48 Hours - NBA Player Lorenzen Wright's Disappearance

Episode Date: March 21, 2024

An investigation into NBA player Lorenzen Wright and the circumstances of his murder. In 2010, Lorenzen seemed to disappear without a trace until his body was found nine days later. The case went cold and his wife, Sherra Wright, received a $1 million life insurance payout. Seven years later, police discovered a key piece of evidence connecting Sherra Wright and a landscaper named Billy Ray Turner to the crime. “48 Hours" correspondent James Brown reports. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 5/12/2018. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays, and stream on demand on Paramount+.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Lorenzen was the hometown boy that makes good. He made it out of his situation and made big. He fought so hard on the court and he was such an imposing figure. The city just would melt with his accomplishments on the court. There's thousands of little boys in Memphis who were impacted by Lorenzen Wright.

You look at the pictures of him, you know, big smile on his face. He was a person who would volunteer for the community. He had time for the youth of the city. I mean, you know, we all fell in love with Lorenzo. It's just the way it is. When he first disappeared, people just thought that maybe he was tired and he wanted to get away. His mother called me saying that, have you talked to Lorenzen? I can't reach him. 911, where's your emergency? I don't have nothing but gunshots.

Lorenzen Wright's mother runs toward investigation. Police in Memphis, Tennessee have found the body of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright. According to the autopsy report, it appears that he was shot by at least two different people. Oh my God, no! You can just listen to their tape and know that he was in trouble. All the speculation started then. You know, what happened? Who was involved?

It was a big mystery in Memphis. His wife basically said that the last time that she saw him, he was getting into a car with two unidentified individuals. We literally, through everything we had at this investigation, we wanted to solve it. We really, really wanted to solve this case. Days become weeks, and weeks become months, and months become years, and you don't have any answers.

We never knew if we were ever find out who killed Lorenzen. We never knew if we were ever going to find out who killed Lorenzen. Police have found the gun they think was used to kill Lorenzen Wright seven years ago. How unusual is it to find a key piece of evidence some seven years later? It's the needle in the haystack. They found the needle in the haystack. Do you believe that someone, some people, over the last seven years, knew who the killer or killers were but withheld the information? I think that you can say for a certainty there was two people that knew. Today, we're able to announce another piece of the puzzle is in place.

All I can say right now is both defendants have attorneys now. How? Why? Who? This was Lorenzen Wright. Who would be hating him that much. Perched on the banks of the Mississippi River, Memphis, Tennessee has always been a city famous for its place in music history, and infamous for its place in the American Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Martin Luther King has been shot to death in Memphis, Tennessee.

Memphis is a city that unfortunately has been divided by race for many, many years. Pastor Bill Adkins has been a longtime advocate for unity in the city of Memphis. It's a lot better than it used to be, but there are still divisions. Decisions, unfortunately, are still made along racial lines. But in a city divided, both racially and economically, there is something that brings people together. Ladies and gentlemen, the Memphis Bridgeways welcome you to FedEx 4-Up and to tonight's game. Basketball in Memphis became an instrument of change in which brought races together. You know, Memphis basketball was literally everything, and Lorenzen was a big part of that. Once celebrated as one of Memphis' favorite sons, the memory of Lorenzen Wright still haunts this town. Put in perspective how big the Lorenzen Wright still haunts this town. Put in perspective how big the Lorenzen

Wright story is here in Memphis. It's huge. I mean, Lorenzen Wright was a true hometown hero. He was beloved. Mark Pereskia has been writing for the Memphis newspaper, The Commercial Appeal, for almost 30 years. You talk about big murders in the history of Memphis, you got Martin Luther King, okay, you can't trump that one, but he comes very close. That's significant. That's significant. Born in Oxford, Mississippi, Wright moved to Memphis to play basketball at Booker T. Washington High School. And being 6 feet 11 inches tall at 17 years of age, he turned a lot of heads. I decided to go take a look for myself.

