A Michigan man who confessed to killing his wife before taking his own life left detectives a descriptive note on when and where the horrific homicide took place.
Christopher Lockhart was found dead inside the home he shared with his wife Theresa in Portage in late October, after police say he had been dead for several days.
The 47-year-old was found in the home by police after he failed to show up for a routine appointment with his probation officer.
Also found next to his body, was a note confessing to the high school Spanish teacher’s murder which he said he carried out in May after an argument.
The letter contained a ‘hand-drawn map’ to where he had dumped her body in a game area 50 miles away.
Aside the map, he wrote: ‘Detective Hess, I’m sorry for taking her away from everyone. Find her and put her to rest. I had no right to do what I did. I pray that God forgives me. I love her so much.’
In the confession. dated October 23, the former manager of a Pfizer drug production warehouse revealed he choked his wife to death in the downstairs of their home when he was drunk and ‘snapped’ the night of May 18.
Christopher Lockhart, 47, confessed to murdering his wife Theresa, 44, on May 18 in a suicide note that was found next to his body in October after his suicide. Lockhart (left in a July mugshot) had been arrested several times since his wife vanished but none of the charges related to her disappearance
The letter contained a ‘hand-drawn map’ to where he had dumped her body in a game area 50 miles away
In the confession. dated October 23, the former manager of a Pfizer drug production warehouse revealed he choked his wife to death in the downstairs of their home when he was drunk and ‘snapped’ the night of May 18
Police followed the map to the Allegan State Game Area where they found the 44-year-old Spanish teacher’s body partially submerged in some shallow water.
Since his wife went missing, Lockhart had been arrested four times on various charges including drunk driving, tampering with his alcohol tether and cutting his next door neighbor’s internet and air conditioning wires.
Despite being going in and out of custody on those separate charges and being considered a person of interest in Theresa’s disappearance, police never brought charges against him for her vanishing.
Detectives suspected the man was involved in his wife’s disappearance but never had enough evidence to arrest him at the time.
As he announced his death and the discovery of Theresa’s body in October, Portage Public Safety Director Nick Armold said he never once helped in efforts to try to find his wife.
Police followed the map to the Allegan State Game Area where they found the 44-year-old Spanish teacher’s body partially submerged in some shallow water
Police where taken to the location where her body was hidden inside the park (pictured above)
Police found Christopher’s body inside their home in Portage, Michigan, in late October after he failed to show up with an appointment with a probation officer
Police found Theresa’s body 50 miles from her home in the large Allegan State Game Park next to Lake Michigan
Christopher was the only person of interest in his wife’s disappearance but police never had enough evidence to arrest him. Her car was found by a park-and-ride. They shared photographs of his larger car along with one of his mugshots in an appeal for information
‘Not once had he orchestrated, participated or took part in searches for Theresa or contacted the agency,’ he said. The couple shared two young adult children.
Theresa was reported missing by school officials after failing to show up for classes in May.
Her car was later found in a park-and-ride in the area. Her estranged mother shared her suspicion of her husband before her body was found in October.
‘He controlled her and wouldn’t let anybody see her,’ her mother told Wood TV.
Christopher was previously charged in a domestic violence case which involved his wife. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge at the time.
He also had several window peeping charges stemming back to the 1990s.
Witnesses told how he would appear at victims’ windows late at night while dressed in a swimsuit.
One male victim said Christopher sprayed him with pepper spray when he confronted him.
Since May, Christopher was arrested four times on charges including cutting his neighbor’s internet and air conditioning wires, drunk driving and tampering with his alcohol tether