St of AL v Courtney Lockhart/Lauren Burk Murder [Indicted on 3 Capital Murder Chgs] [Archive]

KittyMom

03-05-2008, 10:00 PM

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,335211,00.html

AUBURN, Ala. — A manhunt was under way on Wednesday for the killer of an Auburn University freshman who was shot to death the previous night near campus.

Auburn police said they were investigating the murder of 18-year-old Lauren A. Burk of Marietta, Ga. She was a freshman pledge with the school's Delta Gamma sorority, sources told FOX News.

Police were called to the scene of an injured female on North College Street at 9:08 p.m. Tuesday, where they found Burk gravely wounded. They transported her to the hospital, East Alabama Medical Center, where she died from a single gunshot wound.

Authorities were alerted to a vehicle fire shortly thereafter, at about 9:27 p.m. in the Hinton Field parking lot, and learned the car belonged to Burk.

The 2001 black Honda Civic was found burned and gutted near campus, according to MyFOXAL.

Police said there's insufficient information to assume that others are in any jeopardy. There have been no arrests.

The police presence on campus has been increased but an Auburn University spokeswoman said no emergency measures have been implemented.

Auburn Campus reacts to killing of Lauren Burk

Click here for more on this story from MyFOXAL.com.

Click here for more on this story from MyFOXAtlanta.com.

FOX News' Catherine Donaldson-Evans and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Roamer

03-06-2008, 06:55 AM

http://www.abc3340.com/news/stories/0308/501513.html

Auburn Student Found Dead
The death of an Auburn University freshman found with a gunshot wound several miles from campus is being investigated as a homicide. But school officials advised students today that there is no indication others might be harmed. Lauren Burk of Marietta, Georgia, was found wounded on Alabama Highway 147 around 9 p.m. yesterday. Auburn police said her Honda Civic was found engulfed in flames at the campus about 20 minutes later. The 18-year-old was taken to East Alabama Medical Center, where she died.

University officials advised students in an e-mail around noon today that there is "no indication of additional danger to campus or student safety." But the school said the police presence on campus had been increased.

Auburn Police Captain Tom Stofer says there have been no arrests.

An on-campus prayer vigil for Burk was held by her friends, and a memorial is being planned by her sorority, Delta Gamma.

KittyMom

03-06-2008, 09:39 AM

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=112399

http://www.11alive.com/assetpool/images/0835132121_burk_250_030508.jpg

Funeral services will be conducted for her on Sunday, March 9, at Patterson's Funeral Home, on Old Canton Road in Marietta. The time of the service is yet to be announced.

Roamer

03-06-2008, 09:43 AM

Birmngham news said this morning she and her longtime b/f attended college there together. Investigation is ongoing.

KittyMom

03-06-2008, 09:47 AM

Someone on 11Alive chat posted about this case.

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/slesinski_lori.html

Lori Ann Slesinski

KittyMom

03-06-2008, 09:48 AM

Birmngham news said this morning she and her longtime b/f attended college there together. Investigation is ongoing.

So did they say if the bf had checked out?

Roamer

03-06-2008, 09:53 AM

They didn't say, but just the way they noted that he's there. I guess they always look to the SO first, because it doesn't sound like a random shooting.

KittyMom

03-06-2008, 01:40 PM

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,335530,00.html

Fox saying she was shot one time in head. Also saying that car was found closer to campus than her body.

Lauren A. Burk, 18, was alive when authorities arrived on the scene Tuesday evening, but so far police won't reveal whether she was able to tell them who shot her or offer other clues, according to MyFOXAtlanta.

Authorities insisted they had solid leads in the case and were aggressively hunting down the killer.

KittyMom

03-06-2008, 02:02 PM

news conference at 2:30pm

KittyMom

03-06-2008, 09:08 PM

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=112480

They said they have leads but are not naming any suspects at this time.

Roamer

03-07-2008, 07:14 AM

Local TV news says they have a strong Task Force and "may be close to an arrest".

These local channels are so bad at updating their sites. :mad: This is the latest I can find this morning.

http://www.myfoxal.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=5958990&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1

Police: Several leads but no arrests in Auburn student slaying

Last Edited: Thursday, 06 Mar 2008, 4:15 PM CST
Created: Thursday, 06 Mar 2008, 4:15 PM CST

Auburn University student Lauren Burk (FOX6 WBRC-TV MyFoxAL, AP Photo) SideBar

AUBURN, Ala. -- Police say they have several leads but have made no arrests in the slaying of Auburn University student Lauren Burk. Authorities say the 18-year-old from Georgia, found mortally wounded on the side of a road Tuesday night, was killed by a single gunshot.

Her car later was found ablaze in a parking lot on the Auburn campus. Auburn Assistant Police Chief Thomas Dawson told a news conference Thursday that a task force including FBI agents has been formed.

He says investigators are closer to solving the homicide than previously. He would not comment on who may have been questioned or if there was a surveillance camera in the parking lot that may assist investigators.

KittyMom

03-07-2008, 08:40 AM

This is all over the news in GA. We've got this case, the Eve Carson case, the Calvert couple missing, and the Levi's call for the 3 Harrington kids...GA is having a bad week. I do pray we get some good news soon.

Roamer

03-07-2008, 08:50 AM

Auburn LE is holding a presser at 1:30 today. We're on central time, but I don't know if local stations will be covering it or not.

