ORANGE — Lewis H. Starkey III, 53, of Wendell was arraigned Monday on charges murder, armed assault with intent to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the fatal shooting and an assault on the victim’s son.
Starkey, who was found Sunday after five days at large following the shooting death of Amanda Glover, will be held at the Franklin House Jail without bail until Aug. 21, or until his case appears in Franklin County Superior Court. On Monday, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following a quick proceedings in an Orange District Court courtroom full of media and family members of the deceased, a press conference was held, including an emotional message from the family.
“This was a cold and brazen execution that happened in plain sight of Amanda Glover’s own adult son,” First District Attorney of the Northwest District Steven Gagne said.
Starkey was found Sunday morning by Orange Police Sgt. James Sullivan, driving on Holtshire Road. Sullivan explained that when he stopped Starkey, he soon told the officer, “You got the prize.”
Starkey told the Orange Police he had been living in the woods since last Wednesday, sleeping in Glover’s car that he took from the crime scene, according to the court documents.
Gagne explained there were multiple stressors in the relationship between Starkey and Glover that may have contributed to the murder.
“It was not just out of the blue,” Gagne said. “This was the culmination of what had been some growing tension in their relationship.”
Following a verbal argument, according to court documents, Starkey allegedly shot Glover in the upper torso and face area with a 12-gauge shotgun that he had purchased in 2014.
Glover’s 26-year-old son, Devin, who was living at home, according to Gagne, was said to have witnessed the shooting. He came into the room where the two were, just past midnight after hearing them argue, Gagne said.
Following the shooting of Glover, her son then fled into his bedroom, Gagne said. Starkey then fired several rounds into the closed bedroom door, court documents said. Starkey is being charged with armed assault with intent to murder for this alleged act.
Devin Glover then took his phone and left the house and fled into the woods, calling 911, according to court documents.
“It’s a sad day for the Glover family and a tragic loss,” Northwest District Attorney David Sullivan said.
Lisa Glover spoke to the press with her family members beside her, describing her sister.
“Her true loves of her life were family and quilting,” Lisa Glover said. “Everyone in the family had received one of her quilting masterpieces at one point or another and they will be cherished forever.”
Amanda Glover’s daughter, Miranda Colombo, showed a picture of her mother to the cameras, while choking back tears.
Starkey had been sought since July 5, when around 12:30 a.m., police say, he shot and killed Glover with a shotgun in the house they shared at 179 West St. in Wendell.
Starkey, according to police, then drove more than an hour to Specialized Trucking company at 215 Griffith Road in Chicopee and fired another shot through a window at a worker there, injuring the employee with debris and glass shards. Gagne was not sure whether Starkey currently works at the company or whether he was just a former employee.
The case involving the Chicopee shooting will involve a separate arraignment. The two cases, though, may be merged, given the nature of them, Gagne said. It was unclear from the court records and Gagne’s statements why Starkey fired the shot at the Chicopee business.