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00:00 [silence]
00:08 [phone ringing]
00:14 [beep]
00:16 Hi, how are you?
00:18 John Han 9-1-1, where is your emergency?
00:21 [phone ringing]
00:22 Hello?
00:23 [phone ringing]
00:26 Hello?
00:27 [phone ringing]
00:29 Hello?
00:30 I don't have nothing but gunshots.
00:33 Hello?
00:34 [phone ringing]
00:39 Hello?
00:40 [silence]
00:47 [music]
01:12 This case takes us to Memphis, Tennessee.
01:16 A part of the world with a big history.
01:22 One that is rich in creativity and culture,
01:26 with many a talent coming out of there,
01:30 and many big moments that contributed to the history books.
01:37 One person that saw their career catapult to new heights after moving to Memphis
01:41 was 34-year-old Lorenzen Wright.
01:45 Born in 1975, Lorenzen was a sprightly child with an abundance of energy and a huge smile.
01:51 His mother Deborah lived with her mother, who helped her to raise him.
01:55 And although his father Herb didn't live with them, he was very much a big part of his son's life.
02:00 From a young age, Lorenzen's dream was to play professional basketball.
02:04 His family said they knew he had a natural gift for it,
02:08 saying this was helped further by how tall he was.
02:10 His mother Deborah said he was such a long baby she couldn't lie him down on her lap
02:15 because his head would go off her knees.
02:17 The minute Lorenzen started playing, he showed an instant flair for basketball,
02:22 with people describing him as a force of nature on the court.
02:27 His parents were just as passionate about helping him succeed and making his dreams a reality.
02:33 Lorenzen split his time between his mother's home in Oxford
02:37 and his father's home 80 miles away in Memphis.
02:41 He started off playing for Lafayette High School in Mississippi before he moved to Memphis permanently,
02:46 and spent his senior year playing for Booker T. Washington High School.
02:50 With an array of college scholarship offers, Lorenzen had some big choices to make.
02:55 Ultimately, he decided to go with the Memphis Tigers at Memphis State University,
03:00 and threw absolutely everything he had into it.
03:04 Straight out of university, his life would change forever.
03:08 The Los Angeles Clippers select Lorenzen Wright from the University of Memphis.
03:14 He entered the 1996 NBA draft and was the seventh overall pick in the first round,
03:19 being drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers.
03:22 Lorenzen soon married Shara Robinson, who he had known since his junior year.
03:29 They had met through a basketball game.
03:31 Her father was one of his coaches.
03:34 Over the coming years, the couple would go on to have seven children together.
03:38 In 1995, their first child, Lorenzen Wright Jr., was born.
03:42 After this came their eldest daughter, Lauren.
03:46 Twins Lamar and Shamar, their daughter Sophia, a son called Lawson, and a daughter, Sierra.
03:53 Lorenzen doted on his children, with those that knew him saying nothing was more important than them.
03:59 In 1999, he moved from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Atlanta Hawks,
04:04 before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001.
04:08 His friends said he loved his newfound fame, embracing his fans,
04:13 and never turning anyone down for an autograph or a picture.
04:17 Although overwhelming, he enjoyed this side of his career,
04:20 and used it as a way to give back to everyone that had supported him along the way.
04:25 Professionally, he was reaching highs some could only dream of,
04:29 but personally, his life would soon take a devastating turn.
04:34 Sierra was born in 2002, but tragically, just 11 months later,
04:40 she passed away in their family home from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
04:44 Ladies and gentlemen, over the weekend, the Memphis Grizzlies lost one of their family members.
04:53 Would you please rise and join us in observing a moment of silence in the memory of Sierra Wright.
04:59 Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Wright family.
05:03 Earlier today at Mount Vernon Baptist Church,
05:09 members of the Memphis Grizzlies gathered in support of Lorenzen Wright,
05:13 who made his first public comment since the passing of his 11-month-old daughter, Sierra Simone Wright.
05:21 I cannot put into words the sense of grief that Sierra and I feel at this time.
05:26 The loss of our daughter, Sierra Simone, is devastating.
05:30 We loved her so much and we miss her dearly.
05:34 My wife, Sierra, is a very strong woman,
05:37 and together, we will support each other and deal with this great loss to the best of our ability.
05:48 My daughter was a very precious part of me.
05:53 Everybody knew that, but I don't think it's the time right now for me to be selfish,
06:02 for my own selfish reasons, of wanting to keep her here, because I know she's in a better place.
06:12 Like I said in this speech, I really appreciate all the support you guys have given to me and to my wife.
06:18 We're going to be strong.
06:20 We still got four other kids that we got to raise and be happy for,
06:26 and continue to progress with, continue to raise, and maybe a few more later on down the line.
06:35 Hopefully.
06:41 But thank you all for your support.
