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No action was taken Wednesday morning at the Lee County Courthouse in the case against a Smiths Station man accused of killing Auburn University freshman Lauren Burk.
Courtney L. Lockhart, 23, waived his preliminary hearing, which was scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, and is now seeking a gag order.
Lead defense attorney Joel Collins filed the order last week with District Court Judge Russell Bush, however, the judge did not act on it Wednesday morning. And there is no indication on when he will.
District Attorney Nick Abbett said it’s up to Bush to decide whether or not to hold a special hearing for the order before or after the grand jury convenes on May 5. Abbett still contends he will not discuss any aspects of the case with the media. He would rather save it all for the courtroom.
Lockhart is being charged with capital murder during a robbery, capital murder during a kidnapping and capital murder during an attempted rape. He was arrested three days after Burk was found lying in the roadway on North College Street after 9 p.m. March 4. The 18-year-old from Marietta, Ga., was transported to East Alabama Medical Center where she later died as a result of a gunshot wound. Around 9:30 p.m., her car was found in a parking lot on the university campus fully ablaze.
According to sworn affidavits read into the record at Lockhart’s initial appearance last month, Lockhart confessed to authorities that he forced Burk into her car, where he robbed her of her personal possessions. He drove her around, forced her to take off her clothes and shot her.
He then drove her car back to campus and set the vehicle on fire, the documents said.
Lockhart is being held at the Lee County Detention Center. There is no bond for capital murder in Alabama.
aweaver@oanow.com | 737-2534
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