How Wilmington police identified the woman accused in the deadly attack

Moments before witnesses saw a woman “senselessly” beat another woman to death in Wilmington, a suspect painted hearts with her initials in the dust on the windows of nearby cars, court documents say.

Laverne Seeley is being held in jail on $140,000 bond for the Oct. 24 attack. The 31-year-old is suspected of murdering 49-year-old Lisa Fakis.

Wilmington officers responded to the 200 block of N. Lombard St., according to court documents. just after 9 p.m. after receiving a 911 call that Fakis was unresponsive. Police said there she found “profuse bleeding” from the head.

Police tried to treat the woman, but she died at the scene, court documents state. Earlier, Wilmington police said Fakis was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Nearby, operatives found two “significant” bloodstains, likely from where Fakis was attacked. Witnesses later told police that she had walked a short distance from where she was beaten before she passed out.

INITIAL STORY: Woman Dies After Wilmington Attack; the second fatal attack in the city in 1 week

Thanks to “numerous” witnesses, the police were able to find out what happened.

What led to the attack?

Just before the attack, residents in the area saw a black woman, later identified as Seeley, walking in the area, according to witness statements outlined in court documents. She was wearing dark blue pants, a black hooded sweatshirt, “visible” red lipstick, and a brown wig.

At one point, she placed some of the things she was carrying on two different cars and used her finger to paint the dust on the cars. Police later saw a heart and Sealy’s initials “LS” on the back windows.

Then she started reading a book.

A short time later, witnesses told police they saw her “senselessly attacking” Fakis. It is unclear where Fakis was before the attack, and whether he and Seely knew each other.

According to court documents, Seeley punched Fakis several times in the head and then dragged her to and from the street. She also took Fakis’ backpack, witnesses told police.

Seely left the area after the attack. Fakis, meanwhile, pushed “incoherently” towards witnesses before collapsing, and that’s where she was found by police.

The red lipstick may have helped identify Seeley

After speaking with witnesses and getting a description of Seeley, police turned the information over to patrol officers, court documents state.

“A few minutes later,” the detective wrote in the arrest warrant, officers located a woman walking down Front Street who matched the “exact description” of what witnesses had said.

Officers pulled Seeley over and discovered she had outstanding capias. They arrested her on warrants and then returned her to the scene of the attack, court documents said.

According to the arrest warrant, witnesses who were still being interviewed identified Seeley as responsible for Fakis’ death. The warrant also says a person may have been involved in the attack, though details remain unclear.

Seely remains in prison.

Got a tip? Email Isabelle Hughes at [email protected] or 302-324-2785. For the latest news, follow her on X at @izzihughes_