Visiting Texan Slain in Motel Parking Lot

A Texas businessman, shot down outside his motel apparently in a robbery attempt, was found by his wife 15 minutes after he was mortally wounded, Claremont police said today.

Robert Vance Lockhart, 52, of Midland was pronounced dead a few minutes later at Pomona Valley Community Hospital. Lockhart, a land management executive for Union Oil Co., was here to attend a business seminar.

Police said Lockhart had gone to his car in the parking lot of the Howard Johnson Motor Inn to get a camera he had left there at about 10 p.m. Sunday. His wife Lou Ann, alarmed because he had been gone so long, went out and found him sprawled beside the car. She apparently believed he had suffered a heart attack and called paramedics, who found a single bullet wound in his chest.

Police Lt. Ted Whitall said the motive for the killing was not known, but speculated that Lockhart apparently was the victim of a thwarted robber. He said Lockhart’s wallet was in his jacket and nothing was missing from his car.