When a young mother disappears after being harassed, investigators must try to piece together what little evidence they have. What happened to Starquay Spruill?
Episode Media
Episode Sources
- Starquay Spruill Obituary (2018) – Richmond, VA – Mimms Funeral Home
- Marty Cobb, 8, mourned by friends and by strangers; killed trying to his protect sister
- Boy who died saving sister remembered
- Suspect in Marty Cobb murder pleads no contest, gets 30 years
- Court records reveal Marty Cobb’s disturbing home life
- Police fear missing Henrico woman may be in danger
- Missing woman’s family asks for help locating her
- Jailhouse Interview: Henrico man lied to police, but denied shooting girlfriend
- Missing 24-year old woman’s body found in wooded area of Henrico County
- Police release disturbing new details in Henrico mother’s death from 2018
- Henrico County Police releases information about 2018 death investigation
- ‘Unsolved Henrico’ video hopes to generate leads in 2018 cold case
- The Mystery of a Woman Found in a Plywood Box
- Unsolved Henrico: Starquay Spruill Death – September 2018
Episode Transcript
Welcome back to Bite-Sized Crime. This week I’m bringing you a case that is still in need of answers. This episode discusses sensitive topics, so listener discretion is advised.
Starquay Aisha Spruill grew up in Richmond, Virginia. Her mother was only 14 when she gave birth to Starquay, so the little girl was largely raised by her extended family. They described Starquay as compassionate and kind, a sweet girl who always saw the good in others. Her aunt Geraldine told Unsolved Henrico, “Starquay is very people-oriented. She will talk to a total stranger. You will fall in love with her, you will have a conversation with her like you knew her your whole life.”
Starquay attended George Wythe High School on the southside of Richmond, and had dreams of becoming a hairstylist. She had a positive outlook and was willing to work hard.
In 2014, tragedy struck Starquay’s family. A neighborhood teen brutally attacked her 12-year-old sister, and her little brother Marty tried to intervene. Sadly, 8-year-old Marty was killed, and his murderer was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Marty was hailed as a hero, but his death left a terrible scar on his family and the community. In the aftermath, Starquay was interviewed by local news outlets, telling them that although the family was relieved to get a small measure of justice for Marty, they struggled to understand why it had happened. “All [Marty] knew was, protect his sisters, protect his sisters… And that’s what he did. And May 1st, God called him home.”
In the years that followed, Starquay continued to build her life, getting an apartment and working as a hairstylist to make ends meet. In 2015, she gave birth to a son, followed by another two years later. Starquay loved being a mother, and her Facebook page was filled with pictures of her boys.
In the summer of 2018, 24-year-old Starquay was living at the Newbridge Village apartment complex in the Highland Springs area of Richmond. On the evening of August 4th, Starquay called the police to report that someone had vandalized her apartment. When officers arrived at the scene, they saw that her window had been broken and someone had clearly tried to kick down her door. Starquay told the officers that she had some personal items that belonged to someone who was currently incarcerated, and she suspected some of his friends were trying to intimidate her into giving them back. Of course, the suspects were long gone by the time police showed up, but they took Starquay’s report and made sure she was safe in her apartment before they left.
The next morning, police officers on foot patrol stopped by Starquay’s apartment to check on her. They found the door to the apartment wide open. They stepped inside and called out for Starquay, but they quickly determined that she wasn’t at home.
By this time, neighbors had noticed the police presence. Several of Starquay’s friends in the apartment complex tried to call her phone, but there was no answer. They decided to file a missing persons report so police could start an official search.
Word traveled quickly among Starquay’s friends and family. Her aunt Geraldine, with whom she was especially close, was shocked to hear that Starquay was missing. She had just talked to her the day before. But Geraldine told Unsolved Henrico that Starquay was so outgoing and friendly; she hoped that her niece had just gone to hang out with friends and would come home soon.
Days passed, and no one heard from Starquay. On August 8th, someone called in a tip to the Henrico County Police Department, saying they had seen Starquay in downtown Richmond. Officers canvassed the area for several days, showing Starquay’s picture around town. She had distinctive tattoos – including a large one of her mother’s name across her chest – surely someone would recognize her. But there were no more tips after that.
Investigators were concerned that Starquay could be in real danger, especially considering that someone had been harassing her the day before she disappeared. They talked to everyone in her life, anyone who might have an idea of where she went or who she may have gone with. But every lead seemed to be a dead end.
Then, on September 3rd, two men walking along Benton Avenue in East Highland Park noticed something strange in the woods. Roughly 50 feet off the road lay a large wooden box. It had been crudely made, pieces of plywood screwed together and partially spray painted black. The men felt that the box was suspiciously coffin-like and decided to call the police. When officers arrived, they opened the box and discovered the deceased remains of Starquay Spruill.
At first glance, it didn’t appear as though Starquay had been in the box for long, certainly not an entire month. Investigators hoped that the medical examiner would be able to easily determine her cause of death. But other than a few small bruises, there were no injuries to her body, and her toxicology report came back negative for any lethal substances. The medical examiner declared that Starquay’s cause of death was undetermined.
Investigators knew that Starquay hadn’t ended up in that wooden box of her own accord. Someone – most likely multiple someones – knew what had happened to her. They just had to figure out who.
As Starquay’s family laid her to rest, investigators worked to put the pieces together. They followed every lead and tested every bit of evidence. They kept most of the details of the case locked down, including how her body was found, in order to protect the integrity of the investigation. If someone came forward with details that only Starquay’s killer would know, it could be the key to getting justice.
But months passed, then years. Starquay’s case went cold, but investigators didn’t forget her. In 2021, the Henrico County Police Department released a ten-minute video outlining the entire case, including pictures of the wooden box. Homicide detective Chris Henry said, “We’re hoping it will strike a match with somebody who has that information, but maybe they didn’t know the manner in which her body was found. Then they hear that, and it’s the tipping point for them to ultimately come forward and share what they know.”
Detective Henry also spoke about investigators’ theories as to what may have happened to Starquay. They looked closely at the individuals who had been harassing her the night before she disappeared, but there wasn’t any solid evidence linking them to her death. “We have a good idea we know who those people are. But there’s a big gap in breaking somebody’s window and putting someone’s body in a box and then dropping it in the woods.”
However, investigators do believe that multiple people were involved in Starquay’s death and the disposal of her body. They also believe that she may have been alive for several weeks following her disappearance, which would explain the low level of decomposition of her remains. They want to know where she was and who she was with. Detective Henry reminded the public that Starquay had a whole host of loved ones who were missing her. “You have a family who wants closure and wants to understand what happened to Starquay, and we still need answers as to how she actually died.”
Starquay’s aunt Geraldine gave an emotional plea. “That’s what haunts me every night, when I think about how she was taken away… She’s always on my mind, I always think about her… I just don’t understand why she’s not here… I just want somebody to tell her story, let us know what happened to her. That’s all we want to know, so we can be at peace.”
As of this recording, it has been nearly 8 years since Starquay died, 8 years without answers for her family. Sadly, Starquay’s mother passed away in 2025 without ever knowing what happened to her daughter. The remaining members of her family want to know the truth.
Starquay Spruill was a kind, loving woman with her whole life ahead of her. She was a mother and sister, daughter and friend. She deserves justice, and her family deserves peace.
If you have any information about the death of Starquay Spruill, please contact the Henrico County Police Department at 804-501-4829. You can also leave an anonymous tip by calling Metro Richmond Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.