Murder victim identified | Milford LIVE! – Local news from Delaware, Kent and Sussex counties

Risch Oldens

After locating next of kin, Milford police released the name of the woman who was allegedly murdered by her roommate on Lakeview Avenue. The victim is Rose Lourdes Gerson Garcon, 50, who lived in the 400 block of Lakeview with Edouard Risch Oldens, 18, who was arrested for her murder.

On September 22, police were dispatched to North Church Street on a mental health call, where they spoke with Oldens. During the conversation, Risch Oldens told officers that he had killed someone and that “voices in his head” had told him to do it. Officers went to the Lakeview Avenue home, where they found Gerson Garcon dead.

It is standard procedure for the Milford Police Department to not release the victim's name until next of kin have been notified. Because the victim's next of kin had to travel to the United States, the department decided to do an in-person notification, which delayed the release of the victim's name.

Risch Oldens and Gerson Garcon were not related, according to police, but were roommates. The medical examiner has announced that Gerson Garcon's cause of death was homicide by stabbing. It is also standard procedure not to release the cause of death until the medical examiner has made a determination.

Risch Oldens was charged with first-degree murder and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony. He was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court No. 3, where bail was set at $680,000 cash only. Risch Oldens is scheduled to appear in Sussex County Court of Common Pleas for a preliminary hearing at a later date.

The Milford Police Department would like to thank the community for their continued support as they deal with this tragic loss in the community. They would also like to thank the Delaware Department of Justice, Delaware Victim Assistance Services, Delaware Division of Forensics, and the Dover Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.