KittyMom

03-07-2008, 12:41 PM

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=112508

“The family of Lauren Burk would like to express their gratitude for all the kindness and prayers expressed during this tragedy. They respectfully ask for privacy during this time so they may grieve for their great loss, as well celebrate Lauren’s life.

The investigation of this terrible tragedy is ongoing and the Auburn Police Department is doing everything possible to find the person responsible for this horrible act of violence.

The family acknowledges the public’s desire for information regarding this crime, however they respectfully ask for your understanding of their need for privacy at this time.

Many requests have been received regarding ways to honor Lauren. Her favorite charitable cause was The Invisible Child, which supports the starving children in Africa. Donations may also be made to: the American Kidney Foundation and the Oglethorpe Scholarship Fund.

Finally, on behalf of Lauren and her family, a fund has been established to help apprehend the person responsible for her death. You may contact any Wachovia Bank office to make a contribution to the "Lauren Burk Reward Fund".

Thank You.

Roamer

03-07-2008, 06:10 PM

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=4408516&page=1

Alabama authorities will test a gas can recovered in downtown Auburn to see if its contents might have been used to torch a car belonging to a slain university freshman and, if so, whether any DNA evidence was left behind.

Thomas Dawson, assistant police chief in Auburn, said that investigators on the multi-agency task force probing the shooting death of 18-year-old Lauren Burk have interviewed many people about the case and have developed some "promising leads."

Dawson, who also squashed rumors that Burk had been sexually assaulted, distributed photographs of a 2001 Honda Civic similar to Burk's vehicle that authorities hope was seen by someone Tuesday night.

Burk was found 5 miles from the university campus with a gunshot to the head, according to Auburn police. She was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her car was found engulfed in flames in a campus parking lot a half hour later.

Dawson said an arrest may soon be made but declined to provide additional details.

"I know we're being tight-lipped, but I just think it's the best way to be until we have an arrest in this case," he said.

Burk's family released a statement Thursday in which it asked for privacy while expressing gratitude for the emotional outpouring that has followed the teen's slaying.

"The investigation of this terrible tragedy is ongoing, and the Auburn Police Department is doing everything possible to find the person responsible for this horrible act of violence," the family statement reads.

The Burks also directed financial donations to the Lauren Burk Memorial Fund. The money will go toward finding Burk's murderer. Any leftover funds will be given to the Invisible Child, an organization Lauren Burk was involved with that supports starving children in Africa.

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley already offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the shooting. Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, meanwhile, released a statement about Burk's death, as well as the killing early Wednesday morning of Eve Carson, the 22-year-old student body president at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who, like Burk, is from Georgia.

"Georgia is Lauren and Eve's home state, and we will do everything we can to help authorities in Alabama and North Carolina pursue, capture and convict those responsible for their deaths," Perdue said in the statement. He also offered investigators the services of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Auburn police and authorities in Chapel Hill, where Carson was killed, said there does not appear to any investigative link between the two crimes, which were separated by 500 miles and seven hours. The tie instead is the similar shocking impact the killings have had on the respective campuses.

KittyMom

03-07-2008, 07:37 PM

Atlanta news reports an arrest!!!

KittyMom

03-07-2008, 07:38 PM

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15523787/detail.html

PHENIX CITY, Ala. -- Police in Phenix City, Alabama told WSB-TV Channel 2 Friday they have arrested a man with evidence connecting him to the murder of Auburn University freshman Lauren Burk.

The unidentified man was taken into custody after a high speed chase Friday afternoon.

Police told WSB-TV Channel 2 Reporter Richard Elliot the suspect was wanted on robbery charges in Columbus, Ga. An investigator would only say that evidence found in his car links him to the murder of Burk, a graduate of Walton High School in Cobb County.

KittyMom

03-07-2008, 10:35 PM

http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=7980946

Updated: March 7, 2008 12:46 PM EST
In the case of Lori Ann Slesinski who went missing two years ago, this case is not related.

"Miss Slesinski, that is a missing persons case and right now I don't have anything to indicate those two cases are related," said Dawson.

KittyMom

03-07-2008, 11:06 PM

http://www.oanow.com/oan/news/local/article/phelps_group_plans_protest_at_burk_funeral/7600/

Phelps group plans protest at Burk funeral

Westboro Baptist Church, a group known for protesting and picketing funerals and memorials of fallen soldiers, is planning to picket at the Sunday afternoon funeral of 18-year-old Auburn freshman Lauren Burk, according to the group’s Web site. Burk was killed Tuesday night. Police are investigating her death as a murder.

:mad:

These people are just plain MEAN!!!!

KittyMom

03-07-2008, 11:11 PM

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15523787/detail.html

Police told WSB-TV Channel 2 Reporter Richard Elliot the suspect was wanted on robbery charges in Columbus, Ga. An investigator would only say that evidence found in his car links him to the murder of Burk, a graduate of Walton High School in Cobb County.

Roamer

03-08-2008, 06:05 AM

lost indie

03-08-2008, 06:40 AM

I don't know if it will help, KM, but I sent an email to the Patriot Guard for Alabama this morning. Maybe they already know about it. They probably watch that moron website, and hopefully they have a group ready to shield Lauren's friends and family.

