Brothers Sentenced to Pay $1M+ Restitution in Murder-for-Hire Case

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By Staff Writer | iSkyCreations - News & Media (ISC News & Media)
Published May 2nd, 2024

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA — In a significant legal development, Jason Starr and Darin Starr, two brothers involved in a murder-for-hire plot, have been ordered by a federal judge in Montgomery to pay $1,069,242.03 in restitution. The announcement came from United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross following the sentencing hearing on April 29, 2024.

The case dates back to a gruesome act in 2017 when Darin Starr, from Lakehills, Texas, fatally shot his brother Jason's ex-wife in her driveway as she was leaving for work the Monday following Thanksgiving. The motive behind the murder stemmed from Jason Starr's dissatisfaction with the financial settlement awarded to his ex-wife after their divorce.

In September 2023, after extensive investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, both brothers were convicted by a federal jury. The investigations revealed a calculated plot by Jason Starr, a resident of Coffee Springs, Alabama, to hire his brother to carry out the killing.

Both Jason and Darin Starr were subsequently given life sentences, with no possibility of parole due to the federal nature of their crimes. Additionally, Jason Starr was fined $25,000. The case was vigorously prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys B. Chelsea Phillips and Joshua J. Wendell, while Assistant United States Attorney Audrey L. Willis handled the restitution proceedings.

The restitution amount of over one million dollars is intended to cover various costs related to the crime, although specific details of the restitution allocation were not immediately disclosed.

For Immediate Release: U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Alabama

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