Last Friday, Corey Holmes, 45, of Detroit, received a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the 2018 witness retaliation murder of Starkisha Thompson, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Holmes was convicted by a Wayne County jury in June of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first degree murder, and witness retaliation. He was additionally sentenced to 6-10 years’ incarceration on the witness retaliation charge, to be served consecutive to his life sentence. Holmes is the third defendant found guilty in the murder plot, following conviction and sentencing of Kenneth Dixon and Jah-Lana Streeter.
Corey Holmes murdered Starkisha Thompson in October 2018 in retaliation for her testimony in the car-jacking trial of Kenneth Dixon. Thompson had been the victim of the carjacking perpetrated by Dixon. Over the course of the trial, Dixon was able to acquire Thompson’s address and made it available to Holmes. Holmes shot Thompson twelve times in her driveway six days after her testimony.
“The tragic murder of Starkisha Thompson is a stark and brutal illustration of the desperate need for strict laws shielding victim and witness’ personal information from violent defendants in court,” said Nessel. “I’ve advocated in the legislature for bills to protect victims when they make the difficult and courageous choice to testify against their assailants, and I hope our pursuit of justice for Starkisha includes passing these bills that may have saved her life.”
Last month, Nessel testified in the state House of Representatives in support of house bills 4738-39, which outline victim and witness personal information that would be protected including home addresses, phone numbers, and social security number, should the bills become law.
“The facts of this case are a prosecutor’s worst nightmare,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. “And while it is rare, it should never be able to happen. In Michigan, a prosecutor does not have enough legislative tools to truly protect witnesses, and this is one of the travesties of our system that is fixable.”
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