06:45 This fueled Lorenzen to found the Sierra Simone Wright Scholarship Fund, named after his baby girl.
06:51 The scholarship fund granted an annual scholarship to a Memphis high school senior
06:56 who had plans to attend a Memphis-area college or university.
07:00 His philanthropy continued with him contributing to numerous children's charities,
07:04 hosting basketball camps, contributing to children's reading programs,
07:09 and visiting St. Jude's Children Research Hospital.
07:12 I always like to give back to the community.
07:14 If we can put a smile on these people's faces just to see us here.
07:17 Some of the people said, "I couldn't pass this up, I just wanted to come here and spend time with you guys."
07:21 If we can shed a little light on their lives, God bless them, I'd love to be here with them.
07:26 In 2006, he made the move back to the Atlanta Hawks.
07:30 Two years later, he was involved in a multiplayer trade, moving from Atlanta to Sacramento Kings,
07:36 and shortly after this, he moved to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
07:39 Lorenzen Wright had well and truly had a very successful career, playing in over 770 NBA games,
07:46 spanning an incredible 13 seasons, and garnering around $50 million in contracts.
07:53 But as 2010 came around, after a bad thumb injury, Lorenzen Wright retired from professional basketball.
08:03 I'm Lorenzen Wright of the Memphis Grizzlies, and I'm going to show you how I'm living here in Memphis, Tennessee.
08:09 Those that knew him said that over the last few years, he had played as hard as he'd worked,
08:14 and a lot of the huge fortune he had amassed during his time in the NBA was all but gone.
08:19 As well as buying lavish homes and new cars, a vast amount of money had been given to various family members,
08:25 friends, and the community that loved him, with one of his friends saying,
08:29 "He was a giver, he gave to anybody who put their hand out.
08:33 He bought people cars and houses, helped them open businesses and enter colleges."
08:38 His custom-built 17-room home in Tennessee was repossessed, as was his $1.1 million home in Atlanta.
08:46 He was also in arrears on his $26,000 a month alimony and child support obligations,
08:52 and share a claim they often had creditors knocking at the door.
08:58 After 13 years together, in January 2010, he and Shera divorced.
09:03 Lorenzen moved to Atlanta, while his ex-wife and children remained in Memphis, Tennessee.
09:09 He still had a home in Tennessee and would come back and forth to see his family.
09:13 Many sources state that he and Shera still had an intimate relationship, but remained separated.
09:19 Sources said that Lorenzen was a serial cheater, whilst others say the infidelity definitely came from both sides.
09:28 At one point in Atlanta, Lorenzen phoned a friend and told him he wanted to come back to Tennessee permanently
09:34 and get back together with Shera, expressing how unhappy he was away from his family and ex-wife.
09:39 Needless to say, things did appear to be on the up for Lorenzen career-wise.
09:45 He had two NBA teams inviting him to try out, and he was scheduled to fly to Israel to try out for a team there.
09:52 His friend and roommate Michael said that Lorenzen was planning on travelling back to Memphis mid-July,
09:58 but in the days leading up to it, he seemed a bit on edge and not really himself.
10:03 His children had already spent a lot of time with him in Atlanta over the summer,
10:07 and Lorenzen was telling everyone how much fun they were all having,
10:10 watching films as a family, visiting amusement parks and water parks, and practicing basketball together.
10:16 But the plan was, Lorenzen was to visit Memphis for a short while and take his children back to Atlanta with him
10:22 so they could spend the rest of the summer there.
10:24 On July 18th, 2010, with this plan in mind, Lorenzen flew back to Memphis.
10:30 He had hopes of attending his sister's baby shower and proudly watch his eldest son, Lorenzen Wright Jr, play basketball.
10:41 Throughout the day he caught up with some friends, and even took a picture of himself on one of his friend's phones.
10:48 He then spent some of the evening at Sharer's house, leaving late into the night.
10:55 Germantown police receive a disturbing 911 call.
11:09 [phone ringing]
11:11 [phone ringing]
11:13 [phone ringing]
11:15 [phone ringing]
11:17 Germantown 911, where is your emergency?
11:19 [phone ringing]
11:21 Hello?
11:22 [phone ringing]
11:25 Hello?
11:26 [phone ringing]
11:28 Hello?
11:29 I don't have nothing but gunshots.
11:31 Hello?
11:33 [phone ringing]
11:37 Hello?
11:38 [phone ringing]
11:44 Eleven gunshots could be heard in quick succession, but the words coming from the caller were unclear.
11:50 When the call was silent, the dispatcher assumed it was a hang-up.
11:54 The person on the end of the line would later turn out to be 34-year-old Lorenzen Wright.
12:06 Lorenzen never showed up to his sister's baby shower, and after repeatedly trying to get hold of him, his mother Deborah was starting to worry.