Why would the Phelps group target a college student? They get sicker and meaner every day.

I went into their evil website to find out why.

Because she is a Jew.

I hope the Patriot Guards can make it. Thanks for giving them the heads-up.

Love and light to Lauren's family and friends...

Roamer

03-08-2008, 07:07 AM

They may already planning it, Indi. I'm sure they watch the Phelps website.

lost indie

03-08-2008, 07:11 AM

They may already planning it, Indi. I'm sure they watch the Phelps website.

That website is one scary place.

Roamer

03-08-2008, 07:12 AM

I'm :a1chic: to even read it.

KittyMom

03-08-2008, 08:21 AM

Apparently, they skipped over the part in the Bible that tells us that the Jews are God's chosen people. Won't they get an unpleasant surprise at judgement?!

KittyMom

03-08-2008, 08:23 AM

News Conference at 10am.

Roamer

03-08-2008, 11:18 AM

3 counts of capital murder!!!

Roamer

03-08-2008, 12:21 PM

Part of an email I rec'd from the National Chairman of the PG.

<snipped>

Because our Mission Statement limits our participation to military, Vetean, and public safety funerals; and because we must be invited by the familiy of the Servicemember, Veteran or public safety officer; we cannot organize a PGR Mission Ride for Lauren's funeral.

If I may offer a bit of advice- you can organize a community support rally to accomplish the same goal. One idea is a well-publicized "Memorial March", beginning at a point 3-4 blocks away and ending at the memorial service. Set your walking route to pass between the protesters and the memorial service. Contact the local law enforcement agency to see if they will provide you with street closing and and escort.

KittyMom

03-08-2008, 01:40 PM

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/03/08/auburnarrest_0309.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newsta b

By TIM EBERLY, JEFFRY SCOTT
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 03/08/08
An Alabama man arrested Friday has been charged with three counts of capital murder in connection with the death of Auburn University freshman Lauren Burk of Marietta.

Courtney Lockhart, 23, faces charges of capital murder, capital murder during a robbery and capital murder during an attempted rape, authorities announced during a news conference at 11 a.m. Saturday.

"We have the right individual in jail," said Tommy Dawson, assistant chief of Auburn police department. "I'm 100 percent sure of that."

The news came less than six hours before Burk was to be memorialized at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta.

"The family feels relieved, and on the days of Lauren's service, it's a comfort to know that the police have moved so swiftly on this," Burk family spokesperson Kathy Singleton told the AJC after Saturday's news conference. "They've been so concerned that something they say has any impact on the investigation."

Lockhart's case will be presented to a grand jury on May 5.

Authorities said Saturday that Lockhart was identified from a photo obtained earlier this week, possibly on Wednesday. They did not say how the photo was obtained. Dawson said Auburn police received help from NASA in enhancing the photo.

"I will tell you this: We have a lot of evidence in this case," Dawson said.

Authorities would not say where the murder occurred. Lockhart did not know Burk before her killing, Dawson said. Authorities believe Lockhart acted alone.

Dawson would not say whether the killing was "random" or whether Lockhart had stalked his victim in any way.

Lockhart is being held in the Russell County jail in Alabama. He is expected to be moved next week to the Lee County jail, where according to records he served time in 2002 for harassment.

Lockhart was arrested following a high-speed chase Friday. When asked whether catching Lockhart that way was a lucky break, Dawson said, "I wouldn't call it a lucky break. I would call it a blessing from God."

After Lockhart's arrest, he confessed to robbing an elderly woman last week outside a Wal-Mart in Phenix City, as well as four other robberies in the area.

Burk, 18, from east Cobb County, was shot Tuesday night and later died at a hospital. Her 2001 Honda Civic was discovered on fire in a parking lot near a dormitory about 20 minutes after the shooting was reported to police.

In other developments in the case Friday, police also said a gas can found in downtown Auburn is being tested for possible DNA evidence or fingerprints.

Police distributed two photos of a 2001 Honda Civic similar to Burk's car. They asked anyone who saw a vehicle matching that description Tuesday to contact the task force at 334-501-3140 or the tip line at 334-501-7337.

At a news conference in Marietta Friday, Burk's family established a public reward fund to help catch her killer in addition to the $10,000 offered by Alabama's governor.

Family spokeswoman Kathy Singleton said contributions to the Lauren Burk Memorial Fund may be made at any Wachovia bank. If the money does not go to a tipster, she said, it will be given to charity.

Singleton said Burk's family was grateful for the kindness and prayers expressed during this tragedy and asked for privacy.

"They're in a great deal of pain," she said. "It's a difficult time."

Singleton spoke to media at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, where a public memorial service will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday. Burk's funeral service will be at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Temple Kol Emeth.

Singleton said Burk's favorite charity was the Invisible Child, which supports starving children in Africa. Donations also may be made to the American Kidney Foundation and the Oglethorpe Scholarship Fund.

Burk's alma mater, Walton High School, held a moment of silence in her memory before Thursday night's girls junior varsity lacrosse game. Burk had played for the JV team.

Staff writers Jeffry Scott and Karen Rosen contributed to this article.

KittyMom

03-08-2008, 01:40 PM

http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/00/73/69/image_6769730.jpg

Texas53

03-08-2008, 05:12 PM

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/03/08/auburnarrest_0309.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newsta b

What a sorry excuse for a human being this guy is. I can't say what I hope happens to this guy or I'll get banned.

