Michael Lee Lockhart: The Cross-Country Predator
Overview
Michael Lee Lockhart was a drifter and serial killer whose violent, five-month crime spree across the United States in 1987 and 1988 left a trail of terror and ended with death sentences in three different states. A native of Toledo, Ohio, Lockhart committed a series of robberies, assaults, and car thefts that culminated in the brutal murders of two teenage girls in Indiana and Florida, and a police officer in Texas. The savagery of his crimes, particularly the disembowelment of his young female victims, drew comparisons to other infamous serial killers. Though he once boasted of killing more than two dozen people, he was definitively linked to and convicted of three murders. His capture in March 1988 concluded a multi-state manhunt, and he was ultimately executed by the state of Texas in 1997.
Early Life and Criminal Beginnings
Michael Lee Lockhart was born on September 30, 1960, in Walbridge, Ohio. His early life was marked by instability and trauma. During his trial in Texas, a psychologist testified that Lockhart had been molested by a family friend at age five or six and was a victim of incest from ages nine to twelve. These experiences, the psychologist argued, caused him to become violent toward young women and enraged with men when cornered.
Lockhart's adult criminal history began before his murderous spree. He had a conviction for robbery in Wyoming, for which he received probation on the condition that he return to Ohio. He later violated that probation and was sent to prison. After his release, he worked for a time in Toledo before his cross-country crime wave began. In the months leading up to the murders, Lockhart committed a series of lesser but still violent crimes. On October 12, 1987, the day before his first known murder, he robbed a woman at knifepoint in Chicago. He also stole multiple cars, including a blue Toyota Celica and, later, a red Chevrolet Corvette that would become a key element in his final crimes and capture.
The Murder of Windy Gallagher
On October 13, 1987, Lockhart entered the Griffith, Indiana, apartment of 16-year-old Windy Gallagher. There were no signs of forced entry. Windy's older sister, Christy, returned home that evening and, after about thirty minutes, discovered her sister's body in their shared bedroom. Windy was nude from the waist down, her hands were tied behind her back with strips of cloth, and her bra was pushed up over her breasts. She had been stabbed 21 times—four times in the neck and 17 times in the abdomen—and disemboweled. Missing from the apartment were a photograph of Windy and her small grey purse.
The Murder of Jennifer Colhouer
Three months later, on January 20, 1988, Lockhart struck again, this time in Land O' Lakes, Florida. Fourteen-year-old Jennifer Colhouer was home alone after school when Lockhart, driving a stolen red Corvette, talked his way into her house. He chased her upstairs, where he bound, raped, strangled, and stabbed her. In a brutal act mirroring the Gallagher murder, Lockhart then disemboweled her with a kitchen knife. Jennifer's body was discovered later that day by her eight-year-old brother, Jeremy.
The Murder of Officer Paul Hulsey Jr.
Lockhart's crime spree came to a bloody end in Beaumont, Texas. On March 22, 1988, Officer Paul Douglas Hulsey Jr., 30, spotted a red Corvette with Florida license plates and recognized the passenger as a local drug dealer. Hulsey followed the Corvette, driven by Lockhart, to a local motel. The officer then followed Lockhart into his room to arrest him for driving the stolen vehicle. A struggle ensued, during which Lockhart managed to grab his own gun. He shot Officer Hulsey, and then, after a brief pause, shot him a second time as the officer begged for his life. Lockhart fled the scene, leaving Hulsey to die from a gunshot wound to the heart.
The Victims
- Windy Gallagher, 16 — October 13, 1987, Griffith, Indiana. A high school student murdered in her own bedroom. Her sister discovered her body, which had been tied up, stabbed 21 times, and mutilated. In her journal, Windy had written that October 13th would be a "no worries day."
- Jennifer Lynn Colhouer, 14 — January 20, 1988, Land O' Lakes, Florida. An eighth-grader who was attacked in her home after getting off the school bus. She was raped, strangled, and stabbed to death before her body was found by her younger brother.
- Paul Douglas Hulsey Jr., 30 — March 22, 1988, Beaumont, Texas. A police officer who was shot and killed while attempting to arrest Lockhart for driving a stolen car. He was shot through the heart while struggling with Lockhart in a motel room.
Investigation and Capture
The investigation into Windy Gallagher's murder gained a crucial lead just days after her death. The woman Lockhart had robbed in Chicago recovered her purse, and inside it, she found Windy Gallagher's small purse and a pocket calendar with her name on it. This discovery provided a strong circumstantial link between Lockhart and the Indiana murder.
In Florida, eyewitnesses placed Lockhart and his stolen red Corvette in Jennifer Colhouer's neighborhood on the day of her murder. DNA evidence from semen found at the scene was later matched to Lockhart. The striking similarities between the Gallagher and Colhouer murders—both teenage girls, killed in their homes, bound, sexually assaulted, and disemboweled—helped investigators establish a pattern.
Lockhart's final crime led directly to his capture. After murdering Officer Hulsey in Beaumont, an all-points bulletin was issued for the stolen Corvette. Lockhart was spotted, and a high-speed chase ensued. He eventually crashed the car and was apprehended on March 22, 1988. Evidence of his other crimes was discovered inside the vehicle, solidifying the case against him.
Trial and Sentence
Michael Lee Lockhart became a rare case in American criminal justice, receiving death sentences in three separate states. His first trial was in Texas for the capital murder of Officer Paul Hulsey Jr. The venue was moved from Beaumont to San Antonio due to publicity. During the trial, Lockhart made a dramatic escape attempt, bolting from deputies and jumping through a third-floor courthouse window. He was injured in the fall and quickly recaptured. In October 1988, a jury found him guilty of capital murder and sentenced him to death.
Following the Texas conviction, Lockhart faced trial in Indiana for the murder of Windy Gallagher. An Indiana jury also convicted him and sentenced him to death in July 1989. The prosecution presented evidence of aggravating circumstances, including that the murder occurred during a robbery and that Lockhart had been convicted of another murder in Texas.
In Florida, Lockhart pleaded guilty on October 26, 1989, to the first-degree murder of Jennifer Colhouer. During the sentencing hearing, he told the jury, "You're going to hear evidence that will make you sick," and implored them to sentence him to death. After just 20 minutes of deliberation, the jury recommended a death sentence, which the judge imposed.
Lockhart's appeals were systematically denied by state and federal courts. Since his first death sentence was handed down in Texas, that state had priority in carrying out his execution.
Execution and Aftermath
On December 9, 1997, Michael Lee Lockhart was executed by lethal injection at the Huntsville Unit in Texas. He was 37 years old. His last meal was a double-patty cheeseburger, french fries, and a Coca-Cola. In a final statement, he acknowledged his guilt for the three murders, expressed remorse, and thanked the prison staff for their kindness. His last words were: "A lot of people view what is happening here as evil, but I want you to know that I found love and compassion here... That's all, Warden, I'm ready."
The families of his victims were deeply affected by his crimes. Jennifer Colhouer's father, Tom, witnessed the execution. Her brother, Jeremy, who found her body at age eight, suffered from nightmares for years and later became a sheriff's deputy, patrolling the same neighborhood where his sister was killed. The family endured further tragedy when Jennifer's younger sister, Megan, who struggled with legal troubles for years, died in a house fire in 2007.
Though convicted of three murders, Lockhart at one point claimed to have killed as many as 29 people. He was considered a suspect in the 1987 abduction and murder of 16-year-old Kathy Hobbs in Las Vegas, a case that was featured on *Unsolved Mysteries*. However, he later recanted his broader claims, taking responsibility only for the three murders for which he was condemned.