12:13 He was also set to be his friend's best man, and his failure to turn up to that rang even more alarm bells.
12:20 Although some of his friends thought he might have just wanted a break, when Deborah learned that her son wasn't even returning his daughter Lauren's calls, she knew she had to talk to the police.
12:33 On July 22nd, Deborah filed a missing persons report, and officers arrived at Scherer's house to take some statements.
12:40 Scherer told police that Lorenzen had left the house on the night of July 18th with a random man she didn't know, some drugs, and an unspecified but considerable sum of money.
12:50 He was on the phone at the time, and said to the person on the other end he was going to "flip something for $110,000."
12:59 Scherer said after this, he got into his car with the man, and was not seen or heard from again.
13:05 Rumours began to circulate that Lorenzen was deeply involved in drugs, possibly even a cartel, and people wondered if this was behind his disappearance.
13:14 But if he left the house with a vast amount of cash, the possibility of a robbery being at the root of what had happened was also something to be considered.
13:23 Lorenzen's disappearance became a high profile and well publicised case straight away, and media outlets started running with the story.
13:30 Collierville police are trying to find any information that can help them find Lorenzen Wright, and so far there's been no luck with leads.
13:38 Police do not suspect foul play in Lorenzen's disappearance, his mother just wants to know her oldest son is okay.
13:44 Just call us, and say that I'm okay, wherever he is, just call and say I'm okay.
13:51 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.
13:59 Eight days would pass with nothing from Lorenzen.
14:06 Although she was holding out hope, Debra said that every day that went by, she knew the outcome was looking less and less positive.
14:14 Finally, the police caught a break.
14:18 The 911 call that had come in would soon, finally be followed up on, and the link was made to the missing Lorenzen.
14:25 The dispatcher that had answered the call did not report what she had heard to her supervisor, nor was the call tracked in any way to try and find out the location.
14:34 Failure to report the call would result in a payout to Lorenzen's family, and police acknowledged the nine days that had come and gone had hindered the investigation massively.
14:43 After finally following up on the call and pinpointing the location, on July 28th, a terrible discovery was made.
14:51 Police in Memphis, Tennessee have found the body of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright.
14:57 That's according to Wright's uncle, who tells the Associated Press that police broke the news to the athlete's father Wednesday afternoon.
15:04 A police officer would not confirm that, but said a man's body had been found near a wooded area some 15 miles south of downtown Memphis.
15:12 A local news helicopter showed investigators searching the area for evidence.
15:16 It is not clear yet how he died.
15:19 I mean, I can't believe it. When I got the call, I mean, my mom, she called me, I broke down crying.
15:23 It's just very heartbreaking. He's a wonderful person to work with. It's just so unfortunate. I knew in my heart that something had gone wrong.
15:33 Lorenzen's body was found in a grassy area of southeast Shelby County.
15:39 [Music]
15:56 The road near his body was called Callis Cut-Off.
15:59 [Music]
16:05 A shortcut that only people that knew the area well would be aware of.
16:10 It was a route that Lorenzen would often take to visit his mother, as it was a lot quicker.
16:16 The severe decomposition due to the time that had lapsed and the hot summer weather had left him weighing just 57 pounds,
16:24 and police said that if you knew him well, visually identifying him would have been almost impossible.
16:31 When Debra got the call, she was desperate to see her son.
16:35 She thought if she followed his route and went to the location, she might find some clues as to how this had happened.
16:41 [Music]
16:46 Despite police trying to stop her, she forced her way under the tape and ran to where he was.
16:51 [Music]
17:07 The autopsy revealed that he had been shot at least five times, but possibly more,
17:12 and the 911 call he had made that night had definitely picked up his final moments.
17:18 There were two shots in his head, two bullets in his chest, and bullet fragments in his right forearm.
17:24 Officers reported that there were two different shell casings nearby,
17:29 implying there could have been multiple murder weapons, but no guns were found at or near the scene.
17:35 Despite this, it would be some time before police officially ruled it foul play.
17:39 Fans, family and friends gathered around the scene of the crime,
17:44 including Lorenzen's former teammates, and tributes began pouring in.
17:48 He was a teammate of mine back in Cleveland, and we spent so many days together.
17:53 To hear that he was killed in his hometown, it was very emotional.
17:59 We wanted to see exactly what was going on with the murder scene.
18:04 How he felt going down this way.
18:06 How he felt coming this way, and what was he doing coming this way.
18:09 Why was he on a desolate road, driving down the street, or whatever.
18:15 If he wasn't driving, there was no car, so something had to be going on.
18:19 And then for him to make a call, like, "Hey, somebody come help me."
18:24 That's amazing to me.
18:26 Well, we were buying furniture at the time we heard it on the radio.
18:31 And when I heard it, I told her, I said, "Did you hear what Dad just said?"
