Detroit woman murdered after testifying in carjacking, dad believes its related

DETROIT (WJBK) - The father of a woman murdered in Detroit Tuesday morning says it's no coincidence that she was murdered after testifying in a carjacking.

Detroit Police Department is investigating the murder of a woman who was shot in the head at a home on Detroit's east side, just south of 8 Mile. Police said they were called to the 16000 block of Collingham around 8:15 Tuesday morning. When they arrived, they found the woman had been shot in the head.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Family has identified the woman as Starkisa Thompson. Her father, Curtis Thompson, said she was recently carjacked and testified in court in the case. He thinks the carjacking and her murder are related.

"She was pressured by prosecutor and detectives to testify against some people who carjacked her and sure is coincidental now my daughter is dead," he said. "(It's) retaliation of her being carjacked and testifying against the people. That's what it is. Somebody's going to pay for this. I don't know if it's the prosecutor or the people running around sneaking in the streets of Detroit."

As Curtis waited while police collected evidence, the emotional pain became too much to bear. He appeared to have a heart attack right at the scene of the investigation. Fortunately, a chaplain was on site to help save Thompson's life

"When I got over it, it was like he was seizing and he just passed out. I checked to see if he had a pulse, he had no pulse. He didn't have a heartbeat, he wasn't breathing. I started to give him chest compressions. Thank God he came back around.. We was waiting on paramedics for 15 minutes," the chaplain said.

Curtis said he doesn't want police to put a victim or witness in harm's way to solve a case.

"Not being on top of the job. They want citizens to do their job for them. This is by my daughter is gone," he said.

He said Starkisa was carjacked in Harper Woods. Police there would not comment but the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office released a statement saying " Ms. Thompson was not pressured by any member of WCPO to testify in the case. We will not comment further, because there is an investigation by the police into the fatal shooting."