Body parts found in 2 suitcases lead to man’s guilty plea, Colorado officials say

A man pleaded guilty after body parts were found in suitcases with his name on it, according to Colorado officials.

Benjamin Satterthwaite, 29, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Joshua Lockard, 33, the Denver District Attorney’s Office said in a news release Thursday. Satterthwaite is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 12 and faces between 25 and30 years in the Department of Corrections, officials said.

Satterthwaite was charged with murder in January after Lockard’s body was discovered, cut to pieces and hidden in two suitcases, according to authorities. City employees found the suitcases in Denver on Dec. 29, 2020, officials said.

According to the arrest affidavit, investigators found a baggage claim sticker with the name “Satterthwaite” on one of the suitcases and connected it to a United Airlines flight to Denver on Dec. 21, 9News reported.

Days later on Jan. 1, Denver police investigated an unrelated drug overdose death and a man was taken to the hospital “in serious condition,” according to the affidavit, the station reported. The detective working on the Lockard case found that Satterthwaite was the man who survived the overdose and noticed a suitcase at his apartment similar to the one that hid the body parts, according to the station.

“We thank Mr. Lockard’s family for supporting our decision to accept Mr. Satterwhaite’s guilty plea,” said Denver District Attorney Beth McCann, according to the released. “This was a horrific murder; however, the cause of Mr. Lockard’s death was never determined which makes his guilty plea and potential sentence length an appropriate outcome.”

This story was originally published September 10, 2021 at 2:17 PM with the headline "Body parts found in 2 suitcases lead to man’s guilty plea, Colorado officials say."