18:36 "He's been missing since July 19th." I was like, "What? Wait a minute. Let's see what's going on with this."
18:41 We couldn't contact anybody at that time.
18:44 But it just so unlike him to just disappear and not contact anybody.
18:49 And then we heard, and so we waited and went to work and came back on the news.
18:53 And it was like, "Oh my God, he's really gone." And they found his body.
18:57 We want this mystery solved.
19:00 We ain't happy about it.
19:01 So we're reaching out to everybody out there.
19:04 Please say whatever it is, because this boy was loved not only by Memphis, but the whole world.
19:11 Everybody that knew him loved this boy.
19:14 If you love Lorenzo like everybody else does, bring yourself forward.
19:19 Say something. Let everybody know what's going on.
19:22 Because this is ridiculous. This boy was a good man.
19:25 He did everything, especially for his family.
19:29 Investigators said the area Lorenzo was found in was so quiet, so remote, and so dark at night.
19:35 No matter how many times he drove down that road, he must have felt something was wrong.
19:40 Unless he was forced or lured out there, or his car was followed.
19:45 The former wife of Lorenzo Wright told police that the former NBA player left her home carrying money and a box of drugs the night he disappeared.
19:55 She says he returned a short time later, then left again with drugs and money.
19:59 She said she overheard Wright telling someone on the phone that he was going to "flip something for $110,000."
20:06 No one has been arrested in connection with Wright's murder.
20:09 Several days later on August 1st, Memphis police conducted a search of Scharer's home.
20:15 They found burned pieces of metal and a burnt letter addressed to both Lorenzo and Scharer.
20:21 But law enforcement did not confirm if this meant anything.
20:25 Neighbors said that Scharer had been burning things in the garden several nights before with an unknown male,
20:30 which seemed out of place given how swelteringly hot the weather was.
20:34 Lorenzo had a close group of friends, some of which he saw the night he went missing,
20:39 and all of them were trying to piece together what had happened to him.
20:43 The only thing that sprung to mind was that Lorenzo had received a phone call at some point during the evening from Scharer.
20:49 The call was described as unpleasant and very heated, with lots of shouting coming from Scharer's end.
20:56 Lorenzo told his friend that he would go and see his ex-wife, hopefully calm her down, then call him later to meet back up.
21:03 But Lorenzo would never make that call.
21:07 A few days later a public memorial service was held for him.
21:11 Hundreds of fans, family members and friends poured into the FedEx Forum in Memphis to show their love and pay their respects.
21:19 Each one of Lorenzo and Scharer's children was wearing a different team hat to honour their father's 13-year NBA career.
21:28 Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley said,
21:32 "We should all leave this hall with the thought that we're going to do a little bit in Lorenzo's honour
21:37 to make sure things like this don't happen again. That's the biggest service you could pay him."
21:44 After this, things went very quiet.
21:51 A year would pass with no arrests being made and no substantial movement being made either.
21:57 Investigators were finding it tremendously tough to solve a high-profile case with actually very little evidence to go on
22:04 and no clear motive as to why someone could want him dead.
22:08 Crime in Memphis was most definitely not uncommon.
22:12 In 2001, 2005 and 2007 Memphis was ranked the second most dangerous city in the nation
22:19 among cities with a population of over 500,000.
22:22 And, according to the FBI, in the same year Lorenzo was killed,
22:27 Memphis was declared the third most dangerous city in the United States.
22:31 With various types of crimes being so prevalent and widespread for a long time,
22:36 police were concerned they may never get the answers they need,
22:39 as the reality was it could just be completely random for no real reason.
22:44 In 2011, a reward for any information in the case stood at $21,000.
22:52 Crime stoppers had had less than 50 tips come in
22:55 and the fear about whether or not the case would reach a conclusion loomed over everyone.
23:00 One officer recalled they weren't sure whether people were staying quiet
23:04 because they genuinely didn't know what had happened,
23:06 or because they did know and were scared to talk.
23:10 A year later, however, in 2012, a man who was already in prison asked to talk to the FBI.
23:17 He said he had information regarding the case and the people involved.
23:21 In 2009, he was acquitted of murdering his girlfriend and was out on bail at the time Lorenzo was killed.
23:28 He was finally convicted on the lesser charge of second-degree murder
23:31 and sentenced to 20 years behind bars.
23:34 He said he could tell police exactly where to find the gun that killed Lorenzen
23:38 and spoke about a failed plot to kill him once before.
23:42 Authorities kept this very quiet, but started to look into these claims carefully and thoroughly.
23:48 While this was going on, Scherer was involved in a legal issue herself.
23:52 As part of their divorce settlement, Lorenzen took out a $1 million life insurance policy,
23:58 which was paid to Scherer one year after his death.
