Teacher's death 'murder' law officers say

From left, Coffee County Sheriff Dave Sutton, Twelfth Judicial Circuit District Attorney Tom Anderson and CCSO Chief Deputy Ronnie Whitworth update news reporters on the investigation into the death of an Enterprise school teacher.

The death of an Enterprise schoolteacher is being called “murder” Coffee County law officers said at news conference held Tuesday, Nov. 28, at the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office.

Twelfth Judicial Circuit District Attorney Tom Anderson, Coffee County Sheriff Dave Sutton and CCSO Chief Deputy Ronnie Whitworth held the news conference to provide a law enforcement update on the events surrounding the death of Sara Starr, 36, who was discovered dead in her home on Coffee County Road 647 Monday, Nov. 27.

Preliminary indications are that Starr’s death occurred sometime after 6:30 a.m. Nov. 27, “but an autopsy is being performed and an investigation is continuing,” Anderson said.

Sutton said that his department had first been contacted at approximately 8:30 a.m. Nov. 27 when Starr had been found dead in her home. The death was initially reported to authorities as a “possible suicide” but no weapon was found.

Sutton said that investigators from the district attorney’s office were contacted. Also assisting in the investigation were officers from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Enterprise and Dothan Police Departments, he said.

“We’re not AT liberty to say a lot but one of the key factors that turned this into a homicide investigation instead of a possible suicide is that the death was an apparent gunshot wound to the head and no firearm was recovered from the scene,” Anderson said. “So you tell me what occurred.”

Anderson confirmed that a “person of interest” is being investigated. “There are also open avenues still under consideration for any other separate or additional potential suspects,” he said.

“Search warrants have been obtained and currently being executed,” Anderson added. “I just can’t go into greater details because it could compromise the nature of the investigation and the efforts of the sheriff’s office.”

Starr was a fourth grade teacher at Harrand Creek Elementary School and the mother of “at least” four children, Anderson said.

Starr is originally from Kansas and has lived in the area for more than 10 years, Anderson said. Her parents have been contacted.

Anderson said that he “highly doubts” that Starr’s children were present when the murder occurred. Officials from the Department of Human Resources and law enforcement investigators have interviewed the children.

Sutton said the children’s father, who lives in Coffee County, has been in contact with authorities.

Four of Starr’s children attend two Enterprise City Schools and both schools had been placed on soft lockdown for several hours Nov. 27. Sutton said that was part of standard operating procedure when a child is involved. “It was just for safety’S sake.

“We had contacted DHR and told them where the children were. We put our action plan together and we went after the children to make sure they were safe,” Sutton said. “In the meantime the schools went into soft lockdown status.”

“There is no indication that any student of Enterprise City School system was ever at risk,” Anderson stressed. “Nor do we believe that they will be at risk because of this event.”

“The investigation will continue until we get more evidence of what happened here,” Sutton said.

“And there won’t be any stone left unturned,” said Anderson. “I can assure you of that.”

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