TigressPen

03-08-2008, 08:51 PM

I didn't see an announcement had been shared here about the arrest ... maybe Roamer or Harlett will delete mine.

KittyMom

03-08-2008, 11:35 PM

Why do I have the feeling of dread about this case as well as Eve Carson's? I can't shake the Orange Taylor trial.

F~M

03-09-2008, 12:54 AM

I posted this at CTV (Insession) and will bring it here too... (My children went to school with Courtney and his brother.)

I'm not sure if any of you are interested in this, but I just watched our local 11:00 pm news.

Courtney's mother was interviewed. She was very tearful and apologetic to Lauren's family for what her son had done. She said he had spent the last 16 months in Iraq, and when he came home he wasn't the same kid.

Here's a link to the local station that interviewed her. The interview hasn't been posted yet, but I'm sure they'll have it up soon.

Based on that, I'm predicting he won't get the death penalty. I know it's early, but since I know quite a few people involved (down to the arresting officers, etc) I would like to attend this trial.

http://www.wtvm.com/

Roamer

03-09-2008, 08:23 AM

Thanks for the info, F~M. Am I guessing correctly that you see the defense going for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome for this young man?

TigressPen

03-09-2008, 09:54 AM

sweetcharlotte

03-09-2008, 01:18 PM

KittyMom

03-09-2008, 09:11 PM

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/fayette/stories/2008/03/09/newnan_0310.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

Marjorie Llewellyn blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. She thinks it helped save her life.

The 72-year-old Newnan resident had been jumped from behind and knocked to the floor of her car Friday morning outside a Newnan Wal-Mart, allegedly by the same man who was later charged in the murder of Auburn University freshman Lauren Burk.

Llewellyn only knew she was being robbed by someone who had a gun to her head.

"When he told me he was going to kill me, I said, 'Oh, Lord, the only reason I came to Wal-Mart was to get a pre-paid phone card to send to my son in Iraq.' Then, he jumped out of the car running, calling me the 'B' word."

As Llewellyn figures it, Burk slaying suspect Courtney Lockhart might have let her go because he is a military veteran who thought her son was in the service, too. Llewellyn said her son is actually a civilian contractor, not a soldier.

"I wasn't trying to imply my son was in the military. I just said what came to my mind."

A shaken and bruised Llewellyn recounted her experience Sunday.

Lockhart, 23, of Smiths, Ala., was arrested Friday by police in Phenix City, Ala., after a high-speed chase. That came just hours after Llewellyn was attacked in Newnan.

Newnan police on Saturday disclosed the attack and said they issued a lookout for a Chrysler Sebring as it left the area, according to a report in the Newnan Times-Herald.

Deputy Chief Rodney Riggs told the Times-Herald that Lockhart — who may also face charges in Alabama robberies as well as in Burk's death — had apparently ventured beyond his home state "to an area where he wasn't known."

Llewellyn at first was told she might have a collapsed lung and a broken rib, but X-rays showed she had neither. She said she is in horrible pain, "which I'm used to," and has to visit an eye doctor Monday.

"I'm amazed there wasn't more damage," she said.

Llewellyn said she was getting into her 2006 Toyota Camry and had her bags in the car and her keys in her hand when her attacker approached in broad daylight.

"He came up behind me," she recalled. "He was wearing camouflage clothing. He beat me down to the floor and said how much cash do you have. I told him $50 or $60. He had the gun on my head while I was down."

Llewellyn felt he would carry out his threat.

"I think he was going to kill me like he told me he was," she said.

Then she mentioned her son.

Llewellyn said she remained calm throughout her ordeal.

"I was never afraid," she said. "I have faith."

Llewellyn also gives credit for her survival to two men in the store parking lot who, she said, tried to help her. The men pursued her and her attacker as he drove around the lot in the Camry.

Police, Llewellyn said, believe her attacker fled because of the pursuit of the two witnesses.

"It's one thing to have the attitude to want to help someone," she said, "and another to have the courage to do it. They did."

After getting out of Llewellyn's car, her attacker drove off in a vehicle that police determined was registered to Lockhart, she said.

Lockhart was caught not long after by police who had identified the car's tag numbers from store surveillance cameras.

This guy was on a crime spree. This had nothing to do with Iraq. Had this eldly woman not gotten away, he'd have killed her as well.

KittyMom

03-09-2008, 09:14 PM

http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=7989159&nav=8fap

Posted: March 9, 2008 07:29 PM EDT

Columbus, GA (WTVM)--Talking with Aiden Bucher, no one would be able to tell the three-year-old had a gun pointed at his head just last Thursday.

He and his mother, Rachel Bucher, had just started loading groceries into their car outside of Sam's Club at Columbus Park Crossing, when a man in another car pulled up behind them and walked over to Aiden with the weapon.

"I honestly thought he was just asking to take my cart when I was done with it, and instead he said, 'Do you want me to shoot your kid,'" said Rachel Bucher, Aiden's Mom.

Bucher said the man took her purse then drove off, but not before she got a look at the licence plate and the car's color.

The next day, police called and said they had a suspect in custody...Courtney Lockhart, the same man they believed killed Auburn freshman Lauren Burk.

