Seaford micropolitan area population grows the most of US micropolitans in 2023
NEWS

Mom: Fatal fight followed months of taunting

Cris Barrish and Esteban Parra
The News Journal

The mother of Ty Sawyer, the 20-year-old Middletown man who died after an April 26 fight at a party near Odessa, said the other young man taunted him for months because of a dispute over stolen speakers.

Lisa Sawyer said the other young man, who police have not identified, had smashed the family's mailbox at their Middletown home and kept challenging Ty to fight. Sawyer said her son told her he didn't steal the speakers from a party last year, but the other man kept insisting Ty had committed the theft.

Lisa Sawyer smiles with her son, Ty, in a photo taken about two years ago. Sawyer is demanding justice for her son, who died after an April 26 fight at a party.

The lingering disagreement culminated in violence about 2 a.m. on April 26, when Ty Sawyer, a wiry former high school wrestler, agreed to fight the much larger man at a party in Misty Vale Farm near Odessa.

The fight ended with Ty being slammed on the ground and getting knocked out. He never regained consciousness. Party-goers called 911 and Sawyer was rushed to Christiana Hospital, only to be pronounced dead.

More than week later, Sawyer is calling on New Castle County police and Attorney General's Office to give her son justice, but police said they don't have enough evidence to file charges and don't even know whether the case is a homicide.

Ty Sawyer died after a fight with Patrick Downey during a party near Odessa on April 26.

The state Division of Forensic Science said an autopsy has been conducted but the cause and manner of death is pending, in large part because officials awaiting the results of toxicology tests, which could take a month or more.

Sawyer, however, thinks law enforcement authorities are dragging their feet, echoing other friends of Sawyer who are calling for an arrest on social media.

"It was a fight. My son died, and nothing's being done about it. It's not fair,'' Sawyer said. "I'm not out for blood. But I'm not going to let them brush this under the rug."

Sawyer also said the lead detective has been disrespectful to her during the most painful time in her life. "I don't trust the New Castle County police," she said.

Even though her son's funeral was Saturday, she has not buried him and might have her own autopsy done if she is not satisfied with the results, Sawyer said, mentioning the ongoing scandal over drug evidence stolen from the former state Medical Examiner's Office. "There's so much corruption," she said.

County police Chief Elmer Setting said he empathizes with Sawyer but emphasized that his agency is conducting a thorough investigation in conjunction with Denn's office.

"We are waiting for scientific reports but as of now we don't have enough evidence to file charges," Setting said.

Setting said he could not reveal too much about the investigation, but said five separate witnesses have said Sawyer and the other man were "mutual combatants."

"Her son's death is absolutely tragic and I understand she's upset and blaming the police. It's a very popular thing to do," Setting said. "But in the end if there is enough evidence to file charges, we will."

Setting said authorities are arranging a meeting with Sawyer to update her on the progress of the case. He also urged anyone else with relevant information to contact county police. Tipsters can call (302) 573-2800 or visit www.NCCPD.com and follow the link "Crime Tips and Alerts."

Contact senior investigative reporter Cris Barrish at (302) 324-2785, cbarrish@delawareonline.com, on Facebook or Twitter @crisbarrish. Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.

New Castle County police, investigating the death of a man found unconscious outside a home in the Misty Vale Farm neighborhood north of Odessa on April 26.