Atmore man jailed for murder

An Atmore man being held without bond on murder charges was scheduled to appear before Escambia County District Judge Eric Coale at 2 p.m. Wednesday to see if the 44-year old man should remain in the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton with no bond or be granted a bond.

Eric Depaul Mitchell, 50 Goldenrod Lane, was arrested by Atmore police May 29 and charged with felony murder, discharging a gun into an unoccupied building/vehicle and discharging a firearm within the city limits of Atmore.

According to reports released by the Atmore Police Department, officers were dispatched about 2:15 a.m. to the area of Carver and King Street in reference to shots fired.

Officers discovered that Robert Mario Starks had been struck by gunfire and died from the injury. Warrants were obtained for the arrest of Michell and he was taken into custody and transported to the county jail.

Court records state Mitchell is accused of killing Starks with an AR-15 multi caliber rifle.

Court records also note that another subject arrived near 75 Carver Ave., in Atmore holding an AR-15 rifle where Mitchell asked a witness about where another person was. Records state Michell pointed a weapon at one subject and encouraged him to shoot the other subject.

Reports note those two subjects were standing next to Starks when Mitchell fired one round from the rifle, striking Starks in the back. The bullet traveled through Starks' body and entered an unoccupied vehicle, busting the rear back window with the bullet lodging into the frame of the 2012 Ford Fusion.