24:01 Lorenzen specified the policy was intended for their children,
24:04 but according to one source, within months of receiving the $1 million, Scherer had spent all but $5.05.
24:12 Lorenzen's father and executor of his estate, Herb, proceeded to sue Scherer on behalf of his grandchildren.
24:18 The lawsuit claimed that Lorenzen had directed the money be spent on their children,
24:22 but it was reported that the money had been spent in various other ways,
24:26 including almost $100,000 on new cars, $69,000 on furniture, $346,000 for a new home and renovations,
24:36 $5,000 for lawn equipment, and $11,750 for a trip to New York.
24:42 Scherer, however, insisted the family was financially sound, with $1.4 million in assets to fall back on.
24:50 But she later agreed to a confidential settlement.
24:53 That same year, Scherer published a book called 'Mr. Tell Me Anything'.
24:58 Part of the description read,
25:00 "With the constant chaos surrounding women, new acquaintances, family and greed,
25:05 their efforts would soon appear to be ultimately in vain.
25:08 Combined with the newfound lies and deception, she finds herself questioning his commitment.
25:14 A breaking point is reached.
25:16 She makes a life-altering decision. Does it work out for her good?
25:20 Did all his lies finally catch up to him?
25:22 Would he or she pay the ultimate price?"
25:26 It painted a picture of a marriage shrouded in vengeance, greed, volatility and violence.
25:33 Scherer's eyebrows were raised, and people were left wondering if this work of fiction was far more than that.
25:40 While some believe this was all based on truth, painting the relationship as toxic,
25:45 others said it was nothing more than fictitious and damaging lies,
25:48 and wasn't based on reality and the person Lorenzen was.
25:52 Scherer was interviewed by several journalists after the release, and had in part this to say.
25:58 Let me ask you this, Scherer. The book, why did you write it? What are you hoping to accomplish?
26:04 In a marriage, I mean, you go through your ups and downs.
26:08 I just believe that when the downs become more overwhelming, and there's more downs than ups,
26:14 then that's the time to kind of go back and see which one outweighs the other.
26:21 Lorenzen had a problem with giving his hands to himself.
26:26 Or Mr. Tell Me Anything, this character did.
26:29 And I grew him from Lorenzen, like that.
26:34 He did extend from experiences with Lorenzen, and so, yeah, he had a problem with that.
26:40 You're planning a sequel too, right? If I read that right.
26:43 Yeah.
26:44 When is that coming out?
26:45 It's 90% done. It's going to take you all the way up to Mr. Tell Me Anything's death, and just a little bit past it.
26:53 Mr. Tell Me Anything murdered?
26:58 Oh, yes, he is.
26:59 Did you have anything to do with his murder or his disappearance?
27:03 I'm a mother. I'm a wife. I'm an author. And the police should find his killer.
27:11 For my name to be even in the same sentence or something like that, I'm a minister of the Lord.
27:17 And I've never been in any type of trouble or anything. I'm a mother, an author, and a wife.
27:28 It had now been seven long years since Lorenzen's body was found.
27:35 The investigation into his death had become one of Memphis Police Department's most high-profile, unsolved cases.
27:41 Shera had since married and divorced and briefly dated a journalist called Kelvin Cowans, who interviewed her about her book.
27:48 The pair eventually moved to Houston together with Shera's children.
27:51 Kelvin said the relationship eventually crumbled because he couldn't get past what he described as an obsession with Shera getting money from Lorenzen's estate.
28:00 November 9th, 2017. Operation Rebound.
28:10 Right now, new information in the unsolved murder of Lorenzen Wright.
28:14 Authorities now say a gun found over the summer may be the one used in the crime.
28:18 The gun the killer may have used was found in a lake in Walnut, Mississippi, in Tippecah, County.
28:23 Thanks to the tip-off from the man imprisoned five years before, officers finally located the gun, believed to have been the murder weapon.
28:30 It was found in a lake in Walnut, Mississippi, about 45 miles away from where Lorenzen was found.
28:36 And just as the man had said.
28:38 Major Darren Goodes, who was helping to lead the investigation, would dub this find as Operation Rebound, describing it as a fresh look into the case.
28:47 "In basketball, when you get a rebound, that gives you a second chance," he said.
28:52 "This would give us a second chance to bring some closure to this case, and give this grieving family some relief."
28:59 The man that had tipped investigators off about the gun and the plan to kill Lorenzen would soon be revealed to be Jimmy Martin.
29:07 Jimmy Martin was actually Sherra's cousin.
29:11 A month later, in December 2017, huge and shocking new developments were announced.
29:18 [Music]
29:29 This morning, the Shelby County Grand Jury indicted Billy R. Turner for the premeditated first-degree murder of Lorenzen Wright.
29:38 On November 9th of this year, authorities located the murder weapon in a lake near Walnut, Mississippi.