"I got sick...I just thought the entire time it was a guy with a gun doing a robbery. I even thought it was a guy with an unloaded gun just doing a robbery. When I realized it could have been more than that, I just got sick," said Bucher.

Knowing that she and her son faced an accused killer, Bucher just feels lucky that her story didn't end up like Lauren's.

"My heart goes out to her friends, family, and everyone connected to her, as well as the Auburn campus, because I know they have been living in fear," said Bucher.

Bucher says her cell phone was found in Lockhart's car, which linked him to her robbery.

Police will not confirm if any of Lauren Burk's belongings were found in Lockhart's car as well.

Gee, he's just messed up ;cause of Iraq. :rolleye0001:

KittyMom

03-09-2008, 09:21 PM

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/03/medium_courtneylockhart_mug.JPG

Courtney Lockhart
mugshot

F~M

03-10-2008, 10:21 AM

Lockhart is 23.......so he was born 84/85? Per one of the articles posted:

"Lockhart is being held in the Russell County jail in Alabama. He is expected to be moved next week to the Lee County jail, where according to records he served time in 2002 for harassment."

So........wouldn't this have been prior to any service in Iraq? My point - looks like he had issues before going to war..... imo

He did have issues before the war. My daughter said he was always getting into fights at school.

In 2002 he was a junior in high school. I asked my daughter if she remembered anything about him serving time back then, but she doesn't remember anything.

Roamer... I don't know that Iraq had anything to do with this, but I'm sure his attorney will try and play that fact up to save him from the death penalty.

I'm also anxious to find out if he had anything to do with a murder of a young girl a couple of years ago in Auburn. Her car was also found after it had been burned. Her body was never found.

The more they question him, the more they are tying him to. He was supposed to be transferred to the Lee County system this morning, but the last I heard, he was still in Russell County. His crimes are spread over 2 states and several counties.

KittyMom

03-10-2008, 10:57 AM

He did have issues before the war. My daughter said he was always getting into fights at school.

In 2002 he was a junior in high school. I asked my daughter if she remembered anything about him serving time back then, but she doesn't remember anything.

Roamer... I don't know that Iraq had anything to do with this, but I'm sure his attorney will try and play that fact up to save him from the death penalty.

I'm also anxious to find out if he had anything to do with a murder of a young girl a couple of years ago in Auburn. Her car was also found after it had been burned. Her body was never found.

The more they question him, the more they are tying him to. He was supposed to be transferred to the Lee County system this morning, but the last I heard, he was still in Russell County. His crimes are spread over 2 states and several counties.

F~M,
The young lady you're referring to was Lori Ann Slesinski. There is a thread for her on the Missing Adults forum.

KittyMom

03-10-2008, 11:00 AM

Keep in mind that if Lockhart was in trouble as a teen those records will be sealed and we'll never know. It's only the charges he faced as an adult that will come out to the media.

F~M

03-10-2008, 11:18 AM

Keep in mind that if Lockhart was in trouble as a teen those records will be sealed and we'll never know. It's only the charges he faced as an adult that will come out to the media.

Yes! That's who I'm thinking of Lori Ann Slesinski!

That's what I thought KittyMom, but now I'm hearing that he was jailed in 2002 for harrassment. He was a junior in high school then. How could that have been released?

KittyMom

03-10-2008, 11:56 AM

Yes! That's who I'm thinking of Lori Ann Slesinski!

That's what I thought KittyMom, but now I'm hearing that he was jailed in 2002 for harrassment. He was a junior in high school then. How could that have been released?

He must've been charged as an adult.

F~M

03-10-2008, 01:21 PM

He must've been charged as an adult.

Ok.. that makes sense.

I'm working hard on getting info about this guy. If I find out anything pertinent, I'll keep y'all posted.

KittyMom

03-11-2008, 10:50 AM

http://www.oanow.com/oan/news/local/article/lockhart_received_bad_conduct_discharge/7733/

Published: March 11, 2008

Courtney L. Lockhart was in trouble in the military long before his name surfaced as the alleged killer of Auburn freshman Lauren Burk.

In May 2006 at Fort Carson, Colo., he grabbed what appeared to be a firearm and pointed it in the direc-tion of a non-commissioned female officer, court documents say.
“I’ll blow your head off …,” the documents say.

On the same day, he also had an altercation with an Army specialist.

Lockhart, from Smiths Station, was convicted of assault, two counts of communicating a threat and one count of use of marijuana. He was sentenced to seven months confinement at Fort Sill, Okla., reduced in rank to E-1 and given a bad conduct discharge.

Before that, Lockhart served in Iraq from Aug. 4, 2004, through July 23, 2005, earning the Combat Action Badge for his service with the 7th Infantry Division.

The marijuana charge was unrelated to the other charges.

To read the details, click here. Be aware, the document contains some objectionable language.

http://media.gatewayal.com/oan/lockhart/us_v_Lockhart.pdf

KittyMom

03-11-2008, 10:58 AM

http://www.oanow.com/oan/news/local/article/police_lockhart_confessed/7735/
By Amy Weaver

Published: March 11, 2008

Courtney L. Lockhart admitted to authorities on Friday that he shot, kidnapped, robbed and attempted to rape 18-year-old Auburn University freshman Lauren Burk, according to documents made public Monday.

