LEONARDTOWN, Md. — Authorities in St. Mary’s County have charged a Lexington Park man with obstruction of justice and witness intimidation in connection with a pending attempted murder case.
Lucas Graham Hockaday, 23, is accused of attempting to pay off a witness to prevent testimony in his upcoming trial for the November 2024 stabbing of Tracey Otis Braswell. Investigators allege that while incarcerated at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Hockaday arranged a $5,000 payment to Braswell Fin exchange for his silence or false testimony.
Court records indicate that a confidential source (CS) housed with Hockaday at the detention center alerted authorities to the scheme. The CS claimed that Braswell, the victim of the stabbing, was placed in the same medical holding unit as Hockaday on Jan. 15, 2025. Surveillance footage reportedly captured a tense interaction between the two men, with Braswell lifting his shirt to reveal scars from the attack and rejecting a handshake from Hockaday.
According to investigators, Hockaday then made a series of recorded jailhouse phone calls to his sister, Holly Anne Hockaday, instructing her to facilitate a Cash App transaction for the payment. In one call, he cryptically stated, “Christmas Tree came through the pod and shit got squashed,” allegedly referring to Braswell agreeing to the deal. Holly later confirmed to Hockaday that the transaction had been completed using an alternate Cash App account.
Hockaday is now facing additional charges, including felony witness intimidation and obstruction of justice. If convicted, the felony charge alone carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by the St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, and Hockaday is set to appear before Judge Karen Christy Holt Chesser for a preliminary hearing on April 11, 2025. Court documents indicate that prosecutors may introduce the recorded phone calls as evidence in the upcoming trial.
Hockaday remains held at the detention center as he awaits trial for the original stabbing case, in which he is charged with attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, and use of a dangerous weapon with intent to injure.
Authorities emphasize that witness intimidation is a serious offense that undermines the integrity of the judicial system. Anyone with additional information regarding this case is urged to contact the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office.
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