Her suspicions grew stronger in 2014 when Sherra wrote a book titled 'Mr. [10] Wright returned to the Hawks in 2006. Jimmie Martin, a confessed co-conspirator if the plot to kill former NBA player Lorenzen Wright, testified against a man he said helped him plan the murder, Billy Ray Turner. Turner is charged with Wright's murder and . 2023 Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? - Free Online Library", "Lorenzen Wright's ex-wife Sherra Wright arrested in California, charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy", "Lorenzen Wright's ex-wife Sherra arrested in California in connection with his death", "CA Investigation: Memphis police no closer to finding star's killer 5 years later", "Ex-wife of slain former NBA player pleads guilty", 1996 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lorenzen_Wright&oldid=1140929876, All-American college men's basketball players, Basketball players from Memphis, Tennessee, Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball), Universiade gold medalists for the United States, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, 21st-century African-American sportspeople, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 13:49. Wright was tragically murdered in 2010, and his estate was valued at $1.5 million. Deborah Marion in court in March of 2022. 8:32 PM EDT, Mon March 21, 2022, Ex-wife of NBA player charged in his murder. She said her six children are in her best interest, and she's invested most of the life insurance money, plus some, in real estate. His job is to be a voice for Lorenzen Wright's children in what has become a messy legal battle. A judge froze that money until after the court hearing. As Martin was already being tried for the alleged murder of his girlfriend, he received immunity in the case. Her plea deal stated that she will be eligible for parole after serving 30 percent of her sentence, which will be in approximately nine years. Deborah Marion, the mother of slain former NBA player Lorenzen Wright. Philip Fons of BankTennessees mortgage division declined to comment on the matter, but he said the banks plan now is to list and sell the home. The gun was later found by FBI divers only 50 miles from where Lorenzen's body was discovered and Turner was arrested in 2017, shortly after the murder weapon was found. Lorenzen and Wright had six children together. Thats all I want is my grandkids.. The following season, on December 26, 1997, Wright scored a season-high 32 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Relatives and friends of Lorenzen Wright gathered Wednesday and grieved for the former NBA player who has been missing for 10 days, as police investigated the discovery of . She knows she was fittin' to go down, down, down. Lorenzen Wrights ex-wife, Sherra Wright, took the stand. Its a celebration for me.. He was drafted in the first round as the seventh overall pick. For over a decade, Deborah Marion has been fighting for answers in the murder of her son, former NBA player Lorenzen Wright, who was found shot in 2010. Benham appointed a guardian to investigate lavish spending by ex-wife Sherra Wright. Sherra Wright and Lorenzen divorced that year, and they were facing financial difficulties as his NBA career came to a close, the Sports Illustrated feature said. Among all of them is Lawson Wright. near you, Up-to-date reports of crimes near Their children include Lorenzen Wright Jr, Loren Wright, twins Lamar, and Shamar Wright, Sofia Wright, and Lawson Wright. Deborah Vassar, mother of Lorenzen Wright, and Lorenzen Wright Jr. approach the casket of Lorenzen Wright during a memorial service honoring his life, Aug. 4, 2010, at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. The board voted to deny parole for Sherra Wright, who entered a guilty plea in July 2019 to facilitation of first-degree murder in her ex-husband's killing. Trial for Billy Ray Turner, man accused of killing Lorenzen Wright, to begin Monday ', Eventually she 'makes a life-altering decision. He can suffer like Ive been suffering all this time, without my son, she said. Sherra Wright pleaded guilty in a . A Memphis native and a 6-foot, 11-inch center who played for five teams over 13 seasons, Wright also. She will be eligible for parole as early as May 2027. On July 22, Wright's mother noted her son's absence and filed a missing person's report. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Relatives and friends of Lorenzen Wright gathered Wednesday and grieved for the former NBA player who has been missing for 10 days, as police investigated the discovery of . He was unable to give information like a location before he was heard screaming, Hey, godd*** as multiple gunshots were heard in the background, followed by silence, Sports Illustrated reported. Billy Ray Turner is charged with conspiring with Wright's ex-wife in the slaying. Curious to know where their kids are now? His decomposed body was found riddled with bullets in a field, Lorenzen's ex-wife, Sherra Wright, pleaded guilty to a charge of facilitation of first-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years behind bars, A photo shows the grassy area where Lorenzen's body was found on July 29, 2010, Memphis Police surrounded the wooded area where Lorenzen was found, Billy Ray Turner, seen at a court appearance, (right) was found guilty of first-degree murder, and other charges, Sherra Wright is seen during a hearing in Judge Lee Coffee's court in Memphis, Tennessee. She quickly spent a $1 million life insurance payout intended for the care of their children on a house, luxury vehicles, vacations and expensive furniture, Sports Illustrated reported. BankTennessee on Friday bought the custom-built, 12,475-square-foot house, near Raleigh-LaGrange and Reid Hooker roads, for $1.3 million on the Shelby County Courthouse steps. