Murder Suspect Says Victim Paid to Be Killed

Feb. 16, 2011— -- A bizarre murder trial set to begin Thursday in New York City has the makings of both a good mystery novel and a precedent-setting case on what defines assisted suicide.

On the morning of July 16, 2009, police found the body of Jeffrey Locker, 52, a father of three and a motivational speaker from Long Island, slumped over the steering wheel of his black station wagon. Locker's hands were tied behind his back, his chest was punctured by multiple stab wounds, and his wallet was missing.

The prime suspect was caught later that day. Kenneth Minor, 38, an unemployed computer technician and a drug addict with a long criminal history, was seen on video withdrawing $1,000 from several ATMs using Locker's bank card.

When cops caught up with Minor, he told them an incredible story: Locker approached him on a street corner and asked his help to commit suicide. He promised to give him his ATM card and PIN number as payment for his assistance.

Minor told police Locker drove through the streets of uptown Manhattan looking for someone to "do a Kevorkian," according to court documents and published accounts of a written statement he gave police.

"Locker said it had to look like a robbery so his family can get what they deserve," Minor wrote.

In the year and half since Minor's arrest, new evidence has emerged suggesting that the man is telling the truth and Locker was indeed looking to kill himself.

Locker had made a fortune from his speeches teaching people how to deal with stress, but evidence from the months before his death suggest he was deeply in debt and took out a $4 million life insurance policy on himself for his family. Minor's lawyer says it is evidence he was planning to kill himself.