Ryan Shover, 46, of York, PA, Paul Disabatino, 55, of Wilmington, and Michael Kman, 53, of Enola, PA, three of the men involved in a murder plot for insurance money have received prison sentences in Delaware Superior Court, the Atttorney General’s Office reported.
In February 2013, 43-year-old Wayne Cappelli of Claymont was attacked on Delaview Avenue in the Silvercroft neighborhood, and killed with a baseball bat as he walked home from his job.
The investigation revealed that three friends, Michael Kman, David Hess and Paul Disabatino, had talked Cappelli into taking out a life insurance policy.
In November 2012, Cappelli made Disabatino the beneficiary of the $360,000 policy, with the intent that Disabatino would look after Cappelli’s child.
Kman enlisted Shover to commit the murder and be paid $30,000 from the insurance benefits.
After the murder, Disabatino, with the aid of Kman, attempted to collect the insurance money, but the effort failed as a result of the criminal investigation.
Eventually, Chancery Court awarded the money in trust to Cappelli’s child.
In February, a Superior Court jury convicted Shover of two counts of Murder First Degree (one intentional murder and one felony murder), two counts of Possession of a Deadly Weapon During Commission of a Felony, Insurance Fraud and Conspiracy First Degree. Shover was sentenced Friday to two life terms plus 15 years in prison.
Disabatino pleaded guilty in January 2016 to Criminally Negligent Homicide, Insurance Fraud and Conspiracy First Degree and on Friday received 10 years in prison followed by probation.
Kman pled guilty to Murder Second Degree, Insurance Fraud and Conspiracy 1st Degree in December 2017 and was sentenced on Friday to 30 years in prison followed by probation, but his sentence will not begin until he completes a 6 to 12-year sentence for Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse in Pennsylvania.
Hess pleaded guilty in January 2016 to Criminally Negligent Homicide, Insurance Fraud and Conspiracy First Degree and received a 5-year prison sentence in May 2017.
Deputy Attorneys General John Downs and Danielle Brennan prosecuted the case, with DOJ Paralegal Stacey Coupe and DOJ Investigator Cliff Dempsey. Sgt. Tom Orzechowski of New Castle County Police was the lead investigator. DOJ Social Worker Courtney Cochran supported the victim’s family through the investigation and trial.
