Lorenzen Wright's Youngest Children - Lawson and Sofia. [6] The case was investigated as a homicide. He was a power forward who played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks , Memphis Grizzlies , Sacramento Kings, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Sherra originally maintained a story that Lorenzen was killed in a drug deal gone bad. 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. The home formally was sold by trustee David J. Harris. Turner will. 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Police said he had just left the Tennessee home of his ex-wife Sherra with the two having only been divorced for five months at the time. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) A jury on Monday convicted a Tennessee man in the slaying of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright, whose bullet-riddled body was found in a field nearly 12 years ago in his hometown of Memphis. Billy Ray Turner in court in March of 2022. The case went cold for nearly a decade with no significant leads until November 9, 2017, when the gun believed to have been used to carry out the killing was pulled from a Mississippi lake. He played five seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, from 2001 to 2006, and he also has played for the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings. 0:05 0:14 Lorenzen Wright was a standout basketball player for the University of Memphis who went on to play for NBA teams including the Memphis Grizzlies. Turner is charged with Wright's murder and . Their children include Lorenzen Wright Jr, Loren Wright, twins Lamar, and Shamar Wright, Sofia Wright, and Lawson Wright. Investigators determined Wright died within seconds, shot twice in the head, twice near his heart and once in his forearm with a total of nine to 11 bullets from two different guns, the article said. Sherra Wright told her the Lexus and Mercedes were for the older children, because their dad promised them the cars. 'That girl is crazy,' Lorenzen's mother said. 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The couple had six children together. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. She remarried Thursday and says she took her new husband's last name. ET on ABC. The call would later be played in court with the resounding sound of shots fired presented to the jury. 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. In December of 2017, when Sherra Wright-Robinson was arrested, she and all her six remaining children were residing in California together. Marion has long suspected Sherra was behind her son's murder, according to aSports Illustrated report. near you, Up-to-date reports of crimes near Lorenzen was a 34-year-old former NBA basketball pro who played for a total of 13 seasons after being drafted seventh overall in 1996. THE ESTATE OF LORENZEN VERNGAGNE WRIGHT, ET AL. All Rights Reserved. When money rolls in, tragedy soon follows. His body was found decomposing in a desolate field area near a golf course. [8] Wright moved on to the Atlanta Hawks in 1999, and averaged a career high 12.4 points per game with them during the 2000-01 NBA season. Technically, Sherra Wright is no longer Sherra Wright. Also, golfer John Dalys former home at 9844 Legends Drive in Germantown was foreclosed in January and sold Feb. 5 on the courthouse steps for $1.2 million to Regions. He is a current member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, although he is on the injured reserve list. Donovan argues the money has been well managed. At the time of his death, Wright was operating under a child support order requiring him to pay $16,650 a month in child support and another $10,000 a month in alimony, for a total of $319,000 a year. Lorenzen Wright was an American professional basketball player who played for the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA. Three suspects were eventually taken into custody in connection to what happened to Lorenzen, including Sherra's cousin. People were after me. ", [Also: Former NBA All-Star Allen Iverson declines a D-League invitation]. of prospects that meet your criteria, Monitor any person, property or "It's not been managed well. Play it now! "He would still be a mommas boy if he was here now.". Simple as that," she said. The judge also routed other money, the NBA's $184,000 in death benefits, to Lorenzen Wright's father Herb to benefit the children. A January 2022 trial date has been set for the man accused in the 2010 killing of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright. Wright's ex-wife, Sherra, and his father, Herb, are locked in a legal battle over who should control what is left of the money in which Wright's children are entitled. According to prosecutors, Martin claimed that after Wright was murdered, Wright Robinson and Turner confessed to him that they did it and needed his help in disposing the evidence, which is how he knew the location of the murder weapon. I just dont believe it. ESPN's "E60 talked exclusively to Sherra Wright from. 2. Lorenzen Vern-Gagne Wright (November 4, 1975 - July 19, 2010) was an American professional basketball player for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association. Lorenzen Wright was a 34-year-old basketball player in the NBA, who played for a total of 13 seasons after being drafted seventh overall in the 1996 draft. The murder of Lorenzen Wright puzzled investigators for years. As Martin was already being tried for the alleged murder of his girlfriend, he received immunity in the case. 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. A witness recalled how Wright masterminded a plan to kill Lorenzen in Atlanta earlier in 2010 but she failed to execute the plan herself, he body of basketball player Lorenzen Wright found here in the woods in Memphis, Tennessee, in 2010, Sherra and Lorenzen are pictured reading holiday books to kids during a Grizzlies Read to Achive event at Borders Bookstore on December 17, 2003. He was born as the son of father Herb Wright and mother Deborah Marion. The couple had another daughter, Sierra Wright, who was born on March 14, 2002, but unfortunately, just 11 months later, on March 1, 2003, she passed away in their family home in Memphis, Tennessee, due to sudden infant death syndrome. Martin has not been charged in connection with Wrights death. In exchange for her plea, she received a 30-year sentence. MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A former Navy sailor and convicted killer testified Thursday that Lorenzen Wright's ex-wife asked him and another man to kill the former NBA player nearly 12 years ago in Atlanta. It seems as if she has the guardianship of Sofia. "Here's the fact. Tell Me Anything. The supposedly fictitious story centered around the life of a woman who marries an abusive and unfaithful basketball player. Marion said she knew something was wrong when Wright didnt show up to his sisters baby shower. by The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. - All Rights Reserved, VOL. (via @48hours) https://t.co/gKVQ5BYnqD pic.twitter.com/C3mHPEaVzC. 