‘Future was stolen.’ Man who killed Framingham girl, 17, seeks parole
Nearly 30 years after killing a 17-year-old girl, a former Framingham man is seeking parole for the fifth time.
But the family of Kimberly Bolton, the teenager murdered Aug. 10, 1996, is asking the public to write letters to the Natick State Parole Board, asking it to keep Damien Lockhart, 52, behind bars.
“My niece doesn’t get a second chance in life,” said Bolton’s aunt, Carol Aitken-Young. “Damien Lockhart should not get one. She was more than a title, more than a file number. — she was a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a cousin, a niece and a friend. She had a future full of promise and that future was stolen from her by Damien Lockart almost 30 years ago.”
Kimberly Bolton, 17, of Framingham, was murdered in 1996. Her killer, Damien Lockhart, will be released on parole on Thursday, March 5.
Lockhart last applied for parole a year ago. The Parole Board had only six members — not the normal seven — at the time and were deadlocked 3-3 on whether to grant parole. Although this resulted in the request being denied, the tie vote also meant that Lockhart would be eligible for another hearing in a year.
A year ago: Why victim’s family says Framingham killer should be denied parole
Lockhart admitted he wanted to cheat on his girlfriend after an argument and that he met Bolton in Framingham shortly afterward. He convinced her to accompany him to an area near Waverly Street Station called “the weeds.”
While the two were there, he tried to have sex, but Bolton refused. Lockhart attempted to rape the girl, but when she fought back, Lockhart beat her to death with a large rock. He was convicted of second-degree murder in 1997 and sentenced to prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.
The Parole Board said Lockhart was working to improve
At a previous parole hearing, Lockhart said he was high on crack cocaine and killed Bolton because she was going to call the police.
In denying Lockhart parole on July 29, the board credited Lockhart with working to improve himself while incarcerated.
But Aitken-Young said Lockhart should remain in prison for the rest of his life.
“Three decades have passed, but the pain has never lessened,” she said. “Justice must not fade with time.”
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Aitken-Young said she and the rest of Bolton’s family are asking members of the public to write letters to the state Parole Board opposing Lockhart’s release. Letters received up to two weeks after Thursday’s hearing are accepted. To send a letter, address it to the Massachusetts Parole Board, 12 Mercer Road, Natick, MA 01760.
“We’re asking the community to support us,” Aitken-Young said. “Please make your voice heard.”
Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For the latest public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerJournalist.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Framingham man convicted of murder in 1996, subject to parole for fifth time.