The news was contained in sworn affidavits read by Lee County Circuit Court Judge Jacob A. Walker during Lockhart’s initial court appearance.

It was a day of court appearances for Lockhart, 23, an ex-soldier and Iraq war veteran from Smiths Station.

Early Monday he appeared in Russell County court on felony robbery charges. Those charges led to his arrest on Friday and ultimately to the discovery of evidence linking him to the Burk murder.

Following that hearing, he was brought to Lee County, where he faces charges of capital murder during a kidnapping, capital murder during a robbery and capital murder during an attempted rape.

He is being held in Lee County without bond. Alabama doesn’t allow bond in capital murder cases.

About 70 people attended the hearing. Most were media or court or law enforcement personnel. However, a group of 15 to 20 people who appeared to be Lockhart’s family or friends attended, and some were visibly upset. They declined comment after the hearing.

Lockhart, a slightly built young man who received a bad conduct discharge from the U.S. Army in 2006, remained stoic as Walker read the three affidavits.

According to the affidavits, Lockhart told police he forced Burk into her car on campus, where he robbed her of her credit cards and iPod. He then drove her around and forced her to take her clothes off.

He said he shot her with the handgun he had in his possession Friday when he was arrested, according to the affidavits. He said he then drove her car back to campus and set the vehicle on fire.

Auburn police responded to a person — later identified as Burk — lying in the roadway on North College Street between Farmville Baptist Church and U.S. Highway 280 around 9 p.m. Tuesday. Auburn police and fire responded to a car fire in a parking lot near Hinton Field around 9:30 p.m.

Burk died at East Alabama Medical Center from the gunshot wound.

Lockhart was in possession of a pistol when he was arrested Friday. All three affidavits state that the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences confirmed it was the firearm used in Burk’s murder.

The affidavits also say Lockhart was advised of his Miranda rights during his arrest, but that he waived those rights and gave verbal and written statements about the events leading up to Burk’s death.

Auburn Assistant Chief Tommy Dawson said Friday that Burk had not been sexually assaulted. However, because Lockhart “was engaged or attempting to engage in sexual intercourse,” he faces capital murder during an attempted rape, according to that affidavit.

Lockhart had three attorneys Monday. Two appeared only for the initial appearance. Walker said Joel Collins, a defense attorney from Phenix City, will remain on the case. The judge will appoint a second lawyer.

Alabama law says defendants in capital murder cases are entitled to two attorneys, each with at least five years of experience practicing criminal law.

Lockhart’s defense team asked for a preliminary hearing, which will be on April 2 or April 16.

Click to read warrant one.
http://media.gatewayal.com/oan/lockhart/warrant1.pdf
Click to read warrant two.
http://media.gatewayal.com/oan/lockhart/warrant2.pdf
Click to read warrant three.
http://media.gatewayal.com/oan/lockhart/warrant3.pdf

KittyMom

03-11-2008, 10:59 AM

What a worm...leaves her lying naked, shot in the head in the middle of the road.

Amber4Christ

03-12-2008, 10:28 PM

I wish I could say what I would really love to say, but I know better :X
PTSD? More like SPOS! Come on now, my fellow southerners, ya'll can figger those initials out ----------------- Sorry Piece -- O.S.? >:(

Amber4Christ

03-12-2008, 10:29 PM

And that, btw, was my attempt at some sort of humor out of life, after the mood around the entire valley area with all these young people being murdered, and the crazy (scratch that word) OUTRAGEOUS IS MORE LIKE IT, gas prices, who couldn't use a smile? :(

Amber4Christ

03-12-2008, 10:40 PM

I actually thought of something intelligent to say: Why does it seem people (psychologists, drug companies, etc, to be exact) always come up with these big labels for everything that happens. As most anyone knows, we all have nights where one can not sleep, we stay up half the night on the puter because we can't doze off, or we stay up catching up on work, homework, and so forth. We have those days.

We also have days (sometimes several in a row) where we just can't seem to get it going. We get sick of routine, work, school, the husband (he-heeee), the kids, driving back and forth to the grocery store, etc. Yet, we see these 'LABELS' for the things that we ALL experience. And the worse part? They have a drug for everything that ails you now. And if you can get a 'special label', you can get away with murder :(

I, personally, am sick of it !! I hope and pray to God they come up with a new drug to help me cope with hearing about a young girl being shot in the back or the head (I've heard two versions of this) and they can find a 'disorder' for what caused it! I would tell you all what caused it, but I am still trying to salvage what little bit of a reputation I have left as a good Christian. Seeing things like those we have been seeing in the media lately, it sure puts a person's faith to the test !! :(

One of his neighbor's kids said, and I quote, "He bullied me when I was little, he used to always say stuff to me to mess with me." Ummmmmm. Was that PTSD, too? **sighs**! He has a mental look about him, I wonder if he was on something ... besides a hateful crime spree!

Amber4Christ

03-12-2008, 10:44 PM

http://digg.com/world_news/Thug_Culture_is_a_Cancer_Destroying_Black_America_ 2

Amber4Christ

03-12-2008, 10:51 PM

What a worm...leaves her lying naked, shot in the head in the middle of the road.

And it was when I read this that I literally hung my head over the keyboards and cried
:(.....

Never met the girl! Never knew who she was! Never, never, never! :(

I had to pray and ask God to bring her killer out in to the open, bring him to the eye of the public, let us see what an animal with no remorse for human life looks like!

