Gary Man Sentenced to 105 Years for Murder, Attempted Murder, and Burglary
A Gary man has been sentenced to 105 years in the Indiana Department of Correction after a jury found him guilty of ambushing a couple inside their apartment building, killing one victim and severely injuring the other during a dispute connected to an earlier burglary.
According to charging documents and trial evidence, Thomas Demarcus Starks was identified as the masked gunman who opened fire on two residents of the 300 block of Clark Road on August 8, 2023, as they returned home with food. The victims were walking into the apartment building when gunfire erupted from above in the stairwell. One victim, Kajah Wilson, collapsed near the first-floor entryway and died at the scene from seven gunshot wounds, all fired downward from above. The second victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including injuries that required surgical reattachment of two fingers.
Investigators determined the shooting stemmed from an ongoing conflict between the victims and the tenants of a unit directly above them. Two weeks before the homicide, the victims’ apartment had been burglarized by a masked male and an unmasked female, both of whom were recorded on home security video taking electronics, shoes, and other property. Police say the masked male in the burglary footage matched the build, clothing, and gun-handling characteristics of the gunman responsible for the fatal ambush.
Detectives later linked Starks and a female associate to the burglary using video evidence, witness accounts, and pawn shop records showing the stolen electronics had been pawned the day after the break-in. The burglary suspects lived in the apartment directly above the victims.
Charges include:
Count I- Murder 57 years in the DOC, with the Enhancement Use of a Firearm as to Count I -Additional 12 years consecutive to Count I
Count II- Attempted Murder 30 years in the DOC consecutive to Count I
Count IV – Burglary 6 years, with 3 yrs executed in the DOC, 2 yrs in LCCC and 1 Year probation consecutive to above counts.
At today’s hearing, the court imposed a total executed sentence of 105 years in the Indiana Department of Correction.
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter gave special thanks to Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Jacob Brandwie and Veronica Gonzales, Gary Police Department and the Lake County Prosecutor’s Homicide Task Force-led Detective Roger Escutia for their dedication to this case.
