An Alabama man has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his girlfriend outside her Florida apartment after she attempted to end their relationship, federal prosecutors said.
Charles Carson-Dowdy, 31, killed Starmichael L. Tucker in Pensacola on January 2, 2025. Prosecutors said he had previously harassed and intimidated her during their relationship.
Carson-Dowdy pleaded guilty in April to cyberstalking, interstate domestic violence, murder involving a firearm and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
According to prosecutors, Carson-Dowdy and Tucker began dating in October 2024. Tucker, a US Air Force Reservist living in Pensacola, later tried to end the relationship by text message on January 1, 2025.
Prosecutors said Carson-Dowdy responded by traveling from Alabama to her apartment in Pensacola while armed with a handgun.
He allegedly broke into Tucker’s apartment and waited for her to return.
When Tucker arrived the following evening, prosecutors said Carson-Dowdy followed her outside, shot her repeatedly at close range and then drove over her several times using her vehicle.
Tucker died from the attack.
Carson-Dowdy later fled in Tucker’s car and was arrested in Spanish Fort, Alabama.
US Attorney John P. Heekin said the sentence ensures Carson-Dowdy will spend the rest of his life in prison for what he called a “heinous” crime.