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. She said she got rid of her old car, because her kids told her they were embarrassed to ride in anything else. Within ten months, Sherra Wright spent almost all of the $1 million in proceeds she received from an insurance . His ex-wife, Sherra Wright, pleaded guilty to facilitation of first-degree. She will be eligible for parole as early as May 2027. On the day of his disappearance, July 18, 2010, he left his home in Atlanta, Georgia to visit his children in Memphis and see his oldest son, Lorenzen Jr., play basketball, according to Sports Illustrated. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. A judge froze that money until after the court hearing. Nearly 12 years after his death rocked the basketball world, former NBA player Lorenzen Wrights murder case came to a close Monday when a Memphis jury found a man guilty of first-degree murder. They bought the vacant land in 2005 and 2006 for a combined $750,000 around the time they sold their former home in Southwind. 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. The comments below have been moderated in advance. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. The State of Tennessee was willing to pay out $10,000, and Crime Stoppers put up $1,000. Copyright 2014 WMC-TV. Turner, a landscaper in the Memphis suburb of Collierville, and Sherra Wright attended the same church. These may be his last words. Tennessee Department of Corrections/Getty, Lorenzen Wright & Ex-Wife Sherra Wright Robinsons Children Today. Wright had been shot multiple times. [13] His family filed a missing-persons report on July 22. Over the course of his NBA career, Lorenzen Wright earned an estimated $55.2 million in salary. The father of six played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, and Cleveland Cavaliers at various points thoughts his career. They left, and Sherra hatched another plan. ABC News and ESPN Correspondent Ryan Smith will delve into the details and legal developments of the case on Friday night's episode, including lingering questions about what happened to Lorenzen. After the verdict, Wrights mother, Deborah Marion, told CNN affiliate WMC-TV the verdict brought the family closure. ABCs 20/20: Mystery in Memphis chronicles the heart-breaking tale of the disappearance and murder of former NBA star Lorenzen Wright, that transpired in July 2010. Lorenzen Vern-Gagne Wright (November 4, 1975 July 19, 2010) was an American professional basketball player for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association. Lorenzen Wright was missing for nine days before he was found dead in a swamp in the suburbs of Memphis, Tennessee. Wright is believed to have been killed on July 19, 2010, when gunshots were heard during his 911 call. Lorenzen Wright spent the next 13 seasons in the NBA, playing for five different teams around the country. Lorenzen was a 34-year-oldformer NBA basketball pro who played for a total of 13 seasons after being drafted seventh overall in 1996. They are both forwards in the SIU Edwardsville Cougars Mens Basketball team, a Division 1 team, and hope to keep playing in the future as well. 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. Spending, as documented by the Commercial Appeal, included: $32,000 for a Cadillac Escalade $26,000 for a Lexus $69,000 on furniture $11,750 for a New York trip $339,000 for purchase and improvement to a new home $7,100 for a pool deposit $5,000 for lawn equipment $34,000 on legal fees. Though a motive wasn't made clear in court, Lorenzens mother Deborah Marion claims Sherra killed him to access his million-dollar life insurance policy. On January 6, 2003, Wright scored 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 106-102 win over the New Orleans Hornets. 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. The Los Angeles Clippers drafted Lorenzen Wright in 1996, according to the NBAs website. ET on ESPN. Sherra Wright was arrested four days after that. 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. The father of six played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, and Cleveland Cavaliers at various points thoughts his career. . Daly owned the home with his wife, Sherrie. He died in 2010, shot to death, his body left to decompose in the woods southeast of Memphis.. And according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, it took her only 10 months to spend $973,000 of that. A jury has found Billy Ray Turner guilty on all charges in the murder of NBA star Lorenzen Wright. Wright was missing for nine days before his remains were found in a wooded area off a desolate road in southeast Memphis that he used to take as a shortcut to his mothers house. His body was found in a wooded area in southeast Memphis nine days later. Wright Robinson initially pleaded not guilty but later agreed to a plea deal on July 25, 2019, and pleaded guilty to the facilitation of first-degree murder. Wright-Robinson was a former member of Turner's church. In a new episode of ESPN's E60, the story of murdered former NBA player Lorenzen Wright is told through the eyes of his twin sons who are now trying to honor their father and push forward as college basketball players. ADVERTISEMENT. Defense attorney Juni Ganguli told reporters after her hearing that if the case had gone to trial, Wrights defense would have been that her ex-husband abused her for years. On July 22, Wright's mother noted her son's absence and filed a missing person's report. Wright was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi. According to a summary on Amazon, the female main character becomes frustrated with 'the constant chaos surrounding women, new acquaintances, family, and greed. pic.twitter.com/XU7BGkXsfv, Lorenzen Wright Jr (@iamlorenzen) March 19, 2020. In 2011, a reward for information related to the killing stood at $21,000; the state of Tennessee contributed $10,000, the city of Memphis and the Memphis Grizzlies each promised $5,000, and Crime Stoppers promised $1,000. Pastor Bill Adkins said, 'When she saw Lorenzen, she saw a future with a millionaire. Curious to know where their kids are now? His job is to be a voice for Lorenzen Wright's children in what has become a messy legal battle. However, Sherra Wright says the family remains financially sound, with $1.4 million in "assets on hand." Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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