What did you see? Oh yeah, I saw this huge kid that could run the floor like a gazelle. I mean, he could run the floor better than any big man I ever saw in my life. Lorenzen went on to dazzle fans at the University of Memphis, but not for long. Thinking about what I'm going to be doing next year, whether I'm going to be at the University of Memphis or at the NBA. The Los Angeles Clippers select Lorenzen Wright. When he stepped onto that podium, everybody just cheered.

I mean, every waterhole, every sports bar in this town had it on the TV screen. Everybody was watching. Everybody was watching. Everybody was cheering. Lorenzen Wright spent the next 13 seasons in the NBA, playing for five different teams around the country. He reportedly earned a career total $55 million. Wright was known for his hard work on the court. And Wright rejects Jordan in the face. hard work on the court. The right rejects Jordan and the pass.

But it was his work off the court that truly endeared him to his fans at home. He never met a fan that he didn't like. He would sign every autograph that he came across. Perhaps no one knew Lorenzen better than Phil Dotson, Wright's best friend and fraternity brother at the University of Memphis. He was a pillar in the community, always volunteered, always would be one of the first ones to raise their hand when the team would ask for a player to go into a children's

hospital or to go and speak at a school or an event. He was just that type of guy. He was one young man that was working to make a difference, and he symbolized hope in our community. Philanthropist Gail Rose is as dedicated to the city of Memphis as Lorenzen was. They were once king and queen of the Mardi Gras. My relationship was really about our mutual interest in Memphis and that generous big heart of his. It was Gail's son, Max, that brought them together at a summer basketball camp.

Lorenzen took a very special liking to Max. And, you know, for Max at age 11, this is a hero, a real-life hero that he gets to be in the gym with. Lorenzen is an example to every young boy, doesn't matter if white or black, that if you work hard and you have the gifts that you can get at this level. He loved children. Especially his own. Wright was the father of seven children. Especially his own. Wright was the father of seven children. He married his high school girlfriend, Shara Robinson,

after his second season in the NBA. Lorenzen was in high school playing for Shara's father. Her father was one of Wright's coaches. And she would come to practices, and I believe that's how they met. Life in the NBA can be hard on a family. Working on the road, in cities far from home for months at a time, can stress even the best of marriages. The arguments primarily were about two things,

infidelity and finances. Being married and having kids at such an early age, he was, I think, forced to be an adult really quick. And at the same time, in that world, not really being focused on

his relationship and his marriage as probably should have been. In 2001, Wright signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. He was back home with his family and with money in his pocket. I think he had just signed a six-year, $42 million deal at that point, so he was great. It turns out, though, that more money meant more problems.

They both, unfortunately, like to spend, and I do mean spend. Most married couples have trouble with lack of finances. His problem was affluence and how to handle that affluence, and that caused severe issues between him and his wife. But it was a family tragedy in 2003 that would break Lorenzen's heart and eventually his marriage for good. His daughter Sierra passed away of sudden infant death syndrome. She was probably around 11 months old at the time of her passing,

which was very hard on him. Over the next few years, Lorenzen and Shara separated and later divorced. Lorenzen was traded to Atlanta, which he would call home after leaving the NBA in 2009, while Shara and the kids stayed in Memphis. I'd gotten a phone call from him that he had gotten in town. Lorenzen often returned to Memphis from Atlanta to spend time with his kids. That Sunday evening, we had gone to pick up his son, Lorenzen Jr., from the gym.

He'd been playing basketball that evening. Dotson says Shara insisted Wright bring their son home to her house that night. And I ended up dropping him off that night at about 10 o'clock p.m. And when I dropped him off, he said, let me go in here and deal with this, and I'll give you a call later. But Lorenzen never called his friend that night. Instead, he called for help. Sturgeon 911, where is your emergency? Hello?

Hello? In 2014, Laura Heavlin was in her home in Tennessee when she received a call from California. Her daughter, Erin Corwin, was missing. The young wife of a Marine had moved to the California desert to a remote base near Joshua Tree National Park. They have to alert the military. And when they do, the NCIS gets involved.

