Murder charge, special circumstance of robbery filed against suspect in East Sacramento slaying

The suspect in Thursday’s shooting outside an East Sacramento tennis club that killed a 70-year-old man made his first appearance in court Monday and faces a murder charge with a special circumstance alleging he killed his victim while committing a robbery.

DeSean Leon Brasser Jr., 23, is charged in the slaying of former Capital Public Radio executive Charles Starzynski, who was shot about 12:30 p.m. in an alley near the Sutter Lawn Tennis Club near 39th and N streets.

Brasser, who was arrested later that night in the Pocket neighborhood, was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail, where he was being held without bail.

At the time of the shooting, Brasser was facing felony charges of attacking a girlfriend and vandalizing her car on Valentine’s Day, court records show. He faced a Dec. 12 court date in that case.

The criminal complaint filed in Sacramento Superior Court on Monday charges that Brasser “did unlawfully, and with malice aforethought murder” Starzynski using a 9mm handgun while he was attempting to rob him.

Brasser only spoke briefly during the hearing, telling the judge he was working on hiring an attorney to represent him.

“I know this is not a fair thing right now,” Brasser told Judge Scott Tedmon.

Tedmon appointed the Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office to represent Brasser in the meantime. The judge scheduled Brasser to return to court Dec. 15 for further proceedings.

Deputy Public Defender Norm Dawson, who appeared in court Monday afternoon with Brasser, said they have not yet received discovery evidence from prosecutors.

“So, it would be premature to make any statements about the case until we get those reports and have had a chance to review them with our client,” Dawson told reporters after the hearing.

The slaying was the 49th of the year in Sacramento — and was followed by a 50th Friday night outside a Grant High School football game — and has sparked concern over the killing in the typically peaceful Fabulous 40s neighborhood, where some of Sacramento’s most prominent families live.

Melinda Willey sat in the courtroom, and at times she held up a poster board with photos of the victim. She met Starzynski in 1983 when she moved to Sacramento to work at KCRA.

“It was such a tragedy,” said Willey, who lives in East Sacramento. “That the murderer had already been up on a felony and out on bail is unconscionable. We need to change the laws. This person should’ve been locked up and not able to kill this innocent human being.”

Members of Brasser’s family, including a woman who was sobbing throughout the hearing, sat in the back of the courtroom. They did not speak to reporters after the hearing.

This story was originally published October 24, 2022 at 2:01 PM.