Salisbury Man Pleads Guilty in 2006 Cold Case Murder

Wicomico County, MD - A Salisbury man has admitted to a killing that went unsolved for nearly 20 years. Tyrone Hughey, 44, pleaded guilty to second degree murder on October 20, 2026, in the Circuit Court for Wicomico County, Maryland.

Retired Judge Donald C. Davis of the Circuit Court for Wicomico County heard the plea. Sentencing has been pushed back to January 2027.

Hughey will stay in custody until he is sentenced. He's already serving a long Department of Corrections sentence for a separate case.

The case goes back to April 8, 2006. At approximately 6:15 a.m., the Salisbury Police Department responded to an alley behind 306 Naylor Street in Salisbury, Maryland after reports of a woman screaming for help.

Officers found a woman who had been stabbed several times. She was rushed to Peninsula Regional Medical Center, where she later died.

Police looked into the case in 2006, but they weren't able to gather enough evidence to charge anyone. Over time, the case went cold.

That changed in 2025. The Salisbury Police Department started a full review of old cold cases that had a good chance of being solved, and this case was one of them.

Detective D. Fairman took over the investigation and went back through the original case file. He and his team tracked down key witnesses from 2006 and talked with them again. They also found several new witnesses.

Those new witnesses told detectives that Hughey had admitted to the killing. They also said he tried to destroy physical evidence tied to the crime scene.

Wicomico County State's Attorney Jamie L. Dykes thanked the Salisbury Police Department for its work on the case. She gave special thanks to Detective Fairman for his hard work and persistence.

Dykes also thanked the community members and witnesses who came forward with information. She said their help was needed to bring closure to the case.

Senior Assistant State's Attorney Lauren Bourdon prosecuted the case, and Dykes praised her strong advocacy. Summer legal intern Emma Radebaugh was also thanked for helping prepare for trial and motions.

Dykes shared a statement about the outcome.

"In this Office, a cold case is not an abandoned case. There are times when patience and perseverance are the key tools to a successful prosecution. The long arm of the law spans time as well as distance, and we will never stop pursuing justice for victims of violent crime."