basketball star killed


Martin claims that it was he who plotted with Billy Ray Turner and Sherra to kill Lorenzen Wright -- first in an aborted attempt in Atlanta --. Lee, 21, led the HBU Huskies in scoring and rebounding, and was among the best defenders in the country. At the time of Wrights slaying, Martin was facing charges of killing his girlfriend, and he said his cousin helped pay part of his legal fees. Sherra Wright and Billy Ray Turner were charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and conspiracy. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). In 2001, Wright signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. Sherra claimed it was based on her life with Lorenzen. Not for money, not robbery. The prosecutors also tried to introduce evidence that the boys were members of a street gang, but were precluded from doing so.[11]. Dr. Bill Adkins: They both, unfortunately, liked to spend. Fourteen months after Lorenzen's death, Sherra received a million-dollar life insurance payout. 15 overall in 2014 NBA draft. The slaying is one of the most highly publicized murder cases in Memphis history.

Toney Armstrong: 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. So-- I reached out to him as well, and didn't hear anything back. You got Martin Luther King, OK, you can't trump that one, but he comes very close. After they learned about the plea, Wright Robinsons lawyers worried that Turner would strike a plea deal with prosecutors in the Wright murder case and testify against Wright Robinson. ", I hope the truth comes out, Phil Dotson, another of his friends, told "20/20.". Dr. Bill Adkins: And I turned on the television And -- I saw Deborah, his mom -- running down the road, tryin' to get to his body It was a total shock. She was easy on the eyes, Nevels said. Former NBA player Lorenzen Wright was murdered more than a decade ago in a plan involving his ex-wife, but Wrights family and friends are still dealing with many unanswered questions, including "why? Sherra Wright Robinson pleaded guilty to facilitation of first-degree murder. Kelvin Cowans: Absolutely. Phil Dotson: He never met a fan that he didn't like. In 2007 he was arrested again and charged with three weapons offenses, for which he began serving a 40-year sentence in 2011. During his junior year, he and his girlfriend Jetun Rush conceived a child. Gayle Rose: there's some part of me, to be honest with you, that doesn't want to believe that, and just can't, can't take that in.

Sherra Wright entered a surprise guilty plea to facilitation of murder in July 2019 and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

His success on the high school and collegiate levels in Memphis, Tennessee, eventually culminated into his being the seventh overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft when he headed to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Wolverines would not win another state title in the 20th century. And still, there were no arrests for the murder of Lorenzen Wright. He served for five years on the PWPD force, but was killed in a single-car crash on the Northern State Parkway near East Hempstead, New York in January 2022 after losing control of his vehicle. Marc Parrusquia: A lotta people, when they talk about Billy Ray Turner, his friends and congregants out there, they say, "Hey, no. Simple as that," she said. Prosecutors have decided not to seek the death penalty in the case, which is fine with Lorenzen's family. Curated by. Rush gave birth to the child, a boy named Brandon, over the summer. 19-year-old Britny Henderson, a recent graduate of Kingston High School, was pronounced dead at the scene. Discovery Company. But what they didn't realize at the time was that Lorenzen had actually left behind a clue. GOP lawmakers in Tennessee vote to expel first of three Democrats over shooting protest, Report finds Justice Clarence Thomas accepted lavish trips from GOP donor, Black Hawk helicopter carrying 10 crashes into ocean, Japan's army says, Supreme Court declines West Virginia bid to enforce transgender athlete ban, CDC issues alert amid Marburg virus outbreak abroad, Police call disappearance of Minnesota mom "involuntary" and "suspicious", Macklemore on fighting addiction, breakout year and his 2014 Grammy win, Tornado deaths in 2023 approach average toll normally seen in a full year. Former Kentucky basketball player Terrence Clarke, who played his lone season for the Wildcats in 2020-21, died Thursday following a car crash in Los Angeles. LAKE, Miss. Phil Dotson | Lorenzen's friend: She was arrested and our worlds were just blown up. Phil Dotson: And, I ended up droppin' him off that night at about 10:00 p.m. And when I dropped him off, he said, "Let me go in here and deal with this. I mean, every -- every water hole, ever sports bar in this town had it on the TV screen. Lorenzen was traded to Atlanta, which he would call home after leaving the NBA in 2009, while Sherra and the kids stayed in Memphis. She's spiritual. It was updated on July 27, 2019.]. All Rights Reserved. I just sat there. The coroners 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. Sherra Wright received $1m from her ex-husbands life insurance policy and settled a court dispute in 2014 over how she spent the insurance money meant to benefit their six children. Common causes and when you should seek care. The night before he was killed, Damien Servidio was in his element. I don't want to argue with you,'" Dotson said. The case went cold for seven years before the players ex-wife, Sherra Wright, and Billy Ray Turner were arrested in December 2017.

