Naman Shrestha
When a young exotic dancer and mother of one named Jaren Lockhart suddenly went missing in New Orleans, Louisiana, in June 2012, the entire community was shell-shocked, with her loved ones concerned about her well-being. Their worst nightmare came true when her remains were found in Mississippi a few days later. The homicide investigation that followed was covered in a detailed manner in Investigation Discovery’s ‘Lethally Blonde: Burlesque and Blood,’ with the help of exclusive interviews with the officials who solved the case.
Jaren Lockhart’s Remains Washed Up on the Shore in Mississippi Days After Her Disappearance
Born on February 28, 1989, in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, Jaren Ann Lockhart was the beloved daughter of Donna Lockhart and Pete Singer. Raised in a loving and supportive household, she was accompanied by her brothers, Lance David Lockhart and Nick Swain, and sisters, Nikki, Andrea, and Alyssa Swain. She later moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, where she started working as an exotic dancer. At around 19, she became a mother to her beloved daughter, Rylie Ann Lockhart, whom she doted upon.
Jaren was looking forward to raising Rylie and watching her succeed in life, but fate shattered all her dreams. The 23-year-old mother of one suddenly vanished from her home in Kenner, Louisiana, on June 6, 2012. Around 5:30 am, her then-boyfriend became concerned about her when she failed to answer her phone. The following day, on June 7, she was reported missing. That same day, some of her remains washed up on the shore in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. A couple of days later, on June 9, more of her remains and her clothing were found in Pass Christian and Long Beach.
As the investigators checked the missing persons reports, they found Jaren’s name and confirmed that the remains belonged to her by using DNA from her daughter. Upon conducting an autopsy, the medical examiner’s office concluded that the cause of her death was a fatal stab wound to the chest. They also found bruises around her neck, torso, arm, and legs. The injuries indicated that more than one individual could be responsible for the homicide. It was also likely that she suffered a blunt force trauma injury to her head. For the dismemberment, the perpetrator/s likely used a blade and a saw before disposing of her remains.
Jaren Lockhart’s Killers Approached Her at Her Workplace
After Jaren Lockhart’s remains were identified, the authorities in Hancock County, Mississippi, and Louisiana began the investigation procedure without any delay. While retracing her movements on the day she went missing, they learned that she went to her French Quarter workplace, Temptations on Bourbon Street, where she interacted with a couple, Terry Speaks and Margaret Sanchez. As per investigative reports, the couple asked dancers on Bourbon Street to come with them. That’s how they approached Jaren, who agreed to go with them. One of the waitresses at the club where she worked told the detectives that Jaren told her she was in need of money for paying her rent and buying drugs.
According to witness statements, she left with the couple around 2 am on June 6, 2012. Moreover, the detectives reviewed security footage from the gentleman’s club that showed Jaren leaving with Terry and Margaret. After the police released the security footage and put out a plea on local news media for tips, they received a call from Margaret’s brother, who led them to Terry and Margaret’s shared home in the 2000 block of Connecticut Avenue, near Louis Armstrong International Airport in Kenner. On June 12, 2012, the couple was arrested in Tangipahoa Parish after Terry provided the police with false names and Social Security numbers. He also tried to flee from the deputies by running into a nearby field before being taken into custody.
The police then executed a search warrant on the couple’s home and electronic devices. Although the property was cleaned and the internet search history was deleted, they came across emails between them discussing the Venus Transit or Venus Transition, which was considered a possible motive for the murder. Furthermore, they noticed a burned pile at the suspects’ Kenner home that seemed to contain a rusted zip tie, a burned cellphone battery, and small leather straps that resembled those present on Jaren’s shoes. At the time, Terry had a criminal history with various outstanding sex charges, including his conviction of three counts of indecent liberty with a minor in 2003. On June 18, Margaret was charged with harboring a sex offender, while Terry pleaded guilty to failure to register as a sex offender in Louisiana.
Margaret Sanchez and Terry Speaks Are Held at Separate Louisiana Prison Facilities
While Margaret Sanchez was released about two months after her arrest, Terry was sentenced to 33 months in prison on a federal sex offense in New York. In the meantime, the detectives worked hard to gather evidence against the couple, linking them to Jaren Lockhart’s homicide. A couple of inmates who talked to Terry in the New York prison told the investigators that he gave different accounts about what happened to Jaren. In some versions, Terry alleged that he and Margaret attacked and killed her. In others, he claimed that she died. According to the inmates, he also gave varying accounts of how and where they disposed of her remains. Finally, on August 14, 2014, Terry and Margaret were indicted on murder charges related to Jaren’s death. The latter tried to get her indictment dismissed, but the judge denied her request.
A few months later, on June 19, 2015, Terry was found guilty of second-degree murder, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. He was eventually sentenced to two life sentences for his gruesome crimes. The following year, on June 20, 2016, before her trial could begin on July 11, Margaret pleaded guilty to manslaughter, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice. Consequently, she was sentenced to 40 years for manslaughter, 40 years for obstruction of justice, and 20 years for conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, all of them running concurrently. As of today, 42-year-old Margaret is serving her sentence at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, while 53-year-old Terry is incarcerated at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana.
Read More: Edward Thompson Jr. Murder: Where Are Styles Gann and Kevin Pacheco Now?
You must be logged in to post a comment.