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Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Two days after dropping off Lorenzen at his ex-wife's home, his friend Phil Dotson got an unexpected call. It was Lorenzen's mother looking for her son. Have you talked to Lorenzen? I can't reach him. And I said, well,

I figured he might just be out of town. He's not answering the phone call. So I reached out to him as well and didn't hear anything back. After not hearing from her son for more than 48 hours, Deborah Marion filed a missing persons report with the police. This is April from Channel 3.

April Thompson, an investigative reporter at the CBS affiliate in Memphis, was on this story from the start. His mother, Deborah, really kind of pushed that something's not right and made people realize that he wouldn't have been gone this long that no one heard from him. Know where he could be that I don't know where he is. We've checked all his friends from here to Atlanta, Mississippi, everywhere, so I don't have a clue. It was really kind of strange in how it happened that he had disappeared,

and he was gone over all of these days, and nobody knew anything. Most troubling for Lorenzen's family was that he seemed to have disappeared without a trace. Phone goes straight to voicemail. Just rings four times, it goes straight to voicemail. But what they didn't realize at the time was that Lorenzen had actually left behind a clue. On the 911 recording, Lorenzen's dying words. Hi, how's it going? Jordan 9-1-1, where's your emergency?

And the sound of 11 gunshots. Hello? That frantic call was placed at 12.05 a.m. on the morning of July 19th, just hours after Lorenzen was dropped off at Shara's. Hello? The call came in to a 911 dispatcher in Germantown, Tennessee, a suburb of Memphis. But it ended before the caller could give his name and location. Hello? I don't have nothing but gunshot. The dispatcher had trouble identifying the exact location of the call, and for reasons that are still unclear, the Germantown police did not

investigate or notify any surrounding police departments. Lorenzen Wright had made a desperate call for help, and no one knew about it. As the days passed, Lorenzen's disappearance became one of the biggest mysteries Memphis had ever seen. Lorenzen's ex-wife, Shara, went on the news, appearing shaken. He was fine. And he's fine now, and I can't, I'm not going to believe anything other than that he's fine now. She said the last time she saw Lorenzen was on that Sunday night, July 18th, at her home. He wasn't able to spend the night

because he wasn't here quite that long, but he ran out and he never came back. But a few days later, when police questioned Shara, her story had surprising new details. By her account, he left with a box of drugs. She implied that Lorenzen was involved in some sort of drug transaction and was planning to, quote, flip something for $110,000. She also told the police that there were these mysterious gunmen who were stalking him in the days before the murder. Then, on July 28th, 10 days after Lorenzen was last seen,

Shelby County authorities were finally told about the 911 call. Why it took that long remains a question. Where's your emergency? That day, using more precise cell phone data and aided by cadaver dogs, the search was on. Police in Memphis, Tennessee have found the body of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright. The police find Lorenzen's body near a backwoods road some 20 miles outside of Memphis. And I turned on the television and I saw Debra, his mom, running down the road trying to get to his body. It was a total shock. It was just unbelievable that he was dead.

I literally fell off my chair and on the ground and cried. The coroner's report said he'd been hit by five bullets from two different guns, two shots to the head, two to the chest, and one to his right arm. He was still wearing a watch and a chain. Somebody just murdered him. Not for money, not robbery. Just wanted him dead. To April Thompson, the crime seemed personal.

Whoever had something to do with this, it was something deep down. It was very emotional. It was very emotional. Gossip started spreading, and suspicion quickly fell on Shara. All of the arrows were pointing towards her. When you have a murder, the person close to them is the most obvious person. Tony Armstrong served with the Memphis PD for 27 years and was their deputy director back then. In my experience in working homicides, there's always been somebody to come to that person's defense. You got the wrong person. That's just not in this person's character to do this.

