News: News for Long Island Murder Trial
(Long Island, N.Y.) New information in the murder trial for Valley Stream motivational speaker Jeffrey Locker may help prove his alleged killer’s innocence. The defendant on trial, an East Harlem man named Kenneth Minor, claims that he aided Locker in his desire for suicide by holding a knife in place as he plunged into it. Since the trial began over a week ago, a second man has come forward claiming he was also approached by Locker to be recruited for the crime.
Marvin Flemming, a man accustomed to the streets of East Harlem, supports Minor’s claim that Locker was lurking around the area prior to his death in hopes of hiring a man to kill him. Flemming says that Locker paid him five dollars during a meeting outside a bodega while he was propositioned by Locker about the killing. Minor was allegedly spotted purchasing items at a bodega after the killing took place; he claims that it was all according to the plan set by Locker to insure the suicide appeared to be a robbery and murder.
Flemming says his intention was to hustle Locker for as much as he could get before it became clear to the fifty-two-year old speaker that he wouldn’t comply with the killing scheme. He maintains that he never planned to kill Locker, but had no problem taking roughly $4,000 in cash, jewelry, and knives in exchange for his initial compliance. Reports have stated that Locker was seen making cash withdrawals from an ATM machine prior to his death.
Flemming also claims that he witnessed Locker make a phone call to say that he had found someone to do the job that he/she refused. He claims that Locker planned to pretend to bust a tire, and Flemming was supposed to rob and shoot him as he tended to it. On the night of his murder, Locker allegedly called his wife to inform her that he had pulled over on the road to help fix a tire.
Instead of sticking to Locker’s plan, Flemming says he ditched on the speaker by entering a friend’s home, where he was supposed to retrieve a gun. He says he never returned or saw Locker again, but claims to have received a phone call from Locker who asked him why he was betrayed. This could explain why reports have stated that phone calls were made by Locker to a particular apartment in a nearby housing project.
Locker’s killing took place on July 16th of 2009, and the trial against Minor began last week; it’s unsure whether Minor will be prosecuted for second-degree murder or assisted suicide. The defense has previously requested a review of the case, since evidence surfaced that indicated Locker had researched funeral arrangements and life insurance policies prior to his death. The insurance company that handled Locker’s multi-million dollar policy has not granted the money since reports have shown that Locker stated he earned more than his actual income.
A motive for this bizarre crime could be the financial debt that Locker faced after getting involved in a Ponzi scheme. A witness in the case claimed that he had spotted Locker’s vehicle several times in the area, suggesting that Locker had spent a significant amount of time trying to hire his killer. If evidence proves the validity of their statements, it’s still unsure whether Minor and Flemmings were the only persons whom Locker attempted to recruit for his killing.