29:46 Mr. Turner will be arraigned in Division 7 of criminal court.
29:51 Billy Ray Turner, a Shelby County landscaper and church deacon, was indicted on first-degree murder charges and held on a million dollar bond, which would soon be upped to $15 million.
30:06 The gun that had been found at the bottom of the lake was traced back to him.
30:10 Billy was a deacon in Sherra's church and had done some yard work for the Wright family before.
30:16 Rumors have been swirling that Billy and Sherra were actually romantically involved.
30:21 "This is breaking news."
30:25 "We are breaking into your regularly scheduled program with major breaking news related to the Lorenzen Wright murder case.
30:31 Another arrest. A second arrest inside of two weeks.
30:35 This time, Lorenzen Wright's ex-wife, Sherra Wright, has been arrested.
30:41 Fox 13's Zach Crenshaw has been following this story for us all night.
30:45 He has got the details in our breaking news center.
30:48 Zach, what can you tell us? What happened this evening and where, more importantly?"
30:51 "Riverside, California, Daryl.
30:53 We have just learned in the last 15 to 20 minutes that Sherra Wright, the ex-wife of NBA player and Memphis basketball star Lorenzen Wright, was arrested in her Riverside home.
31:05 This comes after Billy Turner was arrested last week.
31:09 This is a major development that the district attorney's office and the Memphis Police Department have been working for weeks, months now, trying to lead to this arrest.
31:19 Of course, many people suspected it when Billy Turner was arrested last Tuesday for first-degree murder.
31:26 In his indictment, the district attorney says it was premeditated.
31:30 They would not comment on other suspects, though, because they said the investigation was ongoing.
31:35 Now we know why, because Sherra Wright was also a suspect.
31:39 We learned last week, and we have told you as we have continued to follow this investigation, that Sherra Wright and Billy Turner knew each other well.
31:47 They were friends on Facebook. They attended the same Collierville church.
31:51 And now it appears that police have enough evidence to connect both Billy Turner, who you see on your screen right there, and Sherra Wright, the ex-wife of Lorenzen Wright."
32:01 Four days later, Sherra Wright Robinson was also arrested in California and would be held on a $20 million bond.
32:10 While a lot of people were left shocked that Lorenzen's ex-wife could be involved, those close to Lorenzen said this revelation came as no surprise.
32:19 Officers believe that Sherra had tried to kill Lorenzen before, and according to Jimmy's statement, this happened when Sherra went to Atlanta to see Lorenzen.
32:27 While she was in his home, she had left a window unlocked, with the intent of Jimmy and Billy entering the home at night and killing him.
32:35 According to Jimmy, this is exactly what he and Billy did.
32:39 As they opened the window and crept inside, they noticed Lorenzen's roommate Michael happened to be asleep downstairs.
32:46 They also realised that Lorenzen was not home. The pair quickly left, and a new plan was laid out.
32:53 According to everything police knew, Lorenzen was somehow lured into the grassy area where he was met with Sherra and Billy.
33:00 Officers felt strongly that they could put Sherra at the scene, but it remains unconfirmed as to whether or not she pulled the trigger on either gun.
33:08 After he had been killed, Jimmy said the pair confessed to him, and he said he would help them clean up the crime scene.
33:15 Jimmy said that he used a metal detector to help find one of the guns that had been dropped in the commotion,
33:20 and, after Jimmy and Billy cleaned everything up, the gun was thrown into the lake miles away.
33:25 A trial date of September 16th, 2019 was set for both Sherra and Billy.
33:31 They were expected to be tried at the same time as co-defendants.
33:35 We also learned new information about potential holes in the state's witnesses and how the defence plans to attack them.
33:43 Sherra and Billy's defence would centre heavily around Jimmy's credibility as a witness,
33:47 with Sherra going as far as to claim Jimmy had more evidence pointing to him as the killer than she did,
33:53 and both legal teams saying that Jimmy's violent history was enough to prove that he himself was probably behind all this.
34:00 When Billy was arrested, he had a good on him, so he still had the charge of an illegal possession of a firearm hanging over his head,
34:08 as well as the first-degree murder charge.
34:11 The firearm charge alone carried a potential sentence of up to 20 years.
34:15 Billy and his lawyer decided it was safer to plead guilty to the firearms charge.
34:20 After Sherra's lawyers learned about the plea, they started to worry that Billy and his team could use this as leverage to testify against Sherra.
34:27 Her legal team described this as being disastrous if it were to happen.
34:31 After this, in an unscheduled court hearing, Sherra walked into the courtroom.
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35:45 I have made this decision and because of them, I'm not going to go into many more details
35:49 right now, but I'm just going to say everything is not what it seems.
