At 10 p.m., Friday, Delaware State Police cleared the crime scene and turned over Building “C” at the James Vaughn Correctional Institution near Smyrna to the Delaware Department of Correction.
A hostage incident at the unit this week resulted in the death of 16-year corrections officer, Lt. Steven Floyd. Floyd was posthumously promoted to lieutenant by the department.
“So as not to jeopardize this ongoing and active investigation, the Delaware State Police and the Department of Correction will provide updates if and when circumstances warrant,” a State Police release noted.
The statement went on to note that the “investigation is expected to be lengthy and arduous. Detectives are continuing to conduct interviews as well as collect and examine countless pieces of physical and video evidence,”
State Department of Public Safety Secretary Robert Coupe said at a press conference that 120 inmates in the unit should be considered to be suspects in the incident. No inmates were injured after four hostages were taken.
Two hostages were released, one other hostage was rescued, and Floyd was found unresponsive and was later declared dead.
State Police also announced that an autopsy determined that Floyd died of homicide by trauma.
No further information on the autopsy will be released, due to the ongoing investigation, State Police announced.
