A manhunt is underway across multiple states for a former Virginia correctional officer who allegedly shot and killed two VDOT contractors last week, including an inmate she had a relationship with while he was incarcerated, a relationship that cost her the career she had for nearly a decade. Denika Rachelle Boyce, 37, a mother of five, has been on the run since the early morning hours of July 24, 2026, when police say she opened fire at a VDOT equipment staging area near the intersection of Route 1 and Route 288 in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The shooting left Rashaun Eugene DeLorge, 30, of Woodbridge, and Philip Avery Wilson, 34, dead at the scene or shortly thereafter.
Investigators have confirmed the attack was domestic-related, and sources close to the case have revealed a tangled web of prison romance, professional ruin, and violent obsession that ended in a double homicide.
The Virginia Department of Corrections confirmed in a statement released within the last 24 hours that Boyce was employed as a correctional officer at Greensville Correctional Center in Greensville County until her separation on August 16, 2025. The agency declined to specify the reason for her termination, but court records and interviews with former colleagues paint a picture of a woman who crossed a dangerous line. Boyce met DeLorge while he was an inmate at Greensville, where he was serving time on a reduced sentence for a 2021 attempted murder charge that was plea-bargained down to felony destruction of property, brandishing a firearm, and reckless handling of a firearm.
DeLorge had been arrested in August 2021 for firing multiple shots at a man standing in front of a chicken establishment in Fredericksburg, a bullet piercing the store window. He was sentenced in May 2022 and, with time served and Virginia’s earned sentence credits, was released in late 2024 or early 2025.
Boyce’s relationship with DeLorge began while he was behind bars, a violation of prison protocol that ultimately led to her dismissal. Former coworkers say Boyce was a dedicated officer who had been with the department for years, but her involvement with DeLorge became an open secret. She would visit him during off-hours, send him letters, and even bring him contraband, according to one source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
When the relationship was discovered, Boyce was terminated, losing her pension, her income, and her stability. She had five children to support, and friends say she was devastated. But instead of ending the relationship, she doubled down, moving in with DeLorge after his release.
The couple lived together for several months, but tensions escalated when DeLorge began spending more time with Wilson, his friend and fellow contractor.
On the morning of July 24, 2026, Boyce tracked DeLorge and Wilson to the VDOT staging area, a gravel lot where contractors gather to pick up equipment before heading out for interstate maintenance work. Witnesses told police that Boyce arrived in a vehicle and began yelling at DeLorge to come to her. Wilson, who was walking alongside DeLorge, tried to shield his friend, telling him to keep moving toward the gate.
Boyce allegedly shouted, Get out of my way, or you will be shot too. She then pulled a firearm and fired multiple rounds, striking both men. DeLorge died at the scene.
Wilson was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries later that day. The shooting occurred around 9:30 a. m.
, a time when the lot was busy with workers preparing for their shifts. No VDOT employees were harmed, but the violence sent shockwaves through the tight-knit contracting community.
Senator Mike Jones issued a statement offering prayers to the families of the victims and condemning the attack. No one discharging their duties at work should be in fear for their lives, Jones said. The Chesterfield County Police Department, along with Virginia State Police and the FBI, have been working around the clock to locate Boyce.
Authorities have released multiple images of her, including surveillance footage from a nearby gas station that shows her purchasing items shortly before the shooting. She is described as a Black female, approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing around 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen driving a dark-colored sedan, but the vehicle has not been recovered.
Investigators believe she may have fled the state, possibly heading south toward North Carolina or Georgia, where she has family ties.
The manhunt has entered its second week with no confirmed sightings. Virginia State Police spokesperson Sherise Hawkman said during a press conference that all leads are being pursued. We have two people who lost their lives, and so it is very important for people to assist law enforcement in the search of the suspect, Hawkman said.
We ask everyone to just call in with tips. And again, please support law enforcement in our search and in our investigation. The community has been urged to call 911 immediately if they see Boyce and not to approach her, as she is considered armed and dangerous.
The victims’ families are grieving publicly. DeLorge’s mother, who asked not to be named, described her son as a troubled but loving man who was trying to turn his life around after prison. He had a job, he was working, he was seeing his kids, she said through tears.
