6 comments

Jaren Lockhart murder - & - dismemberment trial wrapping up

Jun 19, 2015, 8:00 AM

I write it like I mean it, but mostly they just want my money.

Howdy all, Book Guy here. A trial in my area, for the murder of a dancer and dismemberment of her body, is just wrapping up. I'm not on TUSCL much any more (you can look up my recent past posts to learn why) but I thought I'd help keep everyone apprised of the developments in the Jaren Lockhart case. Here's my quick summary ...

Jaren Lockhart was a dancer at Temptations, Bourbon Street, New Orleans. All indications are that she chose to leave the club to "bachelor party" with her accused killers, Terry Speaks and Margaret Sanchez, on the night of June 5 or 6, 2012. Her dismembered body washed up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast several days later. The night of the killing was the "transit of Venus," a celestial event which will not take place again until 2117 and which sometimes is considered traditional for sacrifices to the Goddess of Love. The trial is taking place in Jefferson Parish Court (suburban New Orleans) as the murder probably took place at Speaks' home there. The trial started on Monday and looks like it will wrap up by today or maybe before the end of the weekend. To me, the evidence against Speaks is overwhelming, in my opinion, so he's sure to get convicted, at which point there's going to be another phase of trial, the "penalty phase" during which prosecutors can urge the jury to impose the death sentence. Sanchez will be tried separately. Speaks is already convicted in other jurisdictions for other crimes. (I wrote this summary.)

The following list of links is probably excessive, but I wanted to make sure that the distribution of information was complete rather than piece-meal, since the latter can quickly lead to misrepresentations and gossip. I'm not sure I will be involved much in the discussion; just here to share the links and straightforward info.

Here's a Facebook page about her, "Justice for Jaren" (includes most of the news stories, links are easy to follow, but only if you're a FB member and don't mind making a record of your signed-in presence there) -- facebook.com

Here's the category-page at the website of the Times-Picayune newspaper (many links in chron order to all of the T-P's stories about this subject) -- topics.nola.com

Here's the Times-Picayune's most recent story on the subject -- nola.com

Here's the New Orleans Advocate newspaper's most recent story on the subject -- theneworleansadvocate.com

Here's a link to the Clerk's info page about the court -- jpclerkofcourt.us

Here are some previous TUSCL discussions about this case -- tuscl.net tuscl.net

Here's the TUSCL club page -- tuscl.net

comments (6)

Book Guy10 years ago

(Sorry, it seems one of my links -- the first TUSCL discussion, a.k.a. my third-to-last, a.k.a. my ante-penultimate link -- is not correct; well seven outta eight ain't bad ...)

Book Guy10 years ago

And finally, as to my own proximity to the event ...

Well, believe it or not, my personal cash accounts, excruciatingly accurate as they are, actually do inform me of the mongering journeys which I might have been enjoying during that period in 2012. I looked in my old Microsoft Money and Quicken files and can determine the following fairly definitively: I had been to Visions in New Orleans East in mid- to late-May, and I had been to Visions and to Penthouse (which is just a few blocks from Temptations) later in June. When I went to Penthouse, I am sure, I must have walked past or near enough to Temptations, and have certainly passed it many times during my nightly prowls in those days, since it's on the main drag of strip-clubs smack in the middle of the most populated and cruddy section of tourist-heavy Bourbon Street. I can recall patronizing Temptations several times, I have probably written intelligible reviews about the place, but I cannot presently recall any occasion of getting a lapdance, or of getting to know any one individual dancer there. Images in the newspaper stories make clear what the victim looked like, especially the fact of her large number of tattoos, which would have been remarkable and memorable, so I suspect that I'm accurate when I claim that, because I don't recall her in specific, I probably never met her. I think if I had been attracted to someone looking like her whom I had met at Temptations, or maybe had a lap dance with her, then I would have recalled her. And again, my monetary accounting is helpful here -- it informs me that I hadn't spent money for any lappers at Temptations at that time. Nevertheless, for me it's unnerving to learn that I was so close to such a horrific incident. The victim probably had a drug problem, one can infer from the news stories, so she was seeking much-needed cash by means of the ill-fated "bachelor party" when she chose to leave the club with her (accused) killers.

I wonder how this might put a damper on out-of-club excursions by dancers. They'll be more skittish here, probably; but also no less in need of the money. I'm no longer a club regular anywhere -- I stopped clubbing about two years ago, plus -- and I'm not going to try to re-insert myself into any club in this context and atmosphere. Even if things aren't unreasonably more restrictive these days, it's just not appealing to me to hang with the skizzy skuzzy set, like it used to be. I thrilled to touch the underworld. But I just figured out that it probably touched me back, ever so slightly. Enough of a touch to chill my spine right to the core. Thanks Nietzsche for the pointer about the abyss ...

shailynn10 years ago

Fuck me did SJG change his username?

jackslash10 years ago

A sad story. It's dangerous to be a stripper.

DoctorPhil10 years ago

glad to see you are still here Book Guy

Book Guy10 years ago

Hey, still lurking and trolling Dr. PHil. :)

I would like to add one correction / update -- Speaks was convicted yesterday, but of Second, not First, Degree Murder. Evidently the prosecution did not choose to seek the death penalty, don't know why. (And who is SJG? oh never mind ...)