The Case of Lauren Burk

"On the night of March 4, 2008, 18-year-old Auburn University freshman Lauren Burk left her boyfriend's dorm to study at the library. She never made it. Within an hour, she was found naked on a rural highway—shot once in the back. Her car was discovered burning in a campus parking lot. The killer had vanished into the night."In this gripping true crime episode, we unravel the tragic and horrifying case of Lauren Ashley Burk, an 18-year-old graphic design student from Marietta, Georgia, and member of the Delta Gamma sorority [citation:2]. On that fateful evening, Lauren was ambushed in a campus parking lot by Courtney Lockhart, a 23-year-old dishonorably discharged Iraq War veteran [citation:1][citation:3]. Wielding a Rohm RG revolver, Lockhart forced Lauren into her own black Honda Civic, robbed her of $200, and ordered her to strip naked—later claiming he did so only to prevent her escape [citation:2].What followed was a 30-minute nightmare drive. Lockhart drove Lauren around Auburn, ranting about his unemployment and misfortunes. Incredibly, Lauren tried to reason with him, offering to help him find a job [citation:2]. The conversation ended when she desperately jumped from the moving car. As she fled, Lockhart shot her at close range; the bullet pierced both of her lungs [citation:2]. Naked and bleeding, she collapsed on Alabama State Route 147 and died en route to the hospital [citation:7].Lockhart set Lauren's car on fire in a failed attempt to destroy evidence before fleeing to Atlanta. He was captured three days later after a high-speed chase in Phenix City [citation:8]. Prior to this, he had been on a violent crime spree, having robbed several other women [citation:5]. Lockhart was convicted of capital murder in 2010. Though the jury unanimously recommended life in prison, the judge overrode the decision, citing Lockhart's criminal history and military weapons training, and sentenced him to death [citation:2][citation:6]. He remains on Alabama's death row. Listener discretion advised.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/red-tree-crime--6847553/support.