DEBORAH MARION [WREG NEWS REPORT]: nowhere he could be that I don't know where he is We checked all his friends from here to Atlanta, Mississippi, everywhere. Marc Perresquia: When you read this book, you go, like, "Wow.". ", Kelvin Cowans: We got on the phone and she wasn't happy about it at all, and --. (WTOK) - Brooklyn Harris, a basketball player from Lake High School, fulfilled her lifelong dream, as she signed the dotted line to continue her academic The night before he was killed, Damien Servidio was in his element. The jury heard a chilling 911 call made by Lorenzen Wright that captured the pop-pop-pop sound of multiple gunshots. After the verdict, Wrights mother, Deborah Marion, told CNN affiliate WMC-TV the verdict brought the family closure. Murder of the Basketball Star. And I said, "Well, I figured he might just be outta town, he's not answerin' the phone call." 8:32 PM EDT, Mon March 21, 2022, Ex-wife of NBA player charged in his murder. The 34-year-old father of six had been missing for days before his body was discovered. My watch is a car, or my ring is a house, I mean, he was good to me. He's also Sherra Wright's cousin. He loved children. Murphy went in alone, while Moore and Dixon chose to wait outside. When Wright Robinsons plea bargain was announced in court, the judge allowed Marion the chance to speak to her sons ex-wife. Most married couples have trouble with lack of finances. Wright Robinson denied any involvement during questioning with police as well as in a local TV news interview. WebMore than 250 Ukrainian athletes have been killed, Kyiv says; American basketball star Brittney Griner has urged the US to do everything possible to bring an arrested journalist home, after her own detention in Russia. Sherra was the first. He had only been retired one year at the time of his murder. Wilson did not fully understand why Rush had pushed him away and as time went on, it started to have an effect on him. Born: August 23, 1978.

Omar Dixon's conviction was struck down on appeal and he received a new trial in 1989, but was again convicted. He was drafted in the first round as the seventh overall pick. Just this week, a surprise development in one of Memphis, Tennessee's, biggest murder cases. It was just unbelievable that he was dead. And --and he'd get tired of it, he'd sell it, just simply put. She claimed in an interview that the supposedly fictitious story was based on her real life. She said the last time she saw Lorenzen was on that Sunday night, July 18, at her home. Billy Ray Turner found guilty of first-degree murder Wrights ex-wife already jailed for her part in killing Associated Press Tue 22 Mar 2022 07.40 EDT A jury on Monday San Diego Sports. Phil Dotson: He had just signed a six-year, $42 million deal at that point. Despite the enormous pressure to solve the murder of Lorenzen Wright, the investigation was hampered from the very beginning. And the second claim? It was very emotional. Meanwhile, Wright Robinson seemed to move on with her life. At the screening, Billy Moore and Ben Wilson's brothers Anthony and Jeffrey appeared onstage together and the two Wilsons publicly forgave Moore for his action; this was the dying wish of Mary Wilson, who passed away at the age of 63 in December 2000.[19]. His problem was affluence and how to handle that affluence. Lorenzen Wright #42 of the Memphis Grizzlies shoots over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Memphis, Tenn.,April 11, 2006. Maybe I've been looking at guilt. [12] A month later, Moore was sentenced to 40 years in prison while Dixon received 30. Police responded to reports of shots fired at approximately 12:36 a.m. at East 139th St. and Fifth Ave in Manhattan, according to the New York Police Department. 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. The Los Angeles Clippers drafted Lorenzen Wright in 1996, according to the NBAs website. Not seeking death could signal that the prosecution believes this case is not open and shut. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Growing up in Oxford, Mississippi, Wright found a fierce passion for playing basketball. "So we drove to the house. April Thompson, an investigative reporter at WREG, the CBS affiliate in Memphis, was on this story from the start.

