Candace Lynn "Candy' Starr (April 26, 1959 - December 14, 1975) was a teenager who was murdered in Gallup, New Mexico in 1975.
Case[]
On September 21, 1975, Candy was abducted at gunpoint from her home in Granada Hills, California, in the presence of her sisters. The abductor was 30-year-old Michael Singh, who had started a relationship with Candy earlier that year. Before her abduction, Candy had broken things off with Singh due to his violent behavior.
Sketch by Wes Neville
Singh held Candy hostage and eventually ended up at a gas station in Gallup, New Mexico. The two got into an argument at the gas station, with Candy eventually entering the station and Singh following her. Candy placed a gun on the store counter, telling Singh that she was "...not going to take this anymore.". Singh then grabbed the gun and shot at the clerk, who avoided the bullet, while Candy ducked beneath the counter. Singh then grabbed her by her hair and shot her in the head, killing her instantly before fleeing the scene.
The two cases remained unconnected and unsolved until Candy's DNA was entered into CODIS, connecting the cases. Between Candy's murder and identification, Singh married twice, first to Mary Spain, then to Susan Irving, both of whom he eventually murdered. He was tried for both murders and found not guilty due to insanity. He was placed into an institution, where he remained until he was killed by a fellow inmate in 2005.
Sources[]
- Bonner County Daily Bee
- Candy Starr at Find a Grave
- Doe Network (archived)
- Michael Singh on Wikipedia