 Days in a Coma
Samantha remains hospitalized and in a coma for 16 days following the attack. She never regains consciousness.
July 28, 2013
Samantha Neuwien Dies — Ruled Homicide
Samantha dies from her injuries. Her death is ruled a homicide. A murder investigation is opened. No suspect is identified in the immediate aftermath of her death.
2013 to 2020
Case Transferred to Cold Case Unit
With no arrest made, the case is taken up by the Wilmington Police Department's Cold Case Unit, which operates as part of the department's Criminal Investigations Division and includes an embedded ATF agent. The unit continues active investigation of the case.
September 2020
Public Appeal for Information
The Wilmington Police Department's Cold Case Unit issues a public appeal for information, asking anyone with knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Samantha's murder to come forward. The appeal is covered by local media outlets. The case remains unsolved.
2025 — Present
Case Remains Open — Tips Still Sought
More than 12 years after Samantha's death, no arrest has been made. The WPD Cold Case Unit continues to investigate and as of February 2025 has reiterated its request for public assistance. Investigator Steven Rizzo leads the case. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Cold Case Unit directly or submit an anonymous tip through Delaware Crime Stoppers.
03
Law Enforcement

The Investigation

The Wilmington Police Department responded to the 300 block of Shipley Street on July 12, 2013, and found Samantha Neuwien in her apartment with multiple serious wounds. The apartment was located above a family-owned appliance business, a detail that placed the crime scene in close proximity to a family operation known in the neighborhood. Investigators determined Samantha had been bludgeoned and stabbed within her home. The full details of the crime scene have not been publicly released.

Samantha survived the initial attack and remained hospitalized for 16 days before dying on July 28, 2013. Her death was ruled a homicide. Despite an active investigation in the years following her death, no arrest has ever been made and no suspect has been publicly identified.

The case was taken up by the Wilmington Police Department's Cold Case Unit, which operates within the department's Criminal Investigations Division and includes an embedded agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This partnership reflects the seriousness with which the unit approaches unresolved homicides and the additional federal investigative resources available to them.

The unit issued a public appeal for assistance in September 2020, seven years after the murder, and again in early 2025, more than a decade after Samantha's death. Investigator Steven Rizzo of the Cold Case Unit is the assigned investigator and is reachable directly by members of the public with information. Investigators have stated they believe someone in the Wilmington community holds information that could help resolve this case. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Delaware Crime Stoppers at any time.

04
Unsolved

How You Can Help

Samantha Neuwien was murdered in her own apartment in Wilmington, Delaware in July 2013. More than 12 years later, no one has been arrested or charged in connection with her death. The Wilmington Police Department's Cold Case Unit continues to investigate and believes that members of the public hold information that could bring this case to resolution. If you knew Samantha, lived or worked in the area of Shipley Street in 2013, or have any information about the circumstances of her death, investigators are asking you to come forward. All tips can be submitted anonymously.

WPD Cold Case Unit
(302) 576-3937
Wilmington Police Department Cold Case Unit
Investigator: Steven Rizzo
Anonymous Tips
1-800-TIP-3333
Delaware Crime Stoppers — tips are completely anonymous
Investigating Agency
Wilmington Police Department Cold Case Unit — Criminal Investigations Division, in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The unit actively investigates unsolved homicides across Wilmington and welcomes all tips related to the murder of Samantha Neuwien regardless of how much time has passed.
What Investigators Are Asking
The WPD Cold Case Unit is asking anyone who has information about Samantha Neuwien's murder to come forward, including people who lived or worked on or near Shipley Street in July 2013, anyone who knew Samantha or her family, anyone who has heard information about the case in the years since, and anyone who may have been hesitant to come forward previously. All information is considered and all tips can be made anonymously.
Sources
MyChesCo — "Do You Hold the Key to Solving Samantha Neuwein's 2013 Murder?" (February 4, 2025) | First State Update — "Police Need Your Help Finding This Woman's Killer" (September 2, 2020) | WHYY — "Wilmington stabbing victim dies" (July 2013) | Wilmington Police Department Cold Case Unit — Public appeals (2020, 2025) | First State Unsolved Podcast — Episode 20 (Delaware's Unsolved Cases)
In Memoriam

They Are Not Forgotten

Samantha Neuwien was 35 years old and she was killed inside her own home. The apartment was above her family's business on Shipley Street, a place where she was supposed to be safe, surrounded by the things and people she knew. Someone came in and took that from her. Twelve years later no one has been held accountable.

She spent 16 days in a coma after the attack. Sixteen days where the people who loved her waited. She died on July 28, 2013, and the person who killed her has never been identified. That is more than a decade of a family carrying something no family should have to carry without answers.

The Wilmington Police Department's Cold Case Unit has not let go of this case. They have gone back to the public, more than once, asking for help. They believe someone out there knows something. Cold cases are solved because someone who has been sitting on a piece of information for years finally decides to come forward. It happens. It is not too late.

Samantha Neuwien deserved to live. She deserved to be safe in her own home. She is not forgotten, and her case is not closed. If you know something, please call.

Samantha Neuwien — In Memoriam
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