Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – A Jonesboro man accused of shooting and injuring his wife while firing shots at two other women during a domestic dispute last year will serve nearly two decades behind bars.
On June 15, Leroy Starks, 66, pleaded guilty to first-degree battery – use of a firearm, a Class B felony. This follows a March guilty plea for possession of a firearm by certain persons within the same case.
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Second Judicial Circuit Court Judge Randy Philhours sentenced Starks to 180 months (15 years) in the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC), followed by 60 months of suspended sentence. His previous 216-month sentence for the firearms charge will run concurrently, resulting in a total of 18 years in prison. Starks was credited with 471 days of time already served.
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As part of the court order, Starks must obtain a GED, complete anger management and batterers’ classes, and undergo mental health and substance abuse assessments. He is also required to forfeit all weapons and is prohibited from contacting the victim.
The sentencing stems from a shooting that took place Feb. 28, 2025, on North Drake Street. Jonesboro police arrived to find a woman with multiple gunshot wounds. Officers took Starks into custody after a brief struggle.
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The probable cause affidavit states that Starks had been drinking when an argument began with his wife. When two other women in the home attempted to intervene, Starks retrieved a gun from his bedroom and opened fire. His wife sustained three injuries, including one to her hand while attempting to shield herself.
In exchange for the plea, charges of first-degree murder, resisting arrest, and two counts of aggravated assault were dismissed, according to the sentencing order.
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