Missing Delaware teen was bludgeoned to death with baseball bat by ex-boyfriend, police say

NEWARK, Del. — A 17-year-old Delaware girl reported missing Friday was bludgeoned to death by her ex-boyfriend, who told police he planned the crime with an unnamed person, according to authorities.

Madison Elizabeth Sparrow, 17, of Newark, was last seen alive around 3:40 p.m. Friday. The Delaware State Police had issued a “Gold Alert” on Sparrow out of concern for the girl’s welfare.

“She’s always been that rare type of person that just comes in and brightens a room,” family friend Rohn Satjar told CBS Philadelphia.

That light was forever dimmed when Sparrow’s body was found over the weekend in a wooded area near Interstate 95 and Delaware state road 896. Authorities said an autopsy determined she died of blunt force trauma.

State police investigators announced Tuesday that they’d arrested Sparrow’s ex-boyfriend, Noah M. Sharp, 19, in connection with her death.

Sharp, also of Newark, is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree conspiracy and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, according to a Delaware State Police news release.

The motive for the killing, if known by police, has not been made public.

The Newark Post reported that Sparrow, a junior at Newark Charter School, told her family she and a friend were going for ice cream, and to buy a birthday present for her sister. She was last seen on the campus of the University of Delaware.

Her family reported her missing when she failed to return home.

Investigators conducting interviews learned that Sparrow had gone to an area of Newark where Sharp was, the news release said.

When detectives interviewed Sharp, he allegedly confessed to the killing and directed authorities to Sparrow’s body.

Court records obtained by the Post allege that Sharp told police he used an aluminum bat to hit Sparrow in the head in a wooded area behind Maclary Elementary School. Investigators who went to the school and searched the woods found the bat.

They also found blood and Sparrow’s clothes, the newspaper reported.

“After the homicide occurred, (Sparrow) was transported to a secluded wooded location in Newark, where law enforcement officers discovered her body,” Delaware state police officials said.

Sparrow’s body was dumped across Newark, more than 6 miles from the site where she was slain.

The court records also indicated that Sharp did not plan the crime alone, but his alleged conspirator or conspirators have not been named.

“At this time, there is information indicating additional individuals may be involved in this homicide,” police officials said.

The investigation into Sparrow’s homicide is ongoing.

Sharp is being held in lieu of more than $1 million bail in the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington.

A candlelight vigil has been set for Thursday at Riverside Beach Park in Pennville, New Jersey, to remember Sparrow, who is described as selfless, loving and compassionate. She dreamed of being a teacher someday, Satjar told CBS Philly.

“In a dark world, you need people that are light. It just helps you process through life’s challenges and wherever you are, you need people like Madison,” Satjar said.

The family asked for privacy through a Facebook group that had been organized to help find Sparrow. Now, the group is dedicated to her memory.

“The entire family is processing this and grieving, so please allow them to do so,” the Facebook post read. “All the support and outpouring of love has been amazing and so appreciated.”

That outpouring was a testament to who Sparrow was, Satjar said.

“The way she gave to others, when the time came, there was so much of an outpouring from all parts of the community,” he told the news station.

Cox Media Group