35:54 In exchange for her plea, she was sentenced to 30 years in prison and will be eligible
35:58 for parole after serving 30% of her sentence, roughly nine years, a possibility that left
36:04 those who knew and loved Lorenzen very upset.
36:07 Cheryl, I want to thank you for giving me my grandchildren.
36:08 That's what I want to thank you for, but I want you to unlock them so I can visit them.
36:09 So they can see their grandma, because Sophia keeps calling, she wants to come make chicken
36:16 and dumplings.
36:17 And the twins are going to be playing basketball with us now, so we want to see them too.
36:18 We want them to be talking, let them know we didn't do anything to them.
36:19 We didn't lie to them or anything.
36:20 We just love them.
36:21 We just want to see them.
36:22 That's all.
36:23 Am I able to respond to that?
36:24 Ms. Gangula, you want your client to say anything at this point, sir?
36:25 No, Ms. Wright has nothing to say.
36:26 I'm just going to say what I think is necessary.
36:27 I'm going to say that this is a very important case, and I'm going to say that this is a
36:28 very important case.
36:29 And I'm going to say that this is a very important case.
36:30 And I'm going to say that this is a very important case.
36:31 Ms. Marion, I want to thank you.
36:32 I want to thank you.
36:33 Your family, I want to thank you for your patience.
36:34 I want to thank you for allowing the legal process to run its course, Ms. Marion.
36:35 And I hope, and I know what has happened to you and your family, your son, can never be
36:36 undone by anything that these courts do.
36:37 But I hope it brings you some closure.
36:38 And I hope it brings you some closure.
36:39 And I hope it brings you some closure.
36:40 And I hope it brings you some closure.
36:41 And I hope it brings you some closure.
36:42 And I hope it brings you some closure.
36:43 And I hope it brings you some closure.
36:44 And I hope it brings you some closure.
36:45 And I hope it brings you some closure.
36:46 And I hope it brings you some closure.
36:47 And I hope it brings you some closure.
36:48 And I hope it brings you some closure.
37:12 Despite many pushbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Billy Ray Turner was next to face
37:17 the courts.
37:19 He pleaded not guilty to all counts.
37:21 Jimmy, who had been granted immunity along with many other witnesses and experts, took
37:25 to the stand.
37:26 Jimmy Martin says Sherra came to his home to pick him up and get a metal detector days
37:32 after her ex-husband was killed.
37:34 She said, uh, she needed to find a gun.
37:37 She said, you know, the plan went through, the plan went through that night.
37:43 Okay, well, what were you talking about?
37:45 Okay, she said the plan of murdering Lorenzo had went through.
37:48 She had lost one of the guns.
37:50 She had lost one of the guns.
37:52 Yes, sir.
37:53 So she met her and Lorenzo met up with Billy on this road.
37:57 This when I guess they ambushed him.
38:00 You say you guess, why do you say you guess?
38:03 Because I wasn't there.
38:05 Did she tell you what happened once they met up with him?
38:09 Other than Lorenzo jumping over the fence.
38:13 Lorenzo had his back to him.
38:16 They started chasing him, they started firing at him, chasing him.
38:19 He jumped through the fence.
38:21 He was jumping like a deer.
38:22 They caught him when he fell.
38:25 She said both of them had a gun.
38:27 She said whether or not both of them fired?
38:29 She said both of them fired.
38:30 Martin says days later he and Billy rode together to get rid of the gun used to kill Lorenzo,
38:36 spotting a lake in Mississippi.
38:38 Once we got there, we proceeded to get rid of the pistol.
38:43 Tell me how that happened.
38:45 Tell me who did what.
38:47 Billy got the pistol out of the trunk,
38:50 got it off the ceiling and threw it into the lake.
38:53 And where were you when this was happening?
38:55 I was right there beside him.
38:57 But when the defense questioned Martin, they pointed out many inconsistencies in his story
39:03 and how details had changed over the years he talked to police.
39:06 Who was present when the guns were on the table?
39:09 You in fact said you didn't remember if Billy was there or not.
39:13 And then you said, well, it must have been there because Sherry gave you Billy's car.
39:18 Yes, sir.
39:19 And you said that, as a matter of fact, you described that this meeting was an hour or so long,
39:24 but you had no memory of Billy being there.
39:26 Correct?
39:27 Yes, sir.
39:28 The lead prosecutor, Paul Hageman, painted a picture of Billy
39:31 as a key participant in the plan to lure Lorenzo from his home.
39:35 He did, however, acknowledge that Billy could have been left vulnerable to Sherry's manipulation
39:40 because she was his trusted friend and alleged secret love interest.
39:45 Flare-ups between the lawyers and the judge in the courtroom would also happen on occasion.
39:50 This is just characterization.
39:52 If you're scared, that's a proper argument.
39:54 In your argument, you may proceed with sterility.
