DELMAR, DE - As the murder trial of the man accused of killing Delmar police officer Cpl. Keith Heacook rapidly approaches, the impact of Heacook’s shocking death remains tangible across Delmarva more than two years later.
A Tragedy Felt Far and Wide
It was a death that reverberated far beyond Delmar, The Little Town Too Big To Be in One State. Only a week after the April 25, 2021 attack, hundreds, if not thousands of people lined the processional route as Heacook’s body returned home to Delmar from Shock Trauma in Baltimore.
"It was sad,” Justin Seymore, a long-time Delmar resident said after the procession. “Trying to hold back the tears for the family and Corporal Heacook. I grew up here in Delmar so just knowing Corporal Heacook, just hearing, especially when the bagpipes started playing, that gave me chills."
Then-Governor of Maryland Larry Hogan and Delaware Governor John Carney both ordered US and state flags to fly half-mast across the states in the days following the tragic death.
“On behalf of all Marylanders, I extend my sincerest condolences to the Delmar Police Department, and to the loved ones of Cpl. Keith Heacook, a 22-year veteran of the department who died after being assaulted in the line of duty," said Hogan. "We owe so much to the brave law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities.”
Both Hogan and Delaware Governor John Carney spoke at Heacook’s funeral.
An outpouring of both grief and support sprang up in the wake of the officer’s killing. That outpouring never wavered on the Peninsula and remains strong today.
“That's a day we'll never forget. Never forget," Vickie Rohrer, who was on the scene after the attack, told reporters this past April.
The trial for Delmar Corporal Keith Heacook's murder will take place Oct. 16 in a Sussex County courtroom. We revisit the investigation on what happened the morning of April 25, 2021, when the officer was attacked.
Memorials and Tributes
Lasting acts of charity and memorial were quickly established across Delmarva in light of the Corporal’s tragic death.
Delmar’s State Street Park was re-dedicated in Heacook’s name just this year. A monument to the slain officer, engraved with the words “Cpl. Keith Heacook Etched in Our Hearts Forever”, stands in the park, while a bench bearing his name provides rest to park-goers.
The annual Heacook Fest has since been launched to both honor the Corporal and support law enforcement officers. The event’s large attendance is a testament to Delmarva’s solidified backing of local police and emergency responders in the aftermath of Heacook’s death. The money raised at Heacook Fest goes to Tunnel to Towers, Operation We Care, and Behind the Line, according to event organizer Doug Marshall.
"It's a way to keep Keith's name relevant,” said Delmar Police Chief Ivan Barkley of the event. "It's not that we're ever going to forget, but there may be others who don't know. So we're honoring the man. We're honoring his deeds. We're honoring his sacrifice."
The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore also established The Corporal Keith Heacook Memorial Scholarship in 2021, awarded each year to a Delmar High School graduate who plans to pursue a career in public service.
Above all, Cpl. Keith Heacook, is still remembered for his friendly and community-centered approach to his service as an officer and as a neighbor. He was described as “the ideal police officer” and a “good father and a great friend.”
"With Keith it's every time you saw him there was never a dull moment there was never not a joke or something that just to kind of lift the people's spirits around him,"Mayor of Delmar, MD Ben Jorden said of the 22-year veteran.
Heacook undoubtedly leaves behind a lasting legacy, one that extends far beyond the Town of Delmar. Delmarva as a whole has proven it is not about to let that legacy fade.