Late September 2017, relatives who could not reach 80-year-old Nancy Starnes and her 58-year-old son Kenneth went to their home on Ennisdale Drive in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. A September 23 visit showed signs of forced entry; deputies found both Nancy and Kenneth shot to death and the house ransacked. Televisions, firearms, credit cards and two family vehicles were reported missing.

Investigators linked the break-in and killings to two local men, Kareem Jamar Mitchell and Richard Holmes, and recovered Starnes property in searches tied to them. A tip about an illegal gun sale led to Sharon Galvin, Mitchell’s half-sister, where one of the stolen vehicles was located. Authorities say Mitchell shot both victims with a .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol during a burglary; he later said he panicked.

Charges included first-degree murder against Mitchell and Holmes. Mitchell pleaded guilty and received two life terms; Holmes later accepted a plea and was sentenced to 32 years. Sharon Galvin faced receiving stolen property and accessory after the fact charges but died before trial. Does anyone have information about the Starnes family, the neighborhood, or the days leading up to the murders?