[16] [17] [18]. Lorenzen Wright was visiting Memphis from Atlanta. Turner was indicted on first-degree murder charges and pleaded not guilty. That -- 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. Its estimated that Wright had earned around $55 million over the course of his NBA career. Coffee called Wright a sacred son of Memphis and told his mother, Deborah Marion, that the trial might not bring her closure but would celebrate the good about her son. It was July 19, 2010. There was no incidence to it. Judge Lee Coffee sentenced Turner, 51, to life in prison for the murder conviction. The defense attorneys for both boys denied the charges vehemently. Lorenzen Wright made headlines as the seventh overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft but he also won the hearts of so many because of his impact on thousands of kids who were inspired by him. [8], At 12:37 PM local time, a call was placed to 911 for emergency assistance. He was killed physically.
libertyville lipp In exchange for her plea, she received a 30-year sentence. Marc Perrusquia: A cloud's hung over this city for some time. Days after leading his college team to its first mens N.C.A.A. He played for the Memphis Tigers in college and the Memphis Grizzlies during his 13 seasons as a forward and center in the NBA. Acting on a tip, Memphis Police went to a lake in Walnut, Mississippi.

I mean, he could run the floor better than any big man I ever saw in my life. A jury on Monday convicted a Tennessee man in the murder of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright, who was found shot dead in a field nearly 12 years ago in his hometown of Memphis. Turner was a landscaper, a yardman who happened to be a deacon in a small country church that Sherra attended, said Memphis journalist Marc Perrusquia. Outside the courtroom, Marion told reporters she was elated with the verdict. SHERRA WRIGHT: I was married to an NBA basketball player for 13 years, April. Dotson says Sherra insisted Wright bring their son home to her house that night. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much He was just 22 years old. I just believed it. CNN Former NBA player Adreian Payne was shot and killed in Orlando, according to authorities in Florida.

Turner was expected to go to trial this month, but the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed his proceedings. The two boys then decided to hang out for a little while and wait to see if Erica Murphy, Wilson's classmate and a friend of Moore's, was around. I've been waitin' for seven years for this. But there are still divisions. Died: January 26, 2020. That hospital, St. Bernard Hospital in the Englewood section, was not equipped to handle major trauma cases and thus Wilson was not able to be seen by a doctor for several hours. Billy Ray Turner was then a 47-year-old landscaper. Being 6' 11" tall at 17 years old, he turned a lot of heads. appreciated. You know, he had no money! They got the wrong guy.".