I never got that with Sherry. People running to her defense, meaning. Not to me. Sherry had told police that Lorenzen owned a shotgun and a handgun and kept them on the property. So armed with a search warrant, they went through the house looking for the guns. But the weapons were not located. The Lorenzo Prize! A week later on August 4th, Lorenzo's hometown turned out in force to say one last emotional goodbye at the FedEx Forum.

His grandmother, his father Herb, his mother Deborah, his ex-wife Shara, and their six children were dealing in their own ways with Lorenzen's death. With the community still in shock, the city's mayor, A.C. Wharton, made this promise. We are working night and day, and that justice will be done. That's our pledge. Applause I'm pleased.

Despite the enormous pressure to solve the murder of Lorenzen Wright, the investigation was hampered from the very beginning. What was different about this particular case is that you're nine days behind. Nine days behind. Because his body wasn't found for a long time after he had initially been reported missing. Important forensic evidence was lost due to decomposition, and the killers had a nine-day head start. When we first picked this case up,

we inherited a cold case. Meanwhile, in their search for possible suspects, detectives were uncovering details of Lorenzen's private life. And it was troubling. To that right-handed baby hook shot and Wright puts it home. Even though he had reportedly earned more than $55 million during his NBA career, Lorenzen had burned through most of the money and was almost broke at the time of his death. They had two homes, expensive homes, that were in foreclosure.

Shara said they were bouncing checks left and right. Two years before the murder, Lorenzen was in need of cash and sold two of his luxury cars to a man named Bobby Cole. Cole was a drag racer who worked the circuit. It turns out he also had ties to a notorious drug syndicate. Authorities were already watching Cole when Lorenzen sold him the cars, and investigators suspected the vehicles were used to launder drug money. Now, the $64,000 question with that is, was Lorenzen a willing part of this? I've been told that the connection was real tenuous,

that Lorenzen didn't really know Bobby Cole, that he was introduced by a third party, and it was kind of a passing relationship. They questioned, you know, was he doing it for laundering money, but Lorenzen bought cars like you and I buy shirts, and he just, you know, he'd get tired of it, he'd sell it. Just simply put. The DEA ultimately found no drug connection between Lorenzen and Cole. But it cast a shadow over Lorenzen's squeaky clean image and reinforced Shera's accusations that he was involved in a high-stakes drug transaction

the night he was murdered. What troubled me the most was Lorenzen was killed twice. He was killed physically, then his character was assassinated. People now don't think of him as that charming, happy young man who played for Memphis. Now they think of him as a drug dealer. young men who played for Memphis, now they think of him as a drug dealer. Despite the drug allegations against Lorenzen, many people were still suspicious of Shara. Three months after the murder, she agreed to talk to April Thompson.

What was that like? I was surprised that she agreed to the interview. There was a lot of speculation going around that she knew something, that she had something to do with it. And I just told her, I said, this is your opportunity to tell your side of the story. Did you have anything to do with Lorenza's murder? No, April. No. If I knew who did this to Lorenza's murder. No, April. No. If I knew who did this to Lorenza,

you would know who did this to Lorenza. I have heard people say that she liked the wealth. I asked her what she was doing for money. So how are you getting by now? I was married to an NBA basketball player for 13 years, April. My watch is a car, or my ring is a house. I mean, he was good to me. 14 months after Lorenzen's death,

Shara received a million-dollar life insurance payout. This million-dollar insurance policy was set up for the benefit of their children. And, of course, she being the mother wound up being the fiduciary. So that's an intriguing element to this. Did she have a financial motive in all of this? Because here's a quick million. But before long, Shara was nearly broke again,

having blown through the million dollars in just 10 months, having blown through the million dollars in just 10 months, spending most of it on expensive homes, luxury cars, and extravagant trips. When you're used to spending $40,000, $50,000 a month and just change, just spendable income, and you get accustomed to that, you know, $10,000 a month seems like poverty row. By early 2014, almost four years after the murder, Shara had moved on and remarried. And still, there were no arrests for the murder of Lorenzen Wright. The case grew cold. I don't remember ever going more than a month

without somebody asking me about Lorenzen Wright's murder. Have you all made any headway on it? Where are you on it? Oddly, nearly five years after Lorenzen's death, it was Shara who drew attention back to herself by publishing a book called Mr. Tell Me Anything. It was about a philandering NBA player. When you read this book, you go like, wow. Shara claimed it was based on her life with Lorenzen.

