According to police, human remains discovered in Maryland last week were identified as belonging to a Delaware woman who disappeared in 2020.
Jennifer Leyanna (41), from Felton, Delaware was last seen in Hartly. Since Oct. 9, 2020, she hadn’t been heard from or seen since.
After months of investigation, the Delaware State Police concluded that she was dead. “Her demise may have been caused by criminal actions,” they said in a news statement.
Later, detectives identified Leonard “Buddy”, 41, from Henderson, Maryland as the suspect in her murder.
On February 16, police searched a Henderson residence at the 25000 block of Schuyler Road. They found remains positively identified by Leyanna by Maryland Division of Forensic Science.
According to the news release, Caroline County deputies took Church into custody the same day as the search. He was then taken into Maryland Division of Corrections for unrelated criminal charges.
Police said that he was taken to Delaware State Police Troop 3 Monday and charged him with first-degree murder.
The motive for the attack was not shared by the authorities.
According to police, Church was taken to the Justice of the Peace Court for arraignment and placed under $2 million cash bond at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institute.
Information about lawyers for the Church was not immediately available.
The investigation is ongoing. Anybody with any additional information or tips can contact Det. Mark Ryde by calling 302-741-2730 or emailing mark.ryde@delaware.gov.