And to call him a veteran? My FATHER is a VETERAN! This S.W.P.O.S. is not a 'Veteran'!

KittyMom

03-12-2008, 10:52 PM

KittyMom

03-12-2008, 10:56 PM

And it was when I read this that I literally hung my head over the keyboards and cried
:(.....

Never met the girl! Never knew who she was! Never, never, never! :(

I had to pray and ask God to bring her killer out in to the open, bring him to the eye of the public, let us see what an animal with no remorse for human life looks like!

And to call him a veteran? My FATHER is a VETERAN! This S.W.P.O.S. is not a 'Veteran'!

You're so right. A Veteran is someone who willingly gave up home and comfort to protect people who couldn't protect themselves. A Veteran is someone who decided that duty, honor, self-sacrifice were more important than a warm bed, a full stomach, and roof to sleep under.

Veteran this worm is not. He disgraced his uniform and forever gave up the right to wear it.

Amber4Christ

03-12-2008, 10:59 PM

Amber,

It never fails to surprise me how these criminals and their mommy's and their lawyers always look for someone else to blame. I'd like for once to see a criminal stand up like a man and say..."yep, I did it. I have no excuse and I deserve all the punishment you can give me." But, that will never happen.

That is so true, Kitty. I was shocked that he did not try to say he was innocent of all charges, but I am getting from this whole thing--he is proud of his deeds, and he wants notoriety by the people! Almost as if he blames the world (society in general) for what he has been doing. The way he was rampaging across the valley area, shooting people, snatching young girls, taking money from old women and pistol-whipping them!

I honestly feel for his Mother, to a degree, but nothing like I feel for the Mother who bore a child 18 years ago, just so a sorry WPOS could come along and do to her what he did :( GOD HELP HIM!

It seems to me he was angry inside, bitter about something. Where did the bitter and anger come from? We usually learn those things as a child? When I was little, I remember my mind being very impressionable -- and it always took my good parents to bring me back to reality. ??? Makes one think, huh?:eyebrow1qb:

KittyMom

03-12-2008, 11:07 PM

yep...too many people running around with no control can only be the result of upbringing and society.

F~M

03-14-2008, 10:28 AM

F~M

03-14-2008, 10:32 AM

*snipped*

One of his neighbor's kids said, and I quote, "He bullied me when I was little, he used to always say stuff to me to mess with me." Ummmmmm. Was that PTSD, too? **sighs**! He has a mental look about him, I wonder if he was on something ... besides a hateful crime spree!

I'm not defending Courtney Lockhart AT ALL. He sickens me. But, the funny thing is.. the kid that made that statement about Courtney bullying him, is actually a bully himself. I can't stand that kid. He probably resented the fact that Courtney was someone he wasn't able to bully.

F~M

03-14-2008, 10:34 AM

And it was when I read this that I literally hung my head over the keyboards and cried
:(.....

Never met the girl! Never knew who she was! Never, never, never! :(

I had to pray and ask God to bring her killer out in to the open, bring him to the eye of the public, let us see what an animal with no remorse for human life looks like!

And to call him a veteran? My FATHER is a VETERAN! This S.W.P.O.S. is not a 'Veteran'!

You're right. He doesn't deserve to be called a veteran. He disgraced the Army and was discharged because of bad conduct.

In my eyes, he's not worthy of that title.

F~M

03-14-2008, 10:37 AM

yep...too many people running around with no control can only be the result of upbringing and society.

From what little I know of his mother, she was a hardworking, good woman. We used to sit behind her at a lot of the football games. She was always in the stands cheering for her boys. She doesn't have a bad reputation in our area at all.

I do agree that often times people like him are a product of poor parenting. But, I'm not sure in this case that's what happened to him. I think he's just a very bad seed.

KittyMom

03-14-2008, 11:23 AM

From what little I know of his mother, she was a hardworking, good woman. We used to sit behind her at a lot of the football games. She was always in the stands cheering for her boys. She doesn't have a bad reputation in our area at all.

I do agree that often times people like him are a product of poor parenting. But, I'm not sure in this case that's what happened to him. I think he's just a very bad seed.

If that is the case, then I feel sorry for his mom. Did he have a father figure in his life? Someone his mom could turn to when she just couldn't get through to him?

F~M

03-14-2008, 12:59 PM

If that is the case, then I feel sorry for his mom. Did he have a father figure in his life? Someone his mom could turn to when she just couldn't get through to him?

I don't think he had a father in the home. If there was, I never saw him at any of the football games. For some reason, I'm thinking his dad wasn't around, but I could be way off on that. I just never saw him around.

But, still, having a father, or not having one, didn't cause him to be this way. Sometimes there's just no rhyme or reason to why people turn out the way they do. They're just bad people.

He had a good example set by his mother, he chose not to follow it.

Roamer

04-13-2008, 01:54 PM

http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20080413/APN/804132385&sectioncat=NEWS

Students sell wristbands in memory of Auburn freshman

The Associated Press
Published April 13, 2008

Friends of a slain Auburn University freshman are selling lime green wristbands in her honor to raise money for charity, including a scholarship in her name.

University of Georgia junior David Awadalla, who attended Walton High School with Lauren Burk, started selling the bracelets soon after her death. The bracelets sell for $3 and organizers have raised more than $500 so far.