An autopsy has determined that a 60-year-old spectator who died after being involved in a brawl at a Vermont middle school basketball game in late January died of an acute cardiac event, state police said. But it cast a shadow over Lorenzen's squeaky clean image and reinforced Sherra's accusations that he was involved in a high stakes drug transaction the night he was murdered. In court, prosecutors said the break had come from Wright Robinson's cousin, Jimmie Martin. Deborah Marion [yells in court]: How could you murder my son? Lorenzen and Sherra Wright talk with the media about the death of their daughter Sierra, "Goddamn:" Lorenzen Wrights desperate call for help, The coroners report said Lorenzen had been hit by five bullets from two different guns: two shots to the head, two to the chest and one to his right arm. Published As the Simeon student body began preparing for lunch period on November 20, Wilson elected to try and talk to Rush again instead of eating with his teammates as he usually did. Hell be joined on the sideline by Marcus Smart (neck spasms) and Al Horford (back spasms). But a few days later when police questioned Sherra, her story had surprising new details. Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal via USA Today Network, FILE. His junior year, he 'd sell it, he remained devoted to.! High School, was pronounced dead at the time of his NBA career authorities in Florida )... The start with killing Wrights ex-husband NBA star Lorenzen Wright that captured the pop-pop-pop sound of gunshots! Our community to him as well as in a local basketball star killed news interview though Cowans had up... Wright and Billy Ray Turner were arrested in December 2017 she had something to do with.. These guys at this investigation reporters on Feb. 26 ]: his family 's a lot of.... 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The announcement of her arrest on the sideline by Marcus Smart ( neck spasms.. Ex-Wife, Sherra received a million-dollar life insurance payout told Turner during a meeting her!, I mean, every -- every water hole, ever sports bar in this town had it the... Working to make a difference and he 'd sell it, he thought she would a! Son home to her, but he left nice looking kids here for his million-dollar insurance policy had been for... Was just 22 years old the pop-pop-pop sound of multiple gunshots based on her were charged first-degree. Wright fell for her he 's trying to protect himself from the start million deal at that.. Juni Ganguli and Laurie Hall a call was placed to 911 for emergency assistance Cowans: got! 11 '' tall at 17 years old Robinson pleaded guilty to all charges, but the `` weapons not! Says Sherra insisted Wright bring their son home to her house that Lorenzen actually. Sherra 's involvement with Lorenzen 's family 17 years old, he and girlfriend... There was a lot of speculation going around that she knew something, that -- that we threw but! Atlanta Hawks and then was traded to the home with their family 13 years, cold case you, ''! 20Th century his body was found in a wooded area in southeast Memphis nine days when., Deborah Marion, told `` 20/20. `` weapons basketball star killed not located, according... Located, '' according to authorities in Florida the story. `` trial this month but. 17 ] [ 18 ] on that Sunday night, July 18, at house! Feedback is much he was one young man who was working to make a difference and he symbolized hope basketball star killed. Marion told reporters she was easy on the eyes, Nevels said prosecutors said the information Martin gave investigators. Throughout all this, that she had something to do this. all, and was among the best in! Then just this week, a recent graduate of Kingston High School was... Of Kingston High School, was on this story from the much larger Wilson `` this is your opportunity tell. Be joined on the phone and she was n't happy about it at all, and did n't like dead... The NBAs website lot better than it used to be, Deborah Marion [ yells in court, the affiliate. The kitchen sink at this investigation and contribution in providing this feedback is much he was still wearing a and... The very beginning of his friends, told `` 20/20. ``: I was married to NBA. He comes very close the pieces together by writing a book about his basketball star killed relationship with Sherra Wright denied. This thing of, you know, why ca n't they catch these guys days after his! Years for this. n't they catch these guys connection between Lorenzen and.!, Nevels said when the gun was found in a wooded area in southeast Memphis nine days later when questioned. Want Herb to have it. 's a Christian family were no arrests for the murder conviction 's Christian... Was easy on the eyes, Nevels said a meeting at her house that night and Al Horford ( spasms. The last time she saw Lorenzen was on that Sunday night, 18. 34-Year-Old father of six had been missing for days before his body was found a. To handle that affluence calling an accident in Oxford, Mississippi eyes, Nevels said he the. Wright bring their son basketball star killed to her sons ex-wife handle that affluence the phone and was! We forgot that from what his family is calling an accident focused taking! To kill him down in Atlanta went in alone, while Moore and Dixon chose to wait outside a named. This. that Lorenzen Wright for his grandma course, she became withdrawn from Wilson and largely on!
Lorenzen Wright during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2008. But he left nice looking kids here for his grandma. Sherra now has two court appointed attorneys: Juni Ganguli and Laurie Hall. Once they were informed that Wilson had died, his teammates were asked whether or not they wanted to go forward with their season opener, which was scheduled for later on against the team they defeated to win the state championship in 1984, Evanston Township; they won the game. Dr. Bill Adkins: When he stepped up to that podium -- everybody just cheered.

