Former Del. DOC officer indicted for K-9 heat-related death

SMYRNA, Del. – A former Delaware Correctional Officer has been indicted on three charges, including a felony, for recklessly confining and causing the death of a 4-year-old law enforcement animal named Lux.

We’re told 45-year-old Darrel Wiley was indicted for leaving Lux confined and unattended in an official vehicle while on duty at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center for more than four hours in September 2022. Temperatures that day reached a high of more than 80 degrees, and when Wiley returned to his vehicle, he reportedly found Lux dead. Further investigation revealed that Wiley’s misconduct was not new, as he was found to have repeatedly left Lux confined in his vehicle from June to September of 2022.

The Delaware Department of Correction immediately placed Wiley on administrative leave following Lux’s death, initiated an internal investigation, and contacted Animal Welfare investigators to conduct an independent investigation. Wiley is no longer employed by the DOC.

The grand jury indicted Wiley on one count each of first degree assault against a law enforcement animal, cruelty to animals, and official misconduct.