39:57 Okay. I'm sorry, Mr. Perry, can you say something?
39:59 I didn't say a word.
40:01 I told you about the attitude.
40:03 You would not, under your breath, be disrespectful to this court, sir.
40:07 You argued things that he has a right to ask without overruling your argument.
40:11 But you sat down and said, "Of course it is."
40:13 I didn't say, "Of course it is."
40:14 Mr. Perry, it's a proper argument to your argument.
40:16 You may proceed with that.
40:17 Yes, sir.
40:18 Ladies and gentlemen, the jury, Jeffrey Smith, is reporting to me
40:24 that you have indicated you have all reached a unanimous verdict on this case
40:27 in all three counseling indictments. Is that correct?
40:29 Yes.
40:30 Do any of your members indicate that you have not reached a unanimous verdict?
40:34 I'd like to reflect that all ladies and gentlemen of the jury
40:36 indicate they have, in fact, reached a unanimous verdict on this case.
40:40 Mr. Foreperson, can you hand the jacket to Jeffrey Smith for me, please, sir?
40:44 Thank you, Jeffrey Smith.
40:47 Mr. Billy Ray Turner, stand, please, sir.
40:58 His verdict reads as follows.
41:00 State of Tennessee v. Billy Ray Turner, docket number 1705881,
41:04 count one, first degree murder.
41:07 We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of first degree murder
41:11 as charged in count one of the indictment.
41:14 Count two, conspiracy to commit first degree murder.
41:18 The verdict reads as follows.
41:19 We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of conspiracy to commit first degree murder
41:23 as charged in count two of the indictment.
41:26 Count three, criminal attempt first degree murder.
41:29 The verdict reads as follows.
41:30 We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of criminal attempt first degree murder
41:35 as charged in count three of the indictment.
41:37 In March 2022, after just two hours of deliberations,
41:41 Billy Ray Turner was convicted of first degree murder,
41:45 conspiracy to commit first degree murder,
41:47 and attempted first degree murder.
41:49 He was handed a life sentence.
41:52 Judge Lee Coffey, who had presided over everything,
41:55 was praised for his work throughout the hearings and trial.
41:58 With three different versions of events and one story that will never come to light,
42:03 it is likely that the full truth of what happened that night
42:06 and the reason behind why it happened will never be known.
42:10 The former director of Memphis Police, Tony Armstrong, said,
42:14 "The only motive is, he was worth more dead than he was alive.
42:18 These kids, they suffered.
42:20 Not only was their father taken, their mother's gone too.
42:23 There are no winners."
42:25 Lorenzen's pastor said,
42:27 "Not only was he physically murdered, but his character was assassinated.
42:31 I want people to know who Lorenzen Wright was, the kind of human he was.
42:35 Too many people bought into the lies.
42:37 We're trying our best to cleanse the name of Lorenzen."
42:40 Lorenzen's children still work to keep their father's name and legacy alive.
42:45 Lorenzen Wright Jr. was a basketball player too
42:48 and worked as a coach training high school students.
42:51 Loren Wright is married and resides in Charlotte, North Carolina
42:55 and some sources say has the guardianship of her sister, Sophia.
42:59 Lorenzen's twin boys, Lamar and Shamar, are also basketball players,
43:03 playing for the SIU Edwardsville Cougars in the NCAA.
43:07 Little is known about Lawson, apart from the fact he resides in Texas
43:11 and supports his siblings in everything they do.
43:14 They all believe their mother's innocence and they remain a tight family unit.
43:19 Sadly, the relationship between Debra and her grandchildren
43:22 became distant after the arrest and conviction of Shera.
43:25 Debra has since reconnected with Shamar
43:28 and hopes one day to gain back the closeness with her other grandchildren.
43:32 She said for now, she will love them from afar.
43:35 "Her sister reunited with Lorenzen's son after nearly a decade apart."
43:40 [Crying]
43:47 "Man, it's just a lot of the process, a lot going on.
43:51 I don't know, I'm still processing it all and still trying to take it all in."
43:55 Despite his mom being incarcerated and his dad no longer alive,
44:00 he has not let his circumstances define him.
44:03 "Always moving forward, always pushing forward is something that I'm pretty much focused on.
44:07 You know, everything happens for a reason and I live by that,
44:11 so I just keep on trying to shine a light on you can make it through bad things."
44:16 "We gotta get together, together, you know, 'cause as a family,
44:20 that's what he would've wanted.
44:22 His kids with his mama, you know, this is what we do."
44:26 Reporting in Memphis, Jordan James, WREG.
44:29 Lorenzen's parents were such a driving force in pushing the case
44:33 and continuing to keep their son's story alive in the media.
44:37 "I knew I couldn't give up," Deborah said.
44:40 "If I gave up, who was going to take my place?"
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