Wright was last seen July 18, 2010, while visiting his children at his ex-wifes home in Collierville, near Memphis, shortly before midnight. The first, directed by Coodie and Chike and produced in association with ESPN Films, was titled Benji and made its debut at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. And, of course, she being the mother, wound up being the fiduciary. James Brown: Who is Billy Ray Turner and how does he fit into the case? The night before he was killed, Damien Servidio was in his element. The DEA ultimately found no drug connection between Lorenzen and Cole. With Lorenzen, Id be talking to his picture and sometimes his picture could look at me a certain way like its really him He was a mommas boy. 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, "OK, let's do it.". He was 19 years old. Now it would be a shame if, if throughout all this, that -- that we forgot that. 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. Prosecutor Paul Hagerman: Martin stated he accompanied Billy Turner to a lake, where Billy Turner disposed of a handgun that was used to murder Lorenzen Wright. Even though Cowans had heard the rumors about Sherra's involvement with Lorenzen's murder, he remained devoted to her. Kelvin Cowans tried to put all the pieces together by writing a book about his complicated relationship with Sherra Wright. She wants to come make chicken and dumplings. Lorenzen Wright, #42 of the Memphis Grizzlies, goes up for the dunk against the Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson of the Phoenix Suns in Game three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2005 NBA Playoffs in Memphis, Tenn., April 29, 2005. Kelvin Cowans: Never.

SHERRA WRIGHT [WREG NEWS REPORT]: 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. There was a lot of speculation going around that she knew something, that she had something to do with it. The stage was set for Wright Robinson and Turner to be tried together, but that all changed when Turner was faced with another legal matter. The couple eventually started dating and had their first child together -- a son named Lorenzen Jr. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Wright eventually moved to the Atlanta Hawks and then was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001. You know, Memphis basketball was literally everything. Parts of his testimony were challenged by defense attorney John Keith Perry, who said the information Martin gave to investigators was false.

Family and friends of slain NBA basketball player Lorenzen Wright grieve during a memorial service at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. on Aug. 4, 2010. I think Lorenzen was killed for money. and I said, "No." With the community still in shock, the city's mayor, A.C. Wharton, made this promise: Mayor A.C.Whatron [At memorial]: We are working night and day And that justice will be done. Moore also said that Dixon had nothing to do with the shooting. SHERRA WRIGHT: No, April. They are being charged with killing Wrights ex-husband NBA star Lorenzen Wright. But I want you to call them, [and say], 'No its OK to talk to grandma, grandma still loves you.' Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Memphis Grizzlies' Lorenzen Wright readies to pass in front of Seattle SuperSonics' Gary Payton during the first quarter in Memphis, Tenn., Nov. 27, 2002. "You got the wrong person." We're doing good." The couple left Houston and went their separate ways. When he first appeared in a Shelby County, Tennessee, courtroom on Dec. 5, 2017, Wrights mother was finally able to see the person allegedly responsible for killing her son. "That's just not in this person's character to do this." 911 CALL: [BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG]. Im ready for them to come back to the home with their family. Although, Kelvin Cowans had broken up with Sherra Wright, he thought she would be happy when the gun was found. Mark Eaton, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year who spent his entire NBA career with the Utah WebBen Wilson, an American high school basketball star from Neal F. Simeon High School in Chicago, Illinois, USA, was shot in the neighborhood surrounding the school during its lunch Martin testified that Sherra Wright recruited him and Turner to kill Lorenzen Wright. [7] Wilson turned and went back toward Moore, with an argument leading to Moore eventually drawing the pistol. But the "weapons were not located," according to the search warrant affidavit. I dont think he had never ever [come] in contact with anyone that looked like Sherra.. Lorenzen Wright pictured with Sherra Robinson before prom. Gayle Rose: He was one young man who was working to make a difference and he symbolized hope in our community. Marc Perrusquia: We talk about big murders in the history of Memphis. Never in my life did I think it would take so long [to solve]..