Due to the response, organizers have ordered more than 7,000 wristbands. Sales will be donated to Invisible Children and the Lauren A. Burk Memorial Scholarship at Auburn University and Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, where her parents met as students.

The 18-year-old Burk was found suffering from a gunshot wound on a roadway about five miles from campus shortly after 9 p.m. on the night of March 4 and her car was found about 20 minutes later burning in a campus parking lot. She died that night.

Friends say that lime green was Burk's favorite color. The wristbands are also being sold through the social networking site Facebook and a memorial Web site.

KittyMom

05-12-2008, 09:38 AM

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=115765

Last Modified: 5/12/2008 8:16:24 AM

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) -- An attorney is preparing an insanity defense for a man accused in the slaying of Auburn University freshman Lauren Burk.

Defense attorney Joel Collins has filed court documents that describe Courtney Larrell Lockhart as "suffering from some mental disease," saying he "lacks the ability to understand the difference between right and wrong."

The 23-year-old Lockhart of the Smiths community has been charged with capital murder in the March 4th death of the 18-year-old student from Marietta, Georgia.

District Court Judge Russell Bush has ordered an evaluation of Lockhart by a state psychiatrist or psychologist before setting a trial date. He also issued a gag order covering parties in the case.

This is such crap! This criminal knew enough of right and wrong to set her car on fire to hide evidence.

Roamer

05-16-2008, 06:10 AM

http://www.abc3340.com/news/stories/0508/519764.html

The man accused of killing an Auburn University student in March has been indicted on three capital murder charges.

Courtney Lockhart was also indicted on a charge of robbing a business in his Smiths Station hometown.

The Auburn student, 18-year-old Lauren Burk, was killed on March 4. She was found lying in the roadway on Alabama Highway 147 and died of a gunshot wound at a local hospital.

The 23-year-old Lockhart was arrested three days later. Authorities say he told police he abducted Burk from the Auburn campus, then robbed her and forced her to remove her clothes before shooting her.

Lockhart's attorneys say they are preparing an insanity defense.

KittyMom

07-15-2008, 08:39 PM

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/stories/2008/07/15/lauren_burk_suspect.html

AUBURN, Ala. — A psychological evaluation has found that the suspect in the slaying of an Auburn University freshman from Marietta has been faking hallucinations in jail and is fit to stand trial on a robbery charge, The Birmingham News has reported.

Courtney Lockhart faces several robbery charges and has pleaded not guilty to the March 4 slaying of 18-year-old Lauren Burk.

A Russell County Circuit Court judge ordered the evaluation in April to determine whether Lockhart was competent to stand trial for an armed robbery in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

Lee County Circuit Court Judge Jacob Walker ordered a separate evaluation last month to determine if Lockhart is competent to stand trial for both the robbery and Burk's murder.

The court ordered that the results of that evaluation be sealed and proceedings in the case have been postponed pending the outcome of the second evaluation.

:71541: So much for that insanity defense.

Faith

07-30-2008, 10:23 PM

Judge seals file in case of slain Auburn student

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) - A judge has sealed the file in the case of Courtney Lockhart, who is charges with the murder of an Auburn University student.

Defense attorneys filed a motion last month to have the file sealed in an effort to control pretrial publicity.

The order to seal the case, written by Lee County Circuit Court Judge Jacob A. Walker, says the county district attorney's office supported the motion.

The order means the public cannot access Lockhart's file through the circuit clerk's office.

A gag order had already been issued to keep anyone involved in the case from publicly discussing it.

Lockhart is 23 and is from Smiths Station. He is charged in the March 4 murder of Auburn freshman Lauren Burk. He is also charged with a February robbery in Russell County.

No trial date has been set.

---
Information from: Opelika-Auburn News

http://www.nbc15online.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=d325ffe4-6af2-41eb-99c5-c3677d4a11a6&rss=217

CSAFD

03-31-2009, 06:53 PM

Trial date set in Lockhart capitol murder case
Mar. 31, 2009

AUBURN, AL (WTVM) - News Leader 9 has new details on what lies ahead for capitol murder suspect Courtney Lockhart. News Leader 9 first told you about his arrest in the 2008 murder of Auburn University student Lauren Burk. He's gone before a Lee County judge and has learned when he'll stand trial.

To control pre-trial publicity for the most talked about murder in East Alabama, Judge Jacob Walker has refused to allow our camera's inside his courtroom during Tuesday's Status Hearing for Courtney Lockhart.

Judge Walker set March 29th, 2010 as the date for the capitol murder trial. The date was set at a request from District Attorney Nick Abbett, who told the Judge he would like to notify Lauren Burke's family. Both the District Attorney's office and defense attorney's for Lockhart expect the trial could last up to two weeks.

Meanwhile, Lockhart, dressed in pink dress shirt and tie, nodded to his family as he walked into the courtroom.

At some points during the proceeding he spoke quietly with his attorney's. Lockhart is accused in the March 4th 2008 murder of student Lauren Burk. According to the arrest report, Lockhart kidnapped, attempted to rape, then shot the freshman during an apparent robbery.

A motion's hearing has been set for May 20th. We understand the defense will probably request a change of venue, that issue will be discussed August 24th.

http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=10105487