Earnest R. Starling Jr., a 35-year-old male from Springfield, OH, tragically lost his life on November 25, 2014, in Xenia, OH. Starling was shot and killed outside a home on Church Street in Xenia around 1 a.m. The incident began when Chris Fonzi Jr., 31, arrived at the address where his estranged wife lived. Witnesses reported that Fonzi displayed a handgun and forced his way inside the home.
Inside the home, Starling and Fonzi engaged in a heated argument that lasted several minutes.
The confrontation escalated when Fonzi fired several shots inside the home before chasing Starling outside. Fonzi fired two additional shots, with one hitting Starling in the torso, resulting in his death.
Following the shooting, Fonzi fled the scene in a white truck, leading to a high-speed chase involving Greene County sheriff’s deputies and Dayton police officers. The pursuit ended in Dayton after officers used stop sticks to deflate the tires on Fonzi’s truck. Fonzi then shot himself in the truck, and the vehicle crashed into a pole near Fifth and Terry streets. Fonzi was taken to a hospital but succumbed to his self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Xenia police recovered the weapon used in the shooting and released cruiser cam footage of the truck crash. Starling was visiting Fonzi’s estranged wife and her niece at the time of the incident. The tragic event was determined to be a murder-suicide, with Fonzi taking his own life after killing Starling.
This case did not lead to any further arrests or litigations, as the primary suspect, Chris Fonzi Jr., died at the scene. The investigation concluded with the recovery of the weapon and the release of the cruiser cam footage.