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) The gunshot-filled 911 call came into a Tennessee police department just after midnight on July 19, 2010, from the cell phone of retired NBA player Lorenzen Wright. The following month, Sherra Wright and Billy Turner a church deacon and small business owner were arrested and charged with first degree murder. Wright's slaying is one of the most highly publicized murder cases in Memphis history. She then conspired with Turner to carry out the plot on her behalf in Memphis weeks later. Sherra allegedly told her cousin that she conspired a plan with Turner to have Lorenzen meet her at the field, where he would be attacked. After one week of testimony, the jury deliberated for a little over two hours, finding Turner guilty on all three counts: first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. ET on ABC. CT-002526-09 Robert L. Childers, Judge _____ No. "He would still be a mommas boy if he was here now.". [20] The seven-year investigation into his death was one of the Memphis Police Department's more high-profile unsolved cases. He disappeared in the summer of 2010,. "I need some rest, and I need a honeymoon, and I need to be with my kids, that's all," she said. Lawson and Sofia are the youngest of the Wright siblings. She pleaded guilty to facilitation of first-degree murder and facilitation of a criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder in July 2019 in Shelby County Criminal Court, according to the Associated Press. The couple defaulted on a $1.5 million loan for the property, a two-story, 7,671-square-foot home that sits on 2.11 acres on Legends Drive, just west of Houston Levee Road. During Martin's testimony at the trial, he told the jury that Turner had disposed of the gun in a north Mississippi lake, and he had told detectives where to locate the gun in 2012. As for the house in East Shelby County, Sherra Wright told Wharton it was in foreclosure when she bought it. The NBA also gave the family $180,000 in death benefits. Its all boiling down to two arguments: if the childrens trust fund was spent wisely and who benefited the most. The soccer player was born on 4 November 1975 as Lorenzen Vern-Gagne Wright in Oxford, Mississippi. . March 22, 2022, 10:22 AM PDT By The Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) A jury on Monday convicted a Tennessee man in the slaying of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright, whose bullet-riddled. He was born as the son of father Herb Wright and mother Deborah Marion. He deserved better than his tragic end, and the fact that acrimony from his passing continues to tear his family apart is an ongoing shame. The State of Tennessee was willing to pay out $10,000, and Crime Stoppers put up $1,000. Lorenzen Wright was missing for nine days before he was found dead in a swamp in the suburbs of Memphis, Tennessee. (via @48hours) https://t.co/gKVQ5BYnqD pic.twitter.com/C3mHPEaVzC. Wright's father, Herb, questions whether all of the purchases made with that money were done in the interest of the children. As Law&Crime previously reported, he disappeared in July 2010 and was found dead days later with multiple gunshot wounds. ', And Memphis resident Montel Nevels said, 'I was hearing that Sherra was wanting to get pregnant and marry Lorenzen, assuming that he was going to be this great NBA basketball player.'. The day she pleaded guilty, she revealed that she came to this decision only for, and because of her children, adding that, everything is not what it seems., Family Matters pic.twitter.com/1sSW7wGshL, Lorenzen Wright Jr (@iamlorenzen) November 30, 2019, Loren Wright, who seemed the most vocal during her mothers trial said that she and her siblings were all very close and that if they werent on speaking terms with any relative, it was because they didnt want to be not because they were forbidden by their mother. appreciated. "Jury finds Billy Ray Turner guilty in killing of former NBA star Lorenzen Wright", "Lorenzen Wright's ex-wife wants plea thrown out", "Trial set in slaying of NBA's Lorenzen Wright", "With trial date set in death of NBA player Lorenzen Wright, his mother now can 'breathe', "Who killed Lorenzen Wright? Lorenzen Wrights father, Herb Wright, launched the legal battle, saying his former daughter-in-law blew the money on vacations, luxury cars, furniture, a new home and pool, and nothing was set aside for higher education or health insurance. To this day, all six Wright children maintain their mothers innocence. Then in July 2019, just as trial was finally set to begin, Sherra made a shocking admission to masterminding a plot to kill her ex-husband and conspiring with Billy Turner to carry it out. LIVE COVERAGE: TN v. Billy Ray Turner Trial - Slain NBA Player Lorenzen WrightHappening In Court:Judge Lee Coffee Reads Preliminary Jury InstructionsReading . Sanne Hamers Is Wyatt Russell's Ex-wife Who Now Enjoys a Happy . He had only been retired one year at the time of his murder. The decomposing remains of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright were found in a Memphis field in 2010 -- he had been shot 11 times. MEMPHIS, Tenn. There's new drama involving the murder of Lorenzen Wright, the former NBA and University of Memphis basketball player. It was through basketball that he met. 0:43. I say Get you some rest baby. After the verdict, Wrights mother, Deborah Marion, told CNN affiliate WMC-TV the verdict brought the family closure. In 2019, Sherra Wright pleaded guilty to facilitation to commit first-degree murder and facilitation to commit attempted first-degree murder. Instead, they reported hearing gunshots in the background. "A Murder in Memphis" debuts Wednesday, July 14, at 9 p.m. Hawks in 2006 before he was born on 4 November 1975 as Vern-Gagne. 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