Family of slain Lawrence woman hopes new video leads to breakthrough in homicide investigation

LAWRENCE, Ind. — Makayla Lockhart was inside her home on a dead end street in Lawrence the night before Thanksgiving of 2023 preparing the family feast for the next day.

”She was getting the recipes together and getting ready to throw on the stove,” said Makayla’s father, Reylon Lockhart.

Makayla’s dinner prep with her brother was interrupted shortly before 11 p.m. when she spotted someone out in her driveway.

”They were in the house and Maykala came in and told him, ‘Somebody’s out there trying to steal my car,’” said Makayla’s mother, Jeri Radcliff. “So, he went outside and chased them off.”

Surveillance video, just received by the family from Makayla’s cell phone that had been taken by the Lawrence Police Department, shows a man shining a light into Makayla’s Hyundai, attempting to open the door and fleeing when Lockhart’s brother, armed with a handgun, steps outside and begins yelling at the would-be car thief.

”You can see the guy clearly walking around her car,” said Radcliff. “He starts out on the passenger side, shining lights in, he walks around to the driver’s side and then starts trying to break into the car. From there is when my son comes out and they take off.”

Minutes later, the man returns and fatally shoots Makayla, who was in the driveway examining the damage to her car.

That shooting, captured on the surveillance video, was wiped clean from the cell phone by LPD detectives.

Days after the killing, a police source told FOX59/CBS4 that investigators hoped to spot the suspect and his car from other surveillance camera videos and license plate readers.

”The biggest thing was the car, trying to find the car,” said Reylon. “It was tracked once in Kentucky.”

”They found all kinds of stuff in the car,” said Radcliff. “They found shell casings in the car.”

LPD had no comment on the ongoing investigation.

Makayla’s family hopes that the newly released video, combined with other tips, will lead to their daughter’s killer.

”We’re putting money toward the reward, and a lot of times, money talks to people,” said Radcliff. “I mean, you’ve fallen out with somebody and you got a chance to get some kind of money, when you’re hurting for money possibly, you’re gonna rat someone out.”

Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana has a standing $1000 reward for information leading to a conviction in Makayla’s case. The phone number for Crime Stoppers is (317) 262-8477.