OPELIKA, Ala.,None — A jury found Courtney Lockhart guilty of capital murder Thursday in the death of 18-year-old Marietta native Lauren Burk in 2008. They recommended that he receive a life sentence without parole. A judge will make the final decision on Jan. 28.
Channel 2 Action News reporter Richard Elliot was in the courtroom when the verdict was read.
On Wednesday, a prosecutor told jurors that Lockhart, an Iraq war veteran, intended to kill Burk when he kidnapped her from the Auburn University campus and shot her in 2008.
But a defense attorney said in closing arguments that Lockhart planned only to rob Burk, and that the shooting was an accident.
Suspect Convicted In Lauren Burk Murder Trial
Jurors in the capital murder case deliberated for about 2 1/2 hours Wednesday before Judge Jacob Walker sent them home at about 6 p.m. The jury resumed deliberations at 9 a.m. Thursday.
The jurors again viewed a garbled video of a statement Lockhart made to investigators admitting he kidnapped Burk. Walker had the statement replayed for jurors in his courtroom when they returned Thursday morning, per the jurors' request.
courtney lockhart IM Courtney Lockhart in court. Courtney Lockhart in court
Prosecutor Kisha Abercrombie said the defendant knew his revolver was ready to fire as he drove Burk's car on rural roads near Auburn after kidnapping her in a campus parking lot. Burk had been visiting her boyfriend on the campus, and Abercrombie said Lockhart meant to kill when he shot Burk in the back as she tried to escape.
"He knew that the gun was cocked. After he killed her ... he started covering his tracks," Abercrombie said, referring to testimony about Lockhart burning Burk's Honda Accord later that night and quickly leaving for Atlanta in his own car.
However, defense attorney Joel Collins said if Lockhart had wanted to kill the student, he could have done it when he first grabbed her in the parking lot or pulled off the road at any time and shot her.
Collins said that while Lockhart was driving with Burk, he "waved his hands around, talking about how his life was over. He was waving his arms and then the gun went off," Collins said. He said Lockhart told investigators he was "shocked" when the weapon went off.
In his portion of closing arguments, though, Lee County District Attorney Nick Abbett talked about Lockhart's Army service.
"Someone who has been in combat knows how to handle a weapon," Abbett said. "He pointed the gun at her, with the hammer cocked back."
Earlier Wednesday, a psychologist testified that Lockhart was troubled after he returned from Iraq, but that she could not say he had post-traumatic stress disorder.
Kimberley Ackerson of Birmingham testified for the defense, which rested before noon after the prosecution wrapped up its case Wednesday morning.
Another psychologist, Glen David King of Auburn, testified as a rebuttal witness for the state. He told the jury that Lockhart showed no signs of mental disorder and understood what he did was wrong.
Lockhart's former fiancee, who is the mother of his 4-year-old daughter, testified that the former soldier from rural Smith Station was "a very nice, sweet, funny and caring" man before he deployed to Iraq.
But Nicole Threatt said the man who returned was different.
"He had an 'I don't care' attitude," Threatt said. She said he bathed less frequently and said she sometimes found him standing by himself in a closet. She said Lockhart also acted differently when they were out together.
"He didn't like for people to walk behind him," Threatt said.
Ackerson testified that Lockhart was particularly upset by two events that occurred in Iraq. She said one involved Lockhart and other soldiers coming under "friendly fire." She said Lockhart also was affected when a close soldier friend was killed.
She said he told her that he was "emotionally numb" after those incidents.
"Things didn't matter to him as much as before," she testified.
Jurors earlier heard a videotaped statement in which Lockhart admitted that he kidnapped Burk and that his gun went off as she tried to escape. There was no testimony on whether he intended to shoot. Lockhart did not testify.
On behalf of the entire family, Burk's father, Jim, released a statement thanking Abbett, jurors and others for their support during the "painful ordeal."
"We still have some questions as to why this happened, but hopefully we can find answers in the future. We continue to love and pray for Lauren," added Jim Burk.