Man charge in death of sprinter faces new charges

Published 11:56 pm Saturday, February 21, 2009

The man accused of robbing and killing University of Mississippi track star Rodney Lockhart has been indicted on a charge of using the slain man’s debit card.

The debit card charge, plus charges related to a “shakedown” at Lafayette County Detention Center, came in indictments against 21-year-old Christian Bonner unsealed on Thursday.

Bonner is accused of shooting the 20-year-old Lockhart in the head during a September 2007 robbery. Lockhart’s body was found Sept. 29 at his off-campus apartment.

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Bonner was arrested a week later and faces life in prison if convicted of murder at his April 13 trial.

He faces an additional three years behind bars and a $1,000 fine if convicted of debit card fraud and 15 more years if convicted of having a banned cell phone in the detention center.