Jeffrey Locker Case: Motivational Speaker's 'Death Wish Murder' Featured On '48 Hours Mystery'

"48 Hours Mystery" will air a segment Saturday on the murder of Jeffrey Locker.

The television true crime mystery show "48 Hours Mystery" will air a segment Saturday on the murder of Jeffrey Locker, a debt-ridden motivational speaker who prosecutors say wanted to arrange his own death.

The program airs on CBS and is hosted by correspondent Richard Schlesinger. According to a promotional spot, the episode features interviews with law enforcement officials, members of the media and a long-time friend of Locker's. Kenneth Minor, the man who was convicted of killing Locker, also appears in the program and breaks his silence about the case.

"I've always said I will pay for what I did. I will pay for the part that I played," Minor said in his first interview. "It wasn't murder. I just happened to be the building he jumped off."

Locker, 52, was found dead on July 16, 2009, inside his 2007 Dodge Magnum, which was parked at a housing project in East Harlem, N.Y. A cord was wrapped tightly around his neck and he had suffered multiple stab wounds that pierced his heart, lungs and liver. Minor was arrested the following week, after police obtained surveillance footage that showed him withdrawing $1,000 from several ATMs using Locker's bank card.

Minor admitted to killing Locker but claimed the man had approached him at random and asked him to do it in exchange for his ATM card. Minor said Locker told him he was deeply in debt and wanted to die so his family could collect on an $18 million life insurance policy.

"It had to look like a robbery so that his family could get what they deserve," Minor said, according to court papers.

Minor said he attempted to choke Locker with a wire but it kept breaking, so Locker instructed him to use a knife.

"He said to hold it against the steering wheel with the blade facing him. I did that, and he leaned forward into the knife three to four times while I held it," Minor said. "He then told me to move the knife over to the other side where his heart is. I moved the knife over and he leaned forward into it a couple of more times. At that point, he was alive and breathing heavily. I got out of the car and threw the knife."

The story sounded incredible to police. During his interview with Schlesinger, Minor acknowledged, "Nobody wanted to believe me."

When the case went to trial in February 2011, the defense argued Locker's death was a case of assisted suicide. Evidence revealed during the trial showcased Locker's severe financial troubles, pending lawsuits and a multi-million dollar life insurance policy that Locker had purchased months before his death.

The prosecution challenged the assisted suicide claim and argued that Minor was basically a cold-blooded contract killer.

The jury ultimately sided with the prosecution and Minor was found guilty of second-degree murder. On April 4, 2011, Minor was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.

The primetime broadcast on the case, "Death Wish," will air Saturday at 10:00 p.m. ET on CBS.

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Comments

[Sabrina Brennieluv Minor]

01:39 PM on 02/10/2013

Please go to. Http://giveforward.com/justiceforkennethminor. Thank you

[wolfblueeyes]

03:04 AM on 01/29/2013

BS. First, why would he need to be tied up and restrained by a noose around his neck if he was a willing suicide? No, that's what you would do someone if you were threatening him to disclose information. What information? PIN #. In the process of that torture, you might expect a victim to disclose other information, like he didn't have any money becuase he was in debt, you could kill me if you want, my family will be taken care of because of my insurance policies, even likely stated as a possible "positive" result of his deathly predicament. After all, he was a highly positive motivation speaker. That's how these people roll. Second, it is not possible for a man whose hands are tied behind his back to repeatedly lunge into a knife. Ridiculous. Third, why would not Locker have a gun? If you are going to commit suicied, hurling yourself at a knife is not a good solution. You'd have a gun and say shoot me. No need to be tied up. Who brought the wire to tie him? No no. Ridiculous. Fourth, the moves regarding insurance for a 50+ year old man are common practice. Setting up a trust to escape litigation liability is smart if you have pending law suits. We don't know the details of the policies, but upping your insurance is something 50+ year old men think about.

[Roni24]

05:06 AM on 01/30/2013

I was going to comment back with all the correct information to your conjecture but that will just take way too much time. There is correct information out there if you want to look. One big thing is the suicide. His family even knew he was going to commit suicide. Keith wasn't the 1st person he solicited. Him looking for someone to kill him is not in debate.

[FilmNoirFan]

09:02 PM on 06/23/2012

I just read on another site that the family did not get any insurance money. Mr. Locker was a motivational scammer. He motivated people to invest in a Ponzi Scheme. He motivated Kenneth Minor to kill him and he motivated his family into agreeing to the assisted suicide.

[FilmNoirFan]

08:42 PM on 06/23/2012

I saw this episode last night. One of Mr. Locker's friends doesn't want to he wanted to be killed but what legitimate reason did Mr. Locker have for being in Harlem? He was involved in a Ponzi Scheme and was being sued by some of his victims. When detectives his family that he was found dead, they acted like they were not surprised. I do not know if this fact came out during the trial of the man who was charged with murder. Additionally, no one from Mr. Locker's family attended the trial. Why not? Are the allegations true that he wanted to be killed because the insurance companies wouldn't pay out for acts of suicide? The whole scenario seems to cleaver for the lowlifes Mr. Locker was seeking to have come up with. I believe that Jeffrey Locker did plan his death so his family could collect on the insurance and they were all in on it. The family sued some of the insurance companies for not paying $4 million. It is not known if any of the other money was ever paid. I hope any money they do get from his death is lost or squandered away and they end up poor. They were a part of his fraud and should be punished.

[jaokguy]

10:20 PM on 01/28/2013

Never mind "fraud", the entire family is guilty of murder, and they all should be charged. They OBVIOUSLY knew about this so why are the prosecutors conveniently sweeping them all under the rug as if they don't exist?

[Vjh]

04:36 PM on 05/01/2012

He was a sick man looking for someone to kill him. I don't think his family should get any of the insurance money!!! Real family's stick together with or without money!

[Zilvernation]

06:24 AM on 04/28/2012

hmmmm...interesting...very interesting

[Donuthole]

05:25 PM on 04/27/2012

What happened to the $18 million? Did the insurance company pay? Or did they try to weasel out of the payment by taking the position that whatever the Jury in the criminal case decided, it was still suicide?

[jgfsmf]

06:21 PM on 04/27/2012

They're not going to tell you so that way you have to watch the show.

[cobraxus]

09:31 AM on 04/28/2012

forget about the 18 million dollars.is the knife ok?