|
|
It was Wednesday and I got off at the Bus stop by Eagle Island Estates. I was going to work on my 880 time at Pine View Middle School. I ran a sucky 4:16. I walked home and Mike from church stopped by and asked if I wanted a ride. "no, I'm almost home" I replied. He thought I was walking to church. After I got home and ate something, I hopped on my bike and rode to church. After church, I noticed bright
lights coming from across the lake. On the other
side of the lake was South Lake Padget, I had
freinds that lived down there. I started home. Now,
I'm usually one of the nosiest, curious people and
would usually ride down to a scene like this to see
what was going on. But I didn't, something told me
not to go down there. When I got home I saw a clip
for upcoming news and they mentioned a Pasco teen
was murdered. So I stayed up to watch it. The anchor words were something to the extent of "Land O' Lakes teenager, Jennifer Colhauer, was found murdered in her home." I called one of my freinds, but he was asleep, so I told his mom what had happened. Then I went to bed.
I got to School and met up with my freinds in the commons. Joe said irately "You shouldn't told my mom that, she was up scared the whole night" "Sorry, I said. The commons was a mad house. People crying, consoling each other the best they could. Emergency trauma counselors in the Guidance Department. The Principal came on the P.A. after the pledge and ask everyone to stand for a moment of silence. The was a couple of kids that didn't and their reply when questioned about it was "She was a bitch".
Now I never really knew Jennifer, I knew of her. I think she had given me some change in six grade when some punk jumped me. All I really knew about her was the street she lived on and who some of her freinds were. The next major dance coming up at school was Sade Hawkins, that's when the girls ask the guys out. I learned later that Jennifer had asked my freind Joe out to that dance before she died. She had just turned 14 and had her braces taken off.
Lisa was a girl that when I first moved to LOL I had a big crush on but she rejected me. She was one of Jennifer's best freinds and lived on the same street. I asked her how it felt to live on that street and she told me shedidn't really won't to
talk about it, in a very angry tone. I said "ok,ok"
I didn't want to anger her she was going out with
the Junior catcher on the Baseball team and I didn't want to get into it with him. Ray was one of the
best wrestlers on our ninth ranked team in the
state. We really had probelms with each other during football season. The whole sitituation really tore
him up. He just sat in the Cafeteria and stared.
Nobody could talk to him, I tried and no response at all. In English, were talking about what had
happened to which I replied "I wish it was me
instead of her, then everybody wouldn't be making
such a big deal" I kinda worded the phrase wrong and got blasted by one of the girls in the class. I
decided to down to the crime scene after school, Joe told me not to but I did anyway. Got questioned by a deputy.
By the time a week had passed by, I'd already gone thru writtig phrases on my arms, like "wish it was me, not her" and such. I had talked with Bill about the whole thing at a middle school basketball game, not knowing he was Jennifer's ex boyfreind. Me and my freind Dave walked around discussing what should happened to the person who commited the crime and he suggested hand him over to Bill and let him loose. The 27th was the day of the funeral and memorial service. Even though I tried to get there, I couldn't get a ride. I was better off, they packed the little chapel in Lutz so much people had to stand outside. So, I just rode my bike up to the school and watched the wrestling team beat Springstead. By this time Ray was in an emotional state to wrestle.
Some time later, there was a crime scene in Texas. On the day of Jennifer's murder therewas a red Corvette spotted driving down the street. A Texas police man had seen the car at a motel and decided to inquire on it. When he knocked on the door, the door opened and he was shot. Michael Lee Lockhart was tried and convicted of murdering the Texas Policeman. He was then extradidted to Indiana for the Rape and Murder of Wendy Gallagher, pleaded not guilty but still was convicted. He was then
extradidted to Dade City, Fla. While in jail in Dade City he jumped out a window onto a second story
roof. Police officals did not know if he was trying
to escape or committ suicide. He first pleaded not
guilty then changed his plea to guilty and was
convicted of murder. But since Texas caught him and
that was the last crime he commited, Texas got to
execute him. A couple of years ago, Texas executed
him by leathal injection.
There, like any other murder before facts come out, were rumors about this one. The only one I really remember is that it was a botched arbortion with a clothes hanger which wouldn't hold up to the facts. Jennifer was a latch key kid. She would come home from school and stay by herself for a couple of hours. Neighbors had seen here outside at 4:00.
Michael Lee Lockhart had knocked on her door. He
said he was interested in the vacant houses next
door and asked to use the phone. Jennifer let him in and when she turned around he grabbed her, a butcher knife and headed up stairs. Lockhart said he blacked out after that. He went to the first accessable bed
room, which happened to be her brother's room. He
then tied her up, gagged her, raped her and then
brutaly murdered her. Sheriff's officials has said
he inserted the knife, twisted it and then pulled it out and then left. This procedure was the same to be used in the Wendy Gallagher case. There was rumored
to bloody handprints on the walls. Later on, the
rest of the family came home and Jennifer's little
brother, Jeremy, then only 9, found his sister dead
in his bedroom.
They say what the Devil considers for bad, God
cosiders for good. Both Bill and Ray accepted Christ after this ordeal. The family, of course, moved. The house has been painted a couple of different times
and been owned by a couple of different people, I
don't know if they know what had happened there. I
used to stop by there when I was out there. I
haven't seen or talked to Joe in three years. It is
always in my mind, that if I win the lottery, I'd
buy the house, have it demolished and turned into a
memorial community park. Everytime January rolls
around, I always seem to remember this story.