The book is about a woman who has been wronged, who's very embittered, who's been abused emotionally, has been cheated on. And Shara also claimed to be writing a sequel, with a philandering husband in her first book, is murdered. Shara was very interested in getting money. After her book was published, Shara agreed to an interview with Calvin Cowens, a freelance reporter. It would prove to be a fateful meeting. In walks this 5'10 goddess. I just couldn't forget, you know, how I felt when I saw her.

I thought she was beautiful. Her perfume was unfair, you know. And so that's how it all started. I had never interviewed a woman and then dated her. Never crossed the line. Never have gotten romantically involved with an interview subject. Never. Not one. Cheryl was the first.

Within six months, she agreed to leave her marriage, leave Memphis, and move with him to Houston. Houston was my idea. And she was up for it. Absolutely. She was going through a divorce, and so she felt like it would be a new start for her and the kids as well. And I was like, okay, let's do it.

What was life with Shara like? It was great. Shara was, she's hilarious. She's funny. She's spiritual. She's a great mom. I mean, we had a great time. Even though Kelvin had heard the rumors

about Shara's involvement with Lorenzen's murder, he remained devoted to her. I didn't even believe she had anything to do with it. I wouldn't have ever moved away with her if I thought she was guilty. You know, you have to understand, she had written a book about her life with Lorenzen. Okay. And where I come from, you don't write books about people you helped kill.

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You can listen to The Best Idea Yet early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus. It's just The Best idea yet. By 2016, six years after the murder of hometown hero Lorenzen Wright, Memphis had all but given up hope that the crime would be solved. How did this impact the city as a whole? The clouds hung over the city for some time. The grief over, you know, losing Lorenzen,

but then just this thing of, you know, why can't they catch these guys? What's going on? A lot of people expected some kind of resolution, and it just seemed like there wasn't one. Well, I know at the time, Tony Armstrong was their chief of police, and this was very personal to him. And he pledged that he would find the killer. Armstrong says his department never gave up on the investigation. I can tell you that we threw everything but the kitchen sink at this investigation. And it was personal. He had been

meeting regularly with Wright's grieving mother, Deborah Marion. It was heartbreaking, just gut wrenching to sit across the desk and talk to her and to see the pain that she was in. I wanted to be able to make that phone call to her and tell her, you know, that we found the person responsible for this. I wanted to deliver that news to her, and we just wasn't able to at that time. Meanwhile, the relationship between Wright's ex-wife, Shara, and Kelvin Cowens had soured. I can't say it didn't work out because she was an awful person, but there were signs of greed that I wasn't used to.

The tipping point came when Lorenzen's father, Herb Wright, received a $200,000 check from the NBA for his son's estate. She's telling me about it, and she's asking me, what should I do about this money? Should I go after it? Should I go to court? a $200,000 check from the NBA for his son's estate. She's telling me about it, and she's asking me, what should I do about this money? Should I go after it? Should I go to court? And I said, no. I said, leave the money alone.

Let them put it in the kids' trust. They can get it later. We're doing good. And she was like, no, I don't want her to have it. I'm like, nothing is going to be enough for you. The couple left Houston and went their separate ways. Calvin came back home to Memphis, and Shara moved her kids to Riverside, California,

where her brother is the pastor of a church. Within months, she was married for a third time to a music producer, Tim Robertson. Back in Memphis, the rumor mill implicating Shara was still grinding away. She was at the spotlight of this whole thing as, you know, kind of, you know, seemingly suspect number one. But rumors don't equal proof, and police director Tony Armstrong's tenure had come to an end. I had already announced my retirement. I remember having a conversation with an investigator by the name of Darren Goosey,

and he asked me for permission to look into the case and said that he felt that he could solve it. I knew that he was on to something, and I just prayed that he would have some success with it. Armstrong's prayers were answered. Seven years after the murder of Lorenzen Wright on November 9, 2017, acting on a tip, Memphis police went to this lake in Walnut, Mississippi. Memphis police went to this lake in Walnut, Mississippi. Here, in the murky red clay water, they found a gun believed to be used in the killing.

