The Muncie, Indiana, Police Department is currently investigating a shooting that claimed the lives of three people in a quiet residential area.
On Friday afternoon, November 3, 2023, officers were dispatched to a home on the city’s west side following a 911 call made by an individual unable to make contact with a resident.
Upon arrival, law enforcement officials discovered two adult males and one female with gunshot wounds. The deceased were identified as Kevin L. Humphrey, 32, Sarah R. Barnes, 45, and her father, Douglas L. Starr, 76.
Deputy Chief Melissa Criswell said there were no signs of forced entry into the home and emphasized that there was no ongoing threat to the community.
The Delaware County Coroner’s Office has confirmed the presence of gunshot wounds, although the final autopsy results are pending to ascertain the exact causes. The lack of forced entry suggests a potential familiarity between the assailant and the victims, a detail that might prove significant as the investigation progresses.
One of the deceased, Sarah Barnes, was involved in an ongoing federal criminal case. Federal prosecutors had accused her on November 15, 2022 of conspiring to possess and distribute controlled substances with intent to sell them.
Barnes was alleged to have driven to San Diego, California to buy methamphetamine and fentanyl with plans to resell them in Muncie. The case was scheduled for a trial starting on January 9, 2024. However, on October 18, 2023, Barnes entered a guilty plea to the federal drug charge. As part of the plea deal, federal prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence within the lower range of guidelines. The court had not yet set a date for Barnes’ sentencing, court records show.
The local authorities have appealed to anyone with information to come forward as they continue to piece together the events leading up to the shooting.
