Hanover Park man guilty of murder in robbery attempt

A Hanover Park man accused of planning a dollar store robbery that led to a clerk's stabbing death was convicted of first-degree murder late Friday.

A DuPage County jury deliberated about six hours before finding Jerry Lockhart, 41, guilty in the death of 56-year-old Vatsala Thakkar of Hanover Park.

Thakkar, a mother of three, was repeatedly stabbed in a Nov. 20, 2008, robbery at Dollar Plus on the 5600 block of Arlington East Drive.

Although Lockhart did not participate in the actual robbery, prosecutors argued he put two teens up to it knowing someone could get killed.

“It's as if he took that knife and thrust it in Vatsala's back himself,” Assistant State's Attorney Michael Pawl said in closing arguments.

Jurors heard testimony from Seneca Berry, who was 15 when he says he followed Lockhart's lead in carrying out the robbery with another teen, Dewaun Tate, then 17. An Aurora drug dealer also testified he heard Lockhart confess.

Prosecutors said Tate distracted Thakkar, a store clerk, while Berry looted the cash register of about $135. Tate is accused of stabbing Thakkar twice as they fled before she stumbled into the parking lot and collapsed.

One tip in the investigation came from Lockhart himself, who told a police officer canvassing his neighborhood that he saw Berry pass through his alley about the time of the murder. Berry later told police Lockhart put him and Tate up to it.

A knife similar to a description of the murder weapon was subsequently retrieved from the sleeve of a coat found in Lockhart's home, which was within walking distance of the dollar store.

Although prosecutors sought to portray him as a criminal who recruited youths to do his dirty work, the defense argued he was only a victim of Berry's revenge.

“Seneca's a liar,” Assistant Public Defender Joan Pantsios said in closing arguments. “You cannot trust a single word that comes out of Seneca's mouth.”

Pantsios said Berry was “smoking mad” about Lockhart's statement to the police and implicated him only as leverage in his own case. The teen later pleaded guilty to armed robbery in exchange for a 17-year prison term and the dismissal of first-degree murder charges.

The defense also challenged inconsistent statements given by both Berry and the drug dealer, who was facing his own felony charges when he implicated Lockhart.

In addition to first-degree murder, Lockhart was found guilty of armed robbery. He faces up to 60 years in prison, unless found eligible for an extended term.