Jackson County State’s Attorney Mike Wepsiec will seek the death penalty for Gary Starks if he is convicted for the murder of a Carbondale woman.

Pamela Travis, 29, was found dead in her apartment at The Fields, 700 S. Lewis Lane, Oct. 8 after a fire alarm alerted neighbors and maintenance workers. Authorities determined a fire had been set in the apartment at the time of death.

A coroner’s report confirmed Travis had been asphyxiated. The fire also burned parts of Travis’ body and caused her 22-month-old twin daughters to suffer smoke-related injuries.

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Starks was arrested Nov. 20. Police said evidence made him a suspect in the case within the first 48 hours.

Starks’s case will be delayed indefinitely because his attorney, public defender Patricia Gross, said she has numerous time-consuming motions to file.

During his Dec. 3 preliminary hearing, Starks pleaded not guilty to the concealment of homicidal death and four-counts of first-degree murder.

Wepsiec said that Carbondale Police Department is continuing to conduct interviews, and he will have more information once he receives the police reports.