 Richard Starks Jr |
On Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at about 2:10 a.m. St. John deputies responded to the 100 block of Oak Arbor Street in LaPlace for a 911 report of a shooting incident. The caller identified as Richard Starks Jr., 55, told deputies he had accidentally shot the female victim identified as his wife, Carreta Davis Starks, 47, as the result of a domestic issue. Upon arrival, deputies were approached by Richard Starks Jr. who exited the residence with arms up, surrendering to police. Deputies detained him without incident. Deputies then entered the residence and found the female victim seated on the living room floor in front of a sofa with a gunshot wound to the head. Emergency services attempted to render medical aid, but the victim was unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene by the coroner’s office. During the course of the investigation, detectives found a semi-automatic firearm with a single magazine separated from the firearm on the floor near the body. Richard Starks Jr. was arrested for second degree murder and booked into the Sherman Walker Corrections Center. As of September 13, 10 a.m., bond had not been set.