2 days ago
Beloved journalist's road rage shooting solved months after he was executed on the highway
A Missouri man was arrested for the death of a beloved sports journalist, who he allegedly shot dead during a road rage incident.
Ruslan Huseynov, 34, was charged with the death of Dennis Starkey Jr., a 50-year-old journalist for the Platte County Citizen.
Authorities believe Huseynov fatally shot Starkey during a road rage incident on January 10, 2025, as the journalist was on his way home from covering a sporting event, KCTV 5 reported.
Witnesses who stopped on I-29 after seeing two cars pulled over told authorities they said a driver pulled out a gun and pointed it at the victim's car.
'As the couple accelerated from the scene, they heard a gunshot,' Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said at a press conference.
However, authorities admit it is unclear what caused the escalation between the two men.
'We actually still don't know what really led up to this shooting,' the attorney said. 'It certainly has all the hallmarks of a road rage case, but at the end of the day, we don't know exactly what happened on that highway.'
First responders found Starkey's car crashed and the journalist unresponsive in the front seat. He was pronounced dead at North Kansas City Hospital.
A preliminary autopsy revealed the reporter died from a single gunshot wound.
Police interviewed Huseynov on Tuesday, where he denied having a gun.
A photo on his phone indicated he owned a gun, but when asked about it, Huseynov said the weapon belonged to a friend who was trying to tell it to him for $500.
After a search warrant was executed on his home, a pistol that matched the shell casing found at the crime scene was found inside a safe in his bedroom.
The following day, Huseynov was charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of armed criminal action.
The alleged murderer is now in the Platte County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
Huseynov was identified via 'suspicious' cellphone data from the crash area, leading authorities to believe his phone was 'in a vehicle which came to a stop on the interstate,' the probable cause statement said.
Additional data tracked him to a liquor store nearby.
Sheriff Erik Holland offered his condolences to the family, saying: 'Tragedy does not begin to describe what this family has had to endure.'
Sharkey left behind his parents, Nancy Montaleone and Dennis Sharkey Sr., who are separated; his close friends, and his dog Charlie.
The journalist got a start in his career working for Lifetouch Publishing straight out of high school. After graduating from college, he went on to work for a variety of news publications in Missouri and Kansas, his obituary said.
He would cover North Kansas City School District sports from 2022 to 2024, before he went onto the Platte County Citizen, where he covered all sports.
The journalist was also a Kansas City Chiefs fan and often tailgated with people before the games.
The family started a GoFundMe to help his mother, who Starkey cared for.
'Dennis was not only a beloved son, cousin, and friend, but also a dedicated caretaker to his mother, who is now left to navigate this unimaginable heartbreak,' the fundraiser read.
'Dennis's passing has left his mom not only emotionally shattered but also facing immense financial burdens. He was her rock, her caretaker, and her provider.'
His mother also lost her husband, Jay Montaleone, just days before her son.
The fundraiser has garnered $15,290 of its $5,000 goal.
