A Georgia man who allegedly left an inoperable chemical weapon outside a Manhattan police precinct has been indicted in New York, an incident that helped authorities solve a two-year-old murder in his home state, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Delano Hill, 20, of Suwanee, GA, is facing charges of attempted criminal possession of a chemical or biological weapon, placing a false bomb or hazardous substance, and falsely reporting an incident, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said.
According to the DA, Hill allegedly placed a plastic bottle at the entrance of the NYPD’s 6th Precinct at 233 West 10th St. in Greenwich Village on Dec. 19, 2024, accompanied by a note claiming the bottle contained chlorine gas. The note also referenced the stabbing of a man named “Mr. Jones” in Suwanee and warned of a second device at Yeager International Airport in West Virginia.
Authorities said the airport was searched, and no device was found.
The city Department of Environmental Protection analyzed the bottle and found that it contained vinegar and bleach — the combination of which can produce chlorine gas — at non-toxic levels, prosecutors said.
“We have no tolerance for anyone who threatens or puts members of law enforcement in harm’s way. The defendant’s actions against the NYPD are unacceptable, and we will continue to pursue accountability in this matter,” said DA Bragg in a statement announcing Hill’s indictment. “I want to thank the NYPD and our law enforcement partners in Georgia for an outstanding and collaborative investigation that has led to significant charges in both states.”
Georgia cold case murder connection
The NYPD alerted law enforcement in Georgia about the strange note referencing a man named “Mr. Jones.” That tip turned out to be the break police needed in a 2022 unsolved homicide in Suwanee, Georgia, where 44-year-old Matthew Jones had been found stabbed outside his home on Sept. 4, 2022.
Subsequent searches of Hill’s residence in Suwanee uncovered a 24-page document that reportedly described both the attempted chemical attack in New York and the Georgia murder. Hill was arrested in March and indicted in Gwinnett County in June 2025 on murder and related charges.
According to local media reports, during the preliminary hearing in April, detectives testified about Hill’s written confession and a manifesto recovered from his home, which detailed the stabbing and a separate plan to carry out a chemical attack in New York.
Investigators told the court that Hill admitted in the manifesto to stabbing Jones while believing he was targeting someone else in retaliation for an alleged assault on a schoolmate, but later realized that Jones had not been the intended victim.
The lead detective told the court that Matthew Jones was found on his front lawn with four stab wounds: one behind his left ear, one under his chin, one near the heart, and one in the lower abdomen. Hill allegedly provided detailed information about the victim, the scene, and the stab wounds that had not been made public, which helped investigators link him to the crime.
Detectives also testified that Hill’s digital footprint—including surveillance footage, phone records, a New York MetroCard, and YouTube activity under the alias “Dog Tags”—corroborated his confession. A note found at the Georgia crime scene with the phrase “The Dog Tags was here” further connected Hill to the stabbing.
Hill’s attorney in Georgia did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication. It is unclear when Hill will be extradited to NYC for arraignment.
