Man Convicted In L.I. Motivational Speaker's Killing Breaks His Silence To '48 Hours'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The man convicted of murdering a Long Island man in 2009 broke his silence recently, telling "48 Hours: Mystery" exclusively why, as he says, it wasn't a murder at all.
It was a crime rocked that rocked the island -- a suburban father found brutally murdered in his car. At first, it looked like a robbery gone wrong, then, Jeffrey Locker's murder case took a shocking turn.
Kenneth Minor has always insisted he is not a murderer, but he's serving a 20-year sentence because a jury said he killed Locker, an author and motivational speaker.
"They came in all gung-ho, murder one, robbery, 'we got you.' 'You just killed this rich man' and I just sat there with a smirk on my face, you know, you have no idea. You know, this is not what happened," Minor said.
In 2009, Locker's body was found in East Harlem -- far from his North Woodmere home. Five days later, Minor was arrested for repeatedly stabbing Locker. Police said Minor was caught on camera entering Locker's car and using his ATM card.
However, Minor gave police an incredible explanation. He claimed that Locker wanted himself killed and he was looking for someone to help him die to collect insurance money.
Now, in an exclusive interview with 48 Hours: Mystery, Minor told correspondent Richard Schlesinger that Locker really had a death wish.
"He said he was looking for a gun," Minor said. "I asked him 'What do you want it for' and he was quiet for a second. Then he told me 'I want you to shoot me.'"
Schlesinger: "He said it just like that?"
Minor: "Just like that. I want you to, you know, to shoot me, to kill me."
Even in court at his sentencing, Minor insisted to the judge that Locker wanted to die.
"I knew it wasn't murder. I just happened to be the building he jumped off. It wasn't murder -- just one person helping another," Minor said.
Minor also added that "the law might portray it one way, but on a human level, I knew what it was."
His attorney said he's planning to appeal the conviction.
You can see the entire interview on 48 Hours: Mystery on Saturday night at 10 p.m. on CBS 2.
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