On the morning of November 6, 2022, a tragic event unfolded in Bowling Green, Kentucky, leading to the death of 37-year-old Adrian J. Starks. Starks, a male, was inside the apartment he shared with his roommate on Spring Hollow Avenue when he was shot while lying in his bed. Despite his injuries, Starks managed to make his way to a neighbor's apartment to seek help.
Law enforcement was able to speak with him before he was transported to TriStar Skyline Medical Center in Nashville for surgery, where he ultimately succumbed to his wounds.
The investigation into the shooting led police to identify Starks's roommate, Mickeal McCathren, then 38, as the suspect. When officers initially searched the shared apartment, they discovered McCathren hiding under a mattress. A handgun was also found in the bedroom, within his reach. According to investigators, neighbors reported hearing gunshots and seeing Starks leave his apartment for the one next door. No other individuals were seen entering or leaving the apartment around the time of the shooting.
Further investigation revealed that there had been recent tension between the two roommates. About a week before the fatal shooting, Starks had contacted McCathren's family to express his concern about McCathren's alleged drug use. When questioned by police, McCathren claimed that he had 'blacked out' and could not remember what had happened. While Starks had mentioned a roommate to the police before he died, he did not specifically name McCathren as the person who shot him.
Mickeal McCathren was arrested and subsequently charged with murder, possession of a defaced firearm, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. He was held at the Warren County Regional Jail on a $500,000 cash bond. In March 2024, a trial date was set for September of the same year.
