CRIME / COURTS

Police: Woman thought of baby before suicide

Mark Boxley
mboxley@courier-journal.com

A woman called police to take care of her baby before killing herself and after fatally shooting her boyfriend, according to Louisville Metro Police.

The 11-month-old was found in his crib uninjured, in a separate room from where the shootings occurred in western Louisville on Tuesday evening, police Lt. Todd Kessinger said.

He said a call was made from Jacinta Malone's cell phone about 5 p.m. and she told dispatchers an 11-month-old baby was in need of help at the home in the 900 block of South 42nd Street.

When police arrived at the scene, they found the child's parents — Malone, 35 and her 37-year-old boyfriend, Deandre Starling — shot to death in the living room, he said.

Starling was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:32 p.m. from multiple gunshot wounds to multiple body sites, according to Rita Taylor with the Jefferson County Coroner's Office. Malone died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Kessinger said police had responded to the address numerous times for a range of calls, including domestic trouble, but no acts of violence were ever uncovered.

The motive for the murder-suicide was under investigation, but according to witness statements at the scene "the relationship was coming to an end," Kessinger said.

The baby was taken to Kosair Children's Hospital as a precaution and was in the custody of Child Protective Services while the agency made arrangements with family members.

Malone did not leave a note or any indication as to why she decided to kill her boyfriend and herself, Kessinger said.

Reporter Mark Boxley can be reached at (502) 582-4241 or on Twitter at @Boxleyland.