In the autumn of 2022, the life of a young man, Tymarkus Dashawn Starkes, was tragically cut short at the age of 20. On the night of October 15th, in Augusta, Georgia, law enforcement responded to a call in the 1900 block of Old Savannah Road. There, they discovered Starkes, a resident of Hephzibah, suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Despite the efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead approximately an hour later.
The incident was one of two separate homicides that occurred in
Richmond County over that weekend, prompting investigations by the local authorities. The community was left to mourn the loss of Starkes, who was remembered by friends and family as a funny, caring, and hardworking individual. He was a graduate of Cross Creek High School and Spirit Creek Middle School and was employed at FPL Foods.
In the weeks that followed, the Richmond County Sheriff's Office continued their investigation into the shooting. Their efforts led to a significant development on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, with the arrest of 22-year-old Lamar Jaquez Jones of Augusta. Jones was taken into custody and subsequently charged with murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime in connection with Starkes' death. While an arrest was made, authorities indicated that the investigation remained ongoing.
