"I actually get that Harper Woods Police need help, but not on the strength of my daughter's life," said the heartbroken father of Starkisha Thompson.
The 33-year-old woman was shot and killed in an ambush outside her home on Collingham near Cordell on Detroit's east side Tuesday morning, shortly after dropping her teenage son off at school.
Six days ago, Starkisha testified in a carjacking case out of Harper Woods, and her family believes the carjacking case is tied to her murder.
Starkisha's father Curtis Thompson is devastated and bitter because he says Harper Woods police pressured his daughter into testifying against the man accused of carjacking her and her boyfriend at a gas station in September.
Starkisha testified at the suspect's preliminary examination last Wednesday.
"She didn't want to testify because these guys were violent," said Thompson who began having heart trouble Tuesday as he stood on the other side of the taped-off crime scene, watching Detroit Police begin the investigation into his daughter's murder.
Thompson collapsed and had to be resuscitated by Detroit Police Chaplain Cedric Wyckoff.
The suspect in the Harper Woods carjacking case is 26-year-old Kenneth Dixon.
Dixon was released from prison earlier this year after serving time for Armed Robbery.
Dixon has been in jail since his arrest in September in the carjacking case where a judge ordered that he be held without bond.
Detroit Police are actively searching for Starkisha's killer and a motive in the case.
Detectives have not ruled out that the killing is connected to Starkisha's testimony in the carjacking case.
"It's still early, and we don't want to be premature, but we have some leads we're following up on," said Detroit Police Captain Mark Thornton.
Anyone with information in the murder of Starkisha Thompson is urged to call Detroit Police homicide investigators at 313-596-2260.
Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP where they will remain completely anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,500.
