The day Madison Sparrow left home for the final time, she donned a pair of ghost earrings.
She didn’t wear jewelry often, but earrings were even rarer, her mother said. It was less than a month before Halloween though, and Sparrow wanted to be festive to get ice cream with a friend she hadn’t seen in several months.
What happened after 17-year-old Sparrow walked out her front door on the afternoon of Oct. 2, 2020, however, would be no ghost story. Instead, the hours, days, weeks and two years that followed became a real-life nightmare for Sparrow’s family, friends and the Newark community.
On Thursday, some of that nightmare came to an end. After less than three hours of deliberation, a New Castle County jury found Noah Sharp, Sparrow’s ex-boyfriend, guilty of murdering Sparrow.
The jury also found Sharp guilty of conspiring with Annika Stalczynski – the friend Sparrow was supposed to get ice cream with the day of her death – to commit the crime.
BACKGROUND:Madison Sparrow’s murder suspect’s family testifies before closing arguments at trial
The verdict, which prompted almost no visible reaction from Sharp or his mother, yet left Sparrow’s family and friends in relieved tears, came after seven days of evidence and more than 250 exhibits presented by prosecutors.
The defense’s case, which Sharp’s attorneys made in less than three hours Wednesday morning, consisted largely of the statements of just three witnesses: Sharp’s mother, brother and grandmother.
Attorney General Kathy Jennings said Thursday afternoon she was “grateful to the jury for doing the right thing.” She added that for Sparrow’s family and friends, however, “closure is much more elusive than justice.”
“Madison was a daughter, a friend and a wonderful person,” Jennings said. “Her loss is too great to measure and everyone who knew him loved her is in our hearts today.”
The trial
During the trial, the jury heard from nearly 30 witnesses, the majority of whom were called by prosecutors.
Through their testimony, the witnesses laid out the plot to kill Sparrow, which Sharp and Stalczynski began planning via text message, FaceTime and in person at least 10 days before the murder.
The jury viewed the text exchanges between Sharp and Stalczynski that discussed what weapons the teens would use and how they’d dispose of Sparrow’s body. Ultimately, the two decided they would kill Sparrow at Maclary Elementary School near Newark and dispose of her body about 15 minutes south, near a warehouse.
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At several points during the trial, Sharp’s defense team attempted to argue that someone else could have had control of Sharp’s devices and that it wasn’t him texting Stalczynski. Given their verdict, it appears the jury rejected this argument.
In court proceedings, the jury watched hours worth of video of Sharp’s interviews with police at Delaware State Police Troop 2 in Glasgow. Over the course of several days, they heard how Sharp’s ever-changing stories ultimately crumbled, culminating in a confession.
They also saw, through police video, how Sharp led detectives to where he and Stalczynski buried Sparrow in a two- or three-foot grave – a decision the teens made after unsuccessfully drowning Sparrow’s body in the Christina River under Interstate 95 several dozen yards away.
And the jury listened as several detectives testified that they found a bare footprint in the mud next to the river – where paving blocks from Stalczynski’s home and Sparrow’s burned clothing were found – of which they created a cast.
A Delaware State Police fingerprint analyst then testified that from the cast, she was able to obtain enough detail of the print of the big toe to compare it to an inking of Sharp’s big toe. The two matched, she said.
During his various interviews with police, Sharp said he often walked barefoot. An employee of Sobieski Inc., the heating and cooling company that has a warehouse close to where Sharp and Stalczynski disposed of Sparrow’s body, also testified that he saw Sharp not wearing shoes.
Perhaps most anticipated in the trial, though, was Stalczynski’s Monday morning testimony. She pleaded guilty in May to murder and conspiracy in exchange for an agreement that prosecutors will ask for 30 years in prison.
The plea documents required her to testify.
STALCZYNSKI SPEAKS:Why kill Madison Sparrow? Former friend, accomplice takes the stand in murder trial
Over a period of about three hours, she quietly confirmed what prosecutors had already presented to the jury the week prior, testifying that her role in the plot was borne out of Sharp’s claims to her that Sparrow was “spreading (her) business.”
Sparrow’s family and friends have repeatedly said the girl wasn’t the type to talk badly about her friends. Stalczynski hinted on Monday that she now realizes Sharp may have not been truthful with her.
“We was all friends … and he was messing with both of us,” Stalczynski said.
Sharp’s defense team made much of the now-19-year-old’s plea agreement and testimony, suggesting during closing arguments on Wednesday afternoon that Stalczynski was not to be believed.
Monika Germono, one of Sharp’s three defense attorneys, told the jury not to be “fooled” by Stalczynski’s “small build or quiet voice.”
“She’s the one who received a plea to 30 years,” Germono said.
It remains unclear how much weight the jury ultimately gave her testimony.
Ultimately, however, it may have been the defense witnesses – coupled with the previous seven days of evidence – that sealed Sharp’s fate.
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During their back-to-back testimony, Sharp’s mother and brother contradicted each other several times. At least once, Sharp’s mom also contradicted herself.
Nikia Sharp testified Wednesday that her son wasn’t particularly wet when he arrived home on the evening of Oct. 2, while David Sharp said his brother was very wet.
“I don’t know if he’d been crawling through mud or water or what,” David Sharp testified.
Nikia Sharp also said that soon after her son got home, Stalczynski came into the house and was “calm.”
But David Sharp said the teen “stormed in” and slammed the door twice. When questioned by prosecutor John Downs about Stalczynski’s demeanor, David Sharp said: “When you slam a door, I don’t think you’d describe it as calm.”
In closing arguments, neither Sharp’s defense team nor the prosecutors noted these inconsistencies.
Instead, the defense argued that police “molded” Sharp’s confession while prosecutors urged the jury not to overthink what they had heard over a period of eight days.
“Don’t outsmart your common sense,” said Deputy Attorney General Matt Frawley. “You know when something doesn’t make sense, you know when something doesn’t add up.”
The verdict
When the verdict was returned to Judge Ferris Wharton just after 1 p.m. Thursday, he reminded courtroom spectators to remain composed, something he had said Wednesday afternoon after Sharp’s family was disruptive from the spectator section of the courtroom.
Heeding this, the courtroom was silent as the jury entered, with spectators sitting up a little straighter in their seats. When the foreperson announced guilty on all three charges, several of Sparrow’s family members and close friends began crying silently. Others put their hands on each other’s backs.
Exiting the courtroom, they hugged the chief investigating officer and each other as they wiped away tears.
Sharp’s mother did not react when the verdict was read, and while his face was not visible, Sharp also did not appear to respond strongly either, only leaning slightly to one side. As he was led away in handcuffs, he looked back briefly at his mother, giving her a toothy smile.
Sentencing will take place in January. Sharp will be sentenced to life in prison, the mandatory punishment for first degree murder. Stalczynski does not yet have a sentencing date.
Got a story tip or idea? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com. For all things breaking news, follow her on Twitter at @izzihughes_
