Man given 22 ½ to 45 years in prison after pleading guilty to fatally stabbing mother of 6

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Philadelphia man who admitted to fatally stabbing his girlfriend and mother to six young children was sentenced Thursday, months after pleading guilty to 3rd-degree murder.

Ashley Lockhart had a protection from abuse order against Raymond Thompson , the father of her six children. In August of 2022, Thompson stabbed Lockhart 27 times throughout her body, cutting her jugular and leaving the knife in her face. He pleaded guilty to 3rd-degree murder in April.

Lockhart’s sister says the family was told by the prosecutors they would not be taking the case to a jury.

“I said well can we take it to trial? And they said no because he confessed,” she said. “But I would like a trial, I wanted a trial.”

Lockhart’s brother gave testimony in court about the wonderful mother who was taken from her six young daughters, saying she was an uplifting, inspiring, and creative person.

Thompson’s defense attorney told the court his client has mental health and drug issues, stemming from a rough childhood. Thompson told the judge he misses Lockhart every day and is sorry for what he did.

Judge Diana Anhalt told him he’s had multiple opportunities to get help and said this was one of the most horrific, violent cases she’s seen before sentencing him to 22 ½ to 45 years behind bars, adding she wanted him to serve the full 45 years.

In a statement from the District Attorney’s office, a spokesman says, in part, the DA does review the cases and felt a third-degree murder plea would be a just outcome in this case.