LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A man accused of murdering a woman, then burning her body on the side of the road, is in court Friday.
55-year-old Terence Ray from Hazleton is in Luzerne County Court after being accused of murdering 39-year-old Jessica Lockwood in April.
Prosecutors say Ray killed Lockwood in his Muir Avenue home, then burned her body along Club 40 Road near Hazleton. The coroner says Lockwood died from blunt force trauma and a gunshot wound.
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Investigators say Lockwood went to Ray’s house to buy painkillers because she suffered from a substance abuse disorder.
Ray allegedly killed her in the basement of the home. Ray fled Pennsylvania and was captured 11 days later near New York City.
In court, a Hazleton police officer testified how the city’s surveillance cameras tracked Ray’s Ford Explorer that morning to Club 40 Road. Another officer testified that there were text messages on Lockwood’s cell phone to Ray asking about pain killers, the day she disappeared.
Lockwood was a first responder with the Harwood Fire Company near Hazleton and about two dozen family and friends of Lockwood are in the courtroom.
Ray faces Homicide, Abuse of Corpse, and other related charges.
55-year-old Terence Ray is charged with murdering 39-year-old Jessica Lockwood and then setting her body on fire.
District Judge Jamie Dixon ruled that prosecutors presented more than enough evidence to send ray to trial for the brutal murder of Jessica Lockwood.
In fact, he said in open court the evidence against Ray is overwhelming.
55-year-old Terence Ray says nothing as he is brought into the Luzerne County Courthouse Friday morning for a preliminary hearing.
That hearing lasted more than three hours.
With prosecutors presenting evidence they say proves that Ray killed Lockwood inside his Muir Avenue home in Hazleton on Saturday April 26 and then took her body to Club 40 Road near Hazleton the next morning and set it on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence that might link him to the killing.
A passerby discovered the burning body.
An autopsy shows that Lockwood died from blunt force trauma and a gunshot wound.
Ray was arrested 11 days after the murder near New York City.
Detectives say Lockwood went to Ray's house to buy painkillers because she suffered from substance abuse disorder.
Among the evidence against Ray:
Jessica Lockwood's blood was found in the basement of Ray's home, a trooper testified it was a large pool of blood.
Lockwood's earring was also found in Ray's basement.
The city's surveillance camera system tracked Ray's vehicle to Club 40 Road shortly before her body was found burning and text messages to ray were found on Lockwood's cell phone on the day she was murdered.
Angel Gonzalez lives right next door to ray and said he had no idea what was going on the weekend of the murder.
"It was terrible. I'm still scratching my head how everything happened. I still can't believe it because I know the guy three or four years. I never expected something like this from him. I still can't believe it," stated Gonzalez.
Family and friends of Jessica Lockwood were in the courtroom.
They did not want to comment after the hearing.
Ray's defense attorney argued throughout the hearing that prosecutors never proved that it was actually ray that murdered Lockwood, but in the end Judge Dixon ruled there was enough evidence to send the case for trial.