They found the murder weapon. And for them to be able to recover their gun is a pretty remarkable feat. Although Calvin Cowans had broken up with Shara, he thought she would be happy when the gun was found. But he didn't get the reaction he expected when he called her to celebrate. I said, hey, the police have done this great thing. They found the gun. They killed Lorenzen. We got on the phone, and she wasn't happy about it at all.

Really? And that bothered me. That was when I first started to believe that, you know what, maybe I haven't been looking at grief, you know, all this time. Maybe I've been looking at guilt. After finding the gun, the case took an unexpected turn. On December 5th, police arrested this man, Billy Ray Turner, in a convenience store in Collierville, Tennessee. It was almost like a surreal moment, really. I mean, because, you know,

you kept hearing these things about Shera. Then they arrested this guy, Billy Turner, who nobody had even heard of. Who is Billy Ray Turner, and how does he fit into the case? If he is who this investigation says that he is, he's a murderer. He's a cold-hearted murderer. Billy Ray Turner was then a 47-year-old landscaper. He took care of Shera Wright's lawn and was also a deacon at her church.

A lot of people, when they talk about Billy Ray Turner, his friends and congregants out there, they say, hey, they got the wrong guy. and congregants out there, they say, hey, they got the wrong guy. But they may not have known that Turner is also an ex-convict who served time for assault and kidnapping over two decades ago. As far as Mr. Billy Ray, I have never met him, don't know him, but I do know that Shara is quite capable of manipulating a man. Shara's the type of person where she can make you go jump off a bridge. Get back up, go back up there and jump again.

Okay? After Turner's arrest, Shara and Cowens spoke by phone again. She was telling me that the media was hounding her for an exclusive about the finding of the gun and the arrest of Billy Ray Turner. And I was like, why don't you do it? You know, it's unnatural for you not to do it. You know, and she's like, well, they're just going to twist my words. I said, the public wants to hear from you, Shara, you know, and she just wasn't she wasn't

with it. Ultimately, it wasn't up to Shara Wright. Memphis police just announced Lorenzen Wright's ex-wife is now charged with murder. Ten days after Turner's arrest, she was taken into custody in Riverside, California. Back in Memphis, despite all the rumors, the news evoked mixed feelings. Tough, really tough. And I just sat there thinking, just how could you? How could you? She was arrested and our worlds were just blown up. There's some part of me, to be honest with you, that doesn't want to believe that and just can't take that in. Memphis police did not say why they arrested Shara,

but seven long years after the murder of Lorenzen Wright, they finally got their suspects. How could you have murdered my son? That's what I need to know, just how? The journey has led you right back to the person that was supposed to be as close to him as anybody, and that was his wife. So it's easy for somebody to say, well, the obvious suspect was right there in front of you the whole time. But look at it in a positive light, you can basically say that they never gave up. Investigators that took a part in this investigation should be celebrated. At this point, there's still a case to be tried in court.

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Listen to Informants lawyer x exclusively on wondry plus join wondry plus in the wondry app apple podcasts or spotify and listen to more exhibit c true crime shows early and ad free right now Well, the former wife of NBA star Lorenzen Wright appeared at an extradition hearing today. Sheryl Wright faces a charge of first-degree murder for his death. After the arrest of Sheryl Wright in December 2017, the Memphis Court of Public Opinion seemed to come to its own conclusion. Do you think Sheryl Wright killed Lorenzen Wright?

