A 45-year-old woman was found dead inside a northwest Oklahoma City apartment on Tuesday, and within hours investigators had a suspect in custody on a murder complaint. Oklahoma City police officers were sent to the 2400 block of NW 39th Street after a report of a deceased individual inside an apartment, and they located Starla Harp with injuries consistent with homicide.
Officers were dispatched Tuesday, September 8, after a report of a deceased individual inside the residence, according to KOKH. Investigators identified 43-year-old Marcus McKinney as a suspect and took him into custody near NW 63rd Street and Meridian Avenue, the station reported. The available Arrests.org material did not provide a more specific murder designation.
What a Murder Complaint Means in Oklahoma
In one other Oklahoma City homicide case, a person was booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center, as explained by the Oklahoma City Free Press. If prosecutors do file first-degree murder charges, McKinney would face a case built on Oklahoma Statutes Title 21 Section 701.7, which defines the offense as unlawfully taking a human life with malice aforethought or during the commission of an enumerated felony, carrying penalties of life imprisonment, life without parole, or death, per the Urbanic Law Firm. First-degree murder is also classified as an 85 Percent Crime under state law, meaning a conviction would require serving at least 85% of any sentence before parole eligibility, according to LawFirmOfOklahoma.
The report describes Harp as having injuries consistent with homicide and does not address any relationship between her and McKinney. The formal charging decision by the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office also remains pending.
A Block With a Painful Recent History
This is not the first tragedy investigators have handled on this stretch of NW 39th Street this year. Hoodline previously reported on a toddler's shooting death on the same 2400 block back in March, when a two-year-old was fatally shot inside an apartment and a 23-year-old man was later charged with second-degree manslaughter in connection with that shooting.
The Oklahoma City Police Department's Criminal Investigations Unit handles major crimes including homicide, according to the City of Oklahoma City's official web portal, which lists a dedicated Homicide Tip Line at (405) 297-1200. Anyone with information can also reach Oklahoma City Crime Stoppers at (405) 235-7300 or submit tips online at okccrimetips.com, a nonprofit-funded program that offers cash rewards and operates independently of taxpayer dollars, per the City of Oklahoma City's Crime Stoppers office.
Homicide Trends Across the City and State
Harp's death comes as KFOR reported declining homicide figures in Oklahoma City in 2025. Statewide, though, no comparable firearm-mortality figure is cited.
The case is one of several homicide investigations and prosecutions Hoodline has tracked recently across the Oklahoma City area, including related coverage. No further details on Harp's case have been released as the investigation continues.
