Auburn Student's Murder Trial Moves Into Week Two

Murdered Auburn University student Lauren Burk's boyfriend took the stand Monday morning testifying he had breakfast with Burk that cold March 4th morning, they went to their 11 o'clock class and later that day they hung out until 8 o'clock when she went to meet a friend to study. He then looked up at District Attorney Nick Abbett and said he'd never see her alive again.

Prosecutors say Burk was abducted in her Honda Civic that night and shot by Lockhart when she attempted to escape the car. 

At one point during the trial, Burk's father shouted in court, "This sucks!" after seeing a picture of Lauren from her stolen black iPod. Then the judge called recess. Burk's father was allowed to sit in through the rest of the day's proceedings.

Lauren Burk's sister, Jaklyn Semones, later testified identifying the black iPod to the courtroom as Lauren's, saying she bought it for Lauren as Christmas present. The black iPod was found on Lockhart he was arrested on March 7th, 2008.

Medical examiner, Dr. John Daniels, testified that he performed an autopsy on Burk and determined she died within minutes of being shot in the back at close range. He told the court room the gun shot wound entered her left back shoulder, significantly punctured both lungs and exited her upper right arm. The path of the wound was from below to upper, suggesting Lauren was leaning to the right at the time the gun, Dr. Daniels says couldn't have been more than a few inches away, was fired. This is consistent with the belief that Burk was trying to exit the passenger side of the moving vehicle, leaning to the right to open and jump out of the car.

Officers with the Phenix City Police Department testified Monday afternoon that Lockhart was pulled over in a silver Chrysler Sebring on Highway 80 March 7th, 2008 for speeding. Pulled over on the Summerville Road exit, he was asked for his driver's license but became frazzled and sped off leading a high speed chase. Officers testified he stopped nearly 1-2 miles from Glennwood High School where he fled the car and took off into woods behind a residence.

Lockhart screamed, "I'm sorry. No one would help me when I got back from Iraq" as officers began to handcuff him. Three shell casings, four Gatorade bottles and a green shirt were taken submitted into evidence from the vehicle. A black iPod, later identified as Lauren Burk's was found on Lockhart at the time of his arrest.

A K9 searched the area for a gun they believed belonged to Lockhart. An officer told the courtroom a revolver was found about a mile from where Lockhart was arrested, at the base of the Publix parking lot, in between the road (Summerville Road) and Publix. It is believed Lockhart threw the gun out of the passenger window as he slowed down, before stopping the car and running into the woods.

More than 30 witnesses have taken the stand to testify in the Capital Murder case of Courtney Lockhart

Lockhart has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.