Lauren Burk

The murder of Lauren Burk occurred on March 4, 2008, in Auburn, Alabama. Burk, an 18-year-old freshman at Auburn University, was kidnapped at gunpoint by Courtney Lockhart. Lockhart, a U.S. military veteran who had been dishonorably discharged, robbed Burk and forced her to strip naked. He drove her around for about 30 minutes while he lamented about his unemployment and misfortunes. When Burk attempted to escape, Lockhart shot her in the lungs. Lockhart is currently on death row at the Holman Correctional Facility. is a death row inmate at the Holman Correctional Facility in Escambia County, Alabama. According to a defense psychologist, Lockhart was not diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, but he did have some PTSD symptoms due to his exposure to combat. The psychologist also testified that Lockhart had an IQ of 86 and was immature and had poor judgment.

Burk's murder was part of Lockhart's violent crime spree. Beginning in February 2008, Lockhart committed a string of armed robberies and carjackings in Alabama and Georgia. Lockhart's crimes involved the same methods except for one convenience store robbery. He would choose a female victim and approach her from behind as she entered her vehicle in a parking lot. He would then threaten her with a pistol, demanded her purse, and/or attempt to drive away in her vehicle. Crimes committed by Lockhart include: He robbed a convenience store and shot at the store clerk. On March 5, he robbed a woman in the parking lot of a LaGrange, Georgia nursing home. On March 7, he attacked a 72-year-old woman in a Walmart parking lot in Newnan, Georgia. He hit her on the back of her head, held a gun to her head, and shoved her onto the floorboard of the car. He began to back out of the parking space but realized that a witness was following him. He then returned to his vehicle and fled.

At around 8:00 pm, Lockhart saw Burk as she was walking to her black 2001 Honda Civic. Burk backed into her vehicle and crawled into the front passenger's seat. Lockhart got into the driver's seat. Burk handed him $200 in cash and pleaded for him to leave.

Lockhart drove Burk around for approximately 30 minutes, passing bars, stores, and downtown restaurants. He complained to Burk about his misfortunes and unemployment. Lockhart claims that the shot was fired unintentionally, while prosecutors argue that he intentionally killed Burk. Later, in 2010, jurors would find Lockhart guilty of intentionally murdering Burk.

Witnesses reported hearing two shots and the nude Burk jumping out of the vehicle. Lockhart fled, leaving Burk lying on Alabama 147 between Lee Road 72 and U.S. 280.

After leaving Burk on the road, Lockhart stopped at a Chevron gas station on North College Street. At 9:17 pm, he used her stolen credit card to purchase gasoline for $14.65. He used the gas to douse the inside of Burk's car and then drove to the Hinton Field parking lot. He attempted to set the car on fire to destroy evidence but was unsuccessful. He then left to get a Burger King bag to use as a fire starter. Lockhart took $46, Burk's iPod, credit card, and his gun. He left Burk's clothing, the rest of her cash, and her digital camera in the car. He set the car on fire and left the campus in his vehicle. He later returned to check on Burk's car. Satisfied with the fire, Lockhart fled north on Interstate 85 to Atlanta, Georgia, where he used Burk's credit card to buy more gas. He used the card again at a Kroger in LaGrange, Georgia before throwing it out the window. Prosecutors argued that Lockhart kidnapped and attempted to rape Burk and then intentionally shot her. Prosecutors also tried to present evidence about Lockhart's dishonorable discharge from the military and evidence of his other crimes, but Judge Walker did not allow them to. Lockhart's defense attorneys argued that their client had mental illness due to his military service and that the shooting of Burk was accidental.

After six and a half hours of deliberation over two days, the jury found Lockhart guilty of robbery, kidnapping, and capital murder. Walker cited Lockhart's criminal history for imposing the death penalty on him. The jury had been unaware of Lockhart's crime spree and negative conduct while in the military. Walker concluded that “had the jury been aware of the additional facts known to the Court, their sentencing recommendation would likely have differed.” Walker also argued that Lockhart's kidnapping of Burk weighed in favor of a death sentence. “[The victim] was alone, unarmed, and she was chosen by Lockhart at random. The kidnapping is even more egregious because she was taken from a college campus, a place where students should feel safe, and forced into her own car. Lockhart forced her to undress and held her at gunpoint to prevent her escape.”

Post-conviction After his conviction and death sentence, Lockhart appealed to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. The Court upheld his conviction and death sentence in August 2013. In a 196-page opinion, the Court stated: “The record reflects that Lockhart's sentence was not imposed under the influence of passion, prejudice, or any other arbitrary factor. We determine that Lockhart's sentence is neither disproportionate nor excessive to the penalty imposed in similar cases.” Lockhart then appealed to the Supreme Court of Alabama. The Court denied his petition in September 2014. The Supreme Court denied his petition in April.

In September 2015, Lockhart filed a Rule 32 petition challenging his conviction and death sentence. He subsequently filed an amended petition in May 2016. In October 2017, he added allegations to several claims made in the amended petition. Hearings regarding the petition were held in December 2018 and February 2019. Lockhart's defense attorneys, who represented him through the Equal Justice Initiative, argued that the attorneys who represented him at trial mishandled the case and failed to present evidence about his trauma and how it influenced the shooting. Defense attorneys also want an expert to retest the gun used to shoot Burk, claiming that Lockhart's previous attorneys failed to adequately discover and present evidence showing that it may have accidentally discharged. Prosecutors from the Alabama Attorney General's Capital Litigation Division argued that there was nothing that should cause doubt regarding tests conducted by the state's experts. On April 3, 2020, Judge Walker denied Lockhart's request for relief from his conviction and death sentence. Lockhart appealed the denial of his petition for postconviction relief filed pursuant to Rule 32. In April 2021, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals let stand his capital murder conviction and death sentence. As of September 2022 Lockhart remains in the Holman Correctional Facility on death row.

Aftermath After Burk's murder, her family filed a claim against Auburn University, pressing them to re-establish a campus police force. The Burks claimed that the university's decision to merge its police force with the city's police force led to inadequate security. They sought $1 million. Alabama's Board of Adjustment denied the claim in November 2014.

Burk's parents have been strong supporters of Lockhart's death sentence. Burk's mother said at a hearing in 2018, "He didn't give her a second chance. He shouldn't get a second chance either." Her father said at another hearing in 2019, “We maintain our desire for the death penalty. Lauren did get the death penalty without a hearing, and we will do anything it takes to continue this process. Even if it goes to the Supreme Court, the Burk family will never give up.”