Youngblood, Lockhart plead guilty in murder for hire plot

Cindy Youngblood pled guilty today to criminal attempt to commit murder.  Her co-defendant, Reggie Lockhart, pled on Friday, August 11.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Ian Sansot and Judge Andy Spivey presided over the plea.  Roughly one year ago on August 11, 2016, deputies with the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office responded to Harvey Smith Road after Mr. Anthony Youngblood reported an individual, later identified as Reggie Lockhart, fired on him outside his residence.

Upon being interviewed by law enforcement, Lockhart admitted that he did attempt to take Mr. Youngblood’s life at the request of Cindy Youngblood, whom he had befriended.  According to Lockhart, Cindy Youngblood had previously made multiple, clandestine attempts on Mr. Youngblood’s life, all which were unsuccessful.  He stated that Cindy Youngblood dropped him off near the residence and provided him with the firearm to commit the act.

Youngblood herself eventually admitted to law enforcement that she did, in fact, orchestrate the deed.  During her plea, she testified that this premeditated event was a result of a lifetime of spousal abuse at the hands of her then-husband.  To date, Cindy Youngblood has never filed a complaint or report with law enforcement about such allegations, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Pursuant to the defendants taking negotiated plea offers, Lockhart was sentenced to 25 years, to serve the first 12 years in prison while Youngblood was sentenced to 25 years, to serve the first 15 years in prison.  District Attorney George Barnhill stated, “We’re thankful that Mr. Youngblood is completely uninjured from this event.  And we’re grateful for the work of Sheriff Doyle Wooten’s Office in investigating this case: Det. Fred Cole, Jamie Hersey, Todd Winkler, and all other officers who were involved were instrumental in seeing justice done in this case.”