Michigan Man Christopher Lockhart Left Directions For Wife's Corpse In Suicide Note
A man who was the sole person of interest in the disappearance of his wife killed himself and left a map in his suicide note that led police to her body in a remote area in Allegan County, Michigan, on Wednesday, according to reports.
Police confirmed that the body found in what police described as a “shallow grave,” using the directions, was that of Theresa Lockhart who was reported missing more than five months ago. Police also found a note with a hand-drawn map that appeared to be written by her husband Christopher Lockhart.
In the note, he expressed remorse for his wife’s disappearance and explained that the couple had a fight, Fox17 reported. He also admitted to killing her on May 18 after he "snapped" during the argument, police told reporters at a press conference Wednesday.
“While I’m not going to go into the details of the note, Chris did state that on the night of May 18, that he killed Theresa and that the next day he disposed of her body in the Allegan Game Area,” said Director of Public Safety for the City of Portage, Nick Armold , according to NBC News.
Christopher was found dead at his home in Portage, Michigan, and police confirmed that he hanged himself. NBC affiliate WOOD-TV reported his body was found in the basement by officers who were conducting a welfare check after he had missed a parole appointment.
“It will be some time before we have any results as to the cause of death of Theresa,” Director Armold continued, but the “initial determination as to the cause of death of Chris is listed as suicide by strangulation.”
During the investigation into Theresa’s death, police stated that Christopher was not cooperating and was not providing any information.
“[Through the investigation], not once had he contacted our agency asking about any updates on the investigation,” Director Armold said in the press conference. “And to our knowledge, not once had he orchestrated, conducted or participated in any searches for Theresa.”
In an earlier interview, Christopher had denied any involvement in Theresa’s death and said she was facing an increasing amount of stress at work. He also said he believed Theresa had received help for her mental health in the past without telling him.
“When she left I assumed she was going to get herself some help. That’s why I wasn’t really too worried about it at that point in time because I want to keep her issues private,” Lockhart told WOOD-TV. "I basically told them the same story I’m telling you, that she up and left. She’s done this before. I didn’t think she had a job to go back to."
"I think the police just don’t have anything more right now and I guess they’re trying to shake some trees and see what falls out," he added.
He was also arrested on four unrelated accounts earlier. Senior Deputy Police Chief of the Portage Police Division John Blue was cited by NBC News saying Chris’ neighbors were annoyed because of the crowds of media that surrounded the Lockhart home since Theresa’s disappearance.
He also vandalized the wires of the neighbors’ camera systems and was arraigned on July 7 on one count of interfering with electronic communications, a felony, and one count of malicious destruction of a building under $200, a misdemeanor.
He was also arrested in July in a case of drunk driving and was released on bond.
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