In the quiet community of Enterprise, Alabama, the life of Sara Elizabeth Shubert Starr, a 38-year-old fourth-grade teacher, was tragically cut short on November 27, 2017. A mother of four children, including two sets of twins, Sara was found dead from a gunshot wound in her home on Coffee County Road 647 in Chancellor. The initial report to the Coffee County Sheriff's Office at approximately 8:30 a.m.
suggested a possible suicide, but the absence of a firearm at the scene quickly turned the investigation towards homicide.
The investigation into Sara's death unfolded over several years, involving multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI. Suspicion soon fell upon her ex-husband, Jason Glenn Starr, with whom she had undergone a 'bitter divorce' just four months prior to her murder. As part of their divorce settlement, a judge had awarded Sara a significant portion of Jason's income, including $1,050 a month in child support and $1,500 in alimony, as well as a portion of his military benefits. This financial obligation is believed to have been a primary motive for the crime. During the divorce proceedings, Sara had expressed fear of her ex-husband and had even been assisted by a soldier who served with Jason to move into a church's unused parsonage for her safety.
The investigation revealed a sinister murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by Jason Starr. He enlisted his brother, Darin Starr, to carry out the murder of his ex-wife. Between September and November 2017, Jason sent approximately $2,600 to Darin. In addition to the money, Jason also gave his brother a motorcycle. Cell phone records placed Darin, who lived in Texas and had never met Sara, near her home on multiple occasions leading up to the murder. On the morning of the killing, prosecutors say Darin was waiting outside Sara's home and shot her twice with a 12-gauge shotgun as she left for work. Her colleagues from Harrand Creek Elementary School discovered her body under the carport when she failed to arrive at school.
In December 2021, Jason Starr was arrested and charged with the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. His brother, Darin Starr, was also arrested. In September 2023, a federal jury convicted both brothers of the murder-for-hire plot. In January 2024, both Jason and Darin Starr were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During the sentencing, Sara and Jason's daughters confronted their father in court with powerful statements, with one telling him, 'You are useless,' and the other saying, 'I hope you rot.' In addition to their life sentences, the brothers were ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution to Sara's estate, covering lost future income, funeral expenses, and child care.