I hate to say it, but it seems like she did. I do. I think Lorenzen was killed for money. I believe she did. And that's hard to say. On January 25th, 2018, the real court of Shelby County weighed in. Shara Wright was extradited from California to Tennessee. And there she was, in an orange jumpsuit, arraigned for the murder of her ex-husband. It's really hard, but I'm glad. I've been waiting for seven years for this. Shera Wright and Billy Ray Turner were charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and attempted murder. Assistant District Attorney Paul Hagerman is one of Shelby County's best prosecutors, but he's trying to manage expectations. Two defendants, years and years, a cold case for years and years. It's a challenge.

years and years, a cold case for years and years. It's challenging. Billy Ray Turner has hired John Keith Perry Jr., an experienced defense attorney with a good record. His family is a Christian family. They are steeped in faith, and they know that at the end of the day, they have the strongest belief, as well as I, that Mr. Turner will be exonerated at the end. Shearer now has two court-appointed attorneys, Junie Ganguly and Lori Hall. Wright and Turner pled not guilty to all charges, but the indictments revealed two startling claims. One, a previous murder attempt by Wright and Turner.

Supposedly, a few weeks before they, you know, they actually killed him, they tried to kill him down in Atlanta. They actually say that Billy Ray Turner was in Lorenzen's house. And the second claim, a third person was involved, someone who claims to have been in on it. Do you think that someone knows, has known, who the killer or killers were, but has just held onto the information? Yes, I do. How did they find this gun in the lake? I mean, I've heard stories about that. Who knows what and how it all fits together. Calvin Cowans tried to put all the pieces together by writing a book about his complicated relationship with Shera Wright.

No one wants to come to a realization that a mother with no criminal background, mothered seven of his children, would be involved in his murder. No one wants to believe that. At a bond hearing in May 2018, a stunning revelation. The prosecution identified the alleged co-conspirator. His name is Jimmy Martin, a convicted murderer currently serving time in prison. He's also Sherara Wright's cousin.

Martin claims that it was he who plotted with Billy Ray Turner and Shara to kill Lorenzen Wright. First in an aborted attempt in Atlanta. That they were going to Lorenzen Wright's house in Atlanta, Georgia to murder.

And then in Memphis. Or to lure him to Memphis, Tennessee and murder him there. Martin alleges that he was not present for the actual murder, but he did help Turner and Wright clean up the crime scene. He also claims that he went with Turner to the Mississippi Lake to throw away that gun. Martin stated that he accompanied Billy Turner to a lake where Billy Turner smoked, disposed of a handgun that was used to murder Lorenzen Wright. Prosecutors allege that Wright and Turner had a sexual relationship and that they killed Lorenzen Wright for his million-dollar insurance

policy. As Shara left the courtroom, she and Turner exchanged a passing glance. Prosecutors have decided not to seek the death penalty in the case, which is fine with Lorenzen's family. His mother told me directly, I have had to live with the loss of a son, and death would be too easy. So they don't want the death penalty. But I think they want to know the details of what happened, and all of that should come out in court. Not seeking death could signal that the prosecution believes this case is not open and shut. I expect nothing but a fight. And fight they did.

But this week, stunning news. Sheryl Wright pleaded guilty to facilitation of first-degree murder. You are asking this court to find that you're guilty without trial and set this punishment which has been recommended on your case. Now, is that what you want to do, Ms. Wright?

That is correct. She received a 30-year prison sentence. Finally, nine years after the tragic death of Lorenzen Wright, this plea offers some solace to his mother and maybe a measure of closure for the city of Memphis, still in mourning for its favorite son. He was one young man that was working to make a difference in his children's lives and other children's lives.

He was a generous heart and he symbolized hope in our community. Now, it would be a shame if throughout all this that we forgot that. Lorenzen Wright from the University of Memphis. If Lorenzen had never made the NBA, he'd be alive and well right now. And I want everybody to know in this city that he was a good guy, not what he was portrayed to be, but a good human being. In 2022, Billy Ray Turner was convicted for the murder of Lorenzen Wright and sentenced to life in prison. for the murder of Lorenzen Wright and sentenced to life in prison.