Coffee County Man and His Brother Found Guilty of Carrying Out a Murder-for-Hire Plot

            MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – Today, a federal jury in Montgomery, Alabama, convicted two men for their roles in a murder-for-hire conspiracy that resulted in the November 27, 2017, death of an Enterprise woman.  

            According to court documents and evidence presented during the six-day trial, in 2017, Jason Starr, 50, from Coffee Springs, Alabama, went through a divorce from his former wife. Ultimately, a judge awarded a significant portion of Jason Starr’s income to his ex-wife.  Shortly after the divorce, from September 2017 to November 2017, Jason Starr sent approximately $2,600 to his brother, Darin Starr, 54, a resident of Lakehills, Texas. Cell phone records for Darin Starr showed that he traveled from Texas to Coffee County just before Thanksgiving in 2017 and, on multiple occasions, was very near the home of his brother’s ex-wife. Around midnight on November 27, 2017, Darin Starr’s phone was turned off. Approximately seven hours later, Darin Starr shot and killed his brother’s ex-wife in her driveway as she was leaving for work. Darin Starr turned his phone back on around 8:00 a.m. when he was on I-10 heading back to Texas.

            In rendering its verdict, the jury determined that the money sent by Jason Starr to his brother was payment for the murder of his ex-wife.

            A sentencing hearing for Jason and Darin Starr will be held in the coming months. At that hearing, they will each face a mandatory sentence of life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

            “The tragedy endured by the victim’s family is unthinkable,” stated United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. “I am grateful for the hard work of all the investigating agencies in this case. Their efforts resulted in bringing Jason and Darin Starr to justice.”

            "The FBI and our state and local partners worked tirelessly to ensure justice was served,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “We thank the jury for their work on this case."

            The FBI, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated the case, with Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua J. Wendell and B. Chelsea Phillips prosecuting.