2023: Top 5 Stories On Malvern Patch

MALVERN, PA — The year 2023 in Chester County was not like any other year in many aspects.

At the beginning of the year, news broke out that M. Night Shyamalan purchased a 218-acre estate in Willistown Township, near Malvern.

During the summer, convicted killer Danilo Cavalcante had local, state, and federal law enforcement officers on a two-week manhunt from southern Chester County to northern Chester County, including a Labor Day weekend search of Longwood Gardens.

In the November election, the Democratic party swept the state, county, and local races.

Throughout the year, Patch continued to provide you with local news ranging from police, politics, education, courts, transportation, and more.

Here are the 2023 most-read stories in Malvern and nearby:

1. M. Night Shyamalan Buys Former Rockefeller Farm: The descendants of oil magnate William Rockefeller Jr. sold a 218-acre farm to movie director M. Night Shyamalan for $24 million. Shyamalan, a writer and director of The Sixth Sense and Knock at the Cabin, grew up in Penn Valley, Lower Merion, and resides in Ravenwood, Willistown Township, Chester County.
2. Escaped Killer On The Run: Convicted murderer Danilo Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison at 8:50 a.m. on Aug. 31. He was waiting to be transferred to state prison to serve a life sentence for the murder of the April 18, 2021 stabbing of Deborah Brandao in Schuylkill Township. Officials released a video of Cavalcante scaling two walls to the roof. Hundreds of law enforcement officers searched eastern Chester County for two weeks. He was captured on Sept.
3. Activists Escalate Protest At Vanguard: Environmental activists staged a protest outside Vanguard's headquarters to demonstrate the urgency of the climate crisis.
4. Democrats Sweep Chester County Judge, DA, Sheriff, And Other Races: Democrats on Nov. 7 continued the trend that started in 2019 when the GOP lost control of the Chester County Board of Commissioners, District Attorney, Sheriff, and School Boards.
5. New Boutique Steakhouse Opens In Malvern: Joey Chops opened in February at 245 Lancaster Ave., serving woodfired prime rib cuts, seafood, and classic cocktails.