Elizabeth Fritchey died 12 days after troopers found her unconscious in a Hyatt House room.
LEWES, Del. — A January assault arrest became a murder case after a 72-year-old woman died from injuries police said she suffered in a Lewes hotel room during an attack by her grandson.
The death of Elizabeth Fritchey on Feb. 10 marked the turning point in the case against Dempsey Fritchey, 30, of Lewes. Delaware State Police first arrested him on a felony assault charge after the Jan. 29 incident at the Hyatt House. A Sussex County grand jury later indicted him for first-degree murder.
Police said troopers were sent to the hotel at 17254 Five Points Square at about 5:45 p.m. Jan. 29 after staff reported a troubling statement from a guest. The guest said he had killed his grandmother in one of the rooms, police said. Troopers found Dempsey Fritchey near the lobby, where he allegedly told them he “may have killed his grandmother.” He was detained without incident as officers checked the room.
Elizabeth Fritchey was found unconscious with injuries to her head and face. Troopers began medical care, and emergency medical services later took over before she was transported to an area hospital. Police described her injuries as life-threatening in the first public account. She remained alive when Dempsey Fritchey was charged, so the initial case was filed as assault in the first degree rather than homicide.
The 12 days between the hotel response and Elizabeth Fritchey’s death shaped the legal path. Police said she died Feb. 10 from injuries received during the assault. Once she died, investigators had a different set of facts to present. The case no longer rested only on serious injury and risk of death. It now included a death police said was caused by the same assault they had described in January.
That change led to the April 13 indictment. A Sussex County grand jury charged Dempsey Fritchey with first-degree murder, and state police announced the development May 1. The announcement said Fritchey remained committed to the Delaware Department of Correction. Police did not include an arraignment date on the murder indictment or a schedule for later hearings. The public update also did not say whether prosecutors plan to file any additional charges.
The January assault charge had carried its own serious court action. Police said Fritchey was taken to Troop 7 after his arrest and charged with assault in the first degree for conduct that created a risk of death and caused serious physical injury. He was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 11 and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $300,000 cash bond. That bond information came before the homicide indictment.
Investigators have described the attack in limited terms. Delaware State Police said detectives learned that Dempsey Fritchey and Elizabeth Fritchey were staying together in the room when he suddenly assaulted her with his hands and feet. Police said the reason was unknown. They have not released a detailed reconstruction of the incident, and they have not said whether any witness saw or heard the assault before Fritchey went to the lobby.
The known evidence in the public account is built around a short sequence of events. First, hotel staff received the statement from the guest and called police. Second, troopers made contact with Fritchey near the lobby. Third, officers found Elizabeth Fritchey unconscious in the room. Fourth, she was taken to the hospital, where she later died. The indictment indicates prosecutors believe that sequence and the investigation support a first-degree murder charge.
Police have not released medical details beyond the location of Elizabeth Fritchey’s injuries and the statement that she died from injuries received during the assault. They have not said whether an autopsy was completed, whether the medical examiner issued a final manner of death or whether the death certificate was part of the grand jury presentation. The public police releases also do not say whether Dempsey Fritchey had an attorney listed at the time of the indictment announcement.
The case unfolded in Sussex County, where Lewes sits near Delaware’s Atlantic coast and draws both year-round residents and visitors. The hotel’s Five Points location is close to routes that connect Lewes, Rehoboth Beach and inland communities. The public police account does not say whether the hotel was full, whether the incident disrupted other guests or whether staff had any earlier contact with Fritchey or his grandmother before the lobby statement.
For now, the case is defined by what changed after Elizabeth Fritchey died. What started as a report of a badly injured woman in a hotel room became a prosecution alleging murder. Dempsey Fritchey remains in custody, and police have not announced a motive or the next court date.
Author note: Last updated May 23, 2026.