He did not deserve to die like this. Wilson’s family remembered him as a devoted father who posted a picture with his son on the morning of the shooting, looking up at the sky. That image, shared on social media, has become a symbol of the tragedy.
Philip, he was just such a good guy, said a family friend during a memorial service. He changed my whole message from what I was going to preach this week. He was part of our family.
Court records reveal that DeLorge had an extensive criminal history, with more than five arrests in the three years leading up to his death. His first significant charge came in 2019, when he and a female accomplice were caught on surveillance camera stealing a purse from an unlocked vehicle outside a restaurant in Stafford County. They used the victim’s credit cards at a gas station and a 7-Eleven before being arrested.
DeLorge was also involved in a robbery at an Outback Steakhouse in March 2019, where the couple stole $129 from a cash drawer. But the most serious charge was the 2021 attempted murder case, which was reduced in a plea deal. That deal allowed DeLorge to walk free after just a few years, a fact that has angered some who believe the system failed.
Boyce’s social media presence tells a story of a woman who was deeply in love but increasingly desperate. In the weeks leading up to the shooting, she posted cryptic messages about betrayal and heartbreak. One post read, You think you are hard to love?
I think that I am a quiet taste. I am humble enough to know I could be replaced, but I am confident enough that nobody in the world is like me. Another post, a repost of a Mike Tyson interview, seemed to foreshadow the violence.
The clip, which DeLorge had also shared, featured Tyson talking about the pain of being played with. Friends say Boyce was a sweet person who had never been in trouble before, but the loss of her job and the fear of losing DeLorge pushed her over the edge.
The investigation has revealed that Boyce and DeLorge were living together until shortly before the shooting. DeLorge had moved in with Wilson, and Boyce allegedly believed he was leaving her. She followed him to the staging area that morning, armed with a gun she had purchased legally months earlier.
Police have not confirmed a motive, but sources say Boyce felt betrayed after sacrificing her career for DeLorge, only to have him distance himself. She put everything on the line, said one investigator. She risked her kids, how she fed them, all for him to just leave.
And that was enough for her to follow him that morning.
The case has drawn national attention, with many questioning how a correctional officer could become involved with an inmate in the first place. The Virginia Department of Corrections has launched an internal review of policies regarding officer-inmate relationships, but officials say such cases are rare. We take these matters very seriously, a spokesperson said.
Any violation of protocol is dealt with swiftly. But for the families of DeLorge and Wilson, the questions come too late. They are left to bury their loved ones while Boyce remains at large.
As the manhunt continues, law enforcement is urging anyone with information to come forward. The FBI has offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Boyce’s arrest. Tips can be submitted anonymously through the Virginia State Police tip line or the FBI’s website.
In the meantime, the community is on edge, with some residents reporting sightings of a woman matching Boyce’s description in rural areas of southern Virginia. Each lead is being investigated, but so far, none have panned out.
The double homicide has also reignited debates about domestic violence and the cycle of trauma. Advocates point out that Boyce’s actions, while inexcusable, are a tragic example of what can happen when someone feels they have nothing left to lose. She lost her job, her reputation, and her sense of self-worth, said Dr.
Maria Gonzalez, a psychologist specializing in criminal behavior. When you combine that with a volatile relationship, you have a recipe for disaster. But that does not excuse taking two lives.
Nothing does.
For now, the focus remains on finding Denika Boyce. Authorities believe she may be receiving help from friends or family, and they are warning anyone who harbors her that they could face charges. This is a woman who is desperate and likely scared, said Hawkman.
But she is also dangerous. We need the public’s help to bring her to justice. The families of Rashaun DeLorge and Philip Wilson deserve closure, and we will not rest until we get it.
The story of Denika Boyce is a cautionary tale about the dangers of mixing love with power, and the devastating consequences when boundaries are crossed. She was a correctional officer tasked with maintaining order, but she let her heart override her duty. In the end, she lost everything, her job, her freedom, and her humanity.
And now, two families are left to mourn the men she killed, while her own five children wonder if they will ever see their mother again. The search continues, but for those who knew the victims, the pain will last a lifetime.