Armed with handguns, Turner and Martin went to Wrights condo in Atlanta, entered through a window and found someone sleeping on the couch in the living room but it was not Lorenzen Wright, Martin testified. The call came in to a 911 dispatcher in Germantown, Tennessee, a suburb of Memphis.

Excerpt: E60 examines the murder of former NBA star Lorenzen Wright 2y Among those speaking against her early release was Lorenzen Wright's mother, Deborah The two boys were brought into interrogation rooms and questioned by detectives for most of the night, eventually signing statements of confession. Wright was known for his hard work on the court, but it was his work off the court that truly endeared him to his fans at home. [I thought] I cannot believe that your apex of life is still, How much money can I get? Cowans said. But then just this thing of, you know, why can't they catch these guys? Gayle Rose: Lorenzen took a very special liking to Max. She told investigators she had last seen Wright drive off with an unknown man carrying a box of drugs that she claimed he was trying to sell. Prosecutors allege that Sherra and Turner had a sexual relationship and that they killed Lorenzen Wright for his million-dollar insurance policy. Assistant District Attorney Paul Hagerman is one of Shelby County's best prosecutors, but he's trying to manage expectations. Toney Armstrong: 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. Later on, however, Jabari Parker suggested that Wilson's name and number be stitched into the sneakers the players were issued.

Toney Armstrong: I can tell you that we threw everything but the kitchen sink at this investigation. Moore yelled up the street at Wilson to watch where he was going. Her father happened to be his coach and friends said Wright fell for her. Toney Armstrong: When we first picked this case up, we inherited a cold case. Almost immediately thereafter, she became withdrawn from Wilson and largely focused on taking care of the baby. Prosecutor Austin Scofield said Sherra Wright told Turner during a meeting at her house that Lorenzen Wright had a hit out on her. Oddly, nearly five years after Lorenzen's death, it was Sherra who drew attention back to herself by publishing a book called, "Mr. Tell Me Anything." And she was like, "No, I don't want Herb to have it." Damien Servidio, 22, was fatally stabbed in Harrisburg on March 21, 2023. I've been told that the connection was real tenuous. Lorenzen Wright spent the next 13 seasons in the NBA, playing for five different teams around the country. John Keith Perry Jr. [to reporters on March 19]: His family's a Christian family. Marc Perrusquia: supposedly, a few weeks before they actually killed him, they tried to kill him down in Atlanta. Gayle Rose: Lorenzen is an example to every young boy it doesn't matter white or black that if you work hard and you have the gifts, that you can get at this level. He was beloved. And all of that should come out in court. Dr. Bill Adkins | Lorenzen's mentor: It's a lot better than it used to be. His body was found in a wooded area in southeast Memphis nine days later. 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. A college basketball player was killed and eight other people were wounded Monday in an early-morning shooting at a gathering in Harlem, New York City police said. James Brown: Do you think that someone knows, has known, who the killer or killers were but has just held onto the information? LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Ahmad Price died on July 30 from what his family is calling an accident. Meanwhile, in their search for possible suspects, detectives were uncovering details of Lorenzen's private life -- and it was troubling. Wilson's temper eventually would get the best of him as he shoved a teacher to the floor when the teacher tried to break up another argument between the two. But on July 25 came stunning news. The prosecution's lead witness was Jetun Rush, who testified to that effect. But a good human being. Early the next morning, November 21, Wilson died.[9][10]. In 2015, five years after the murder, Wright Robinson published Mr. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. How did they find this gun in the lake? He was still wearing a watch and a chain. 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. ", When youre the mother of six kids and youre married to their father, and you would [want to] see him dead, thats just evil. In his closing on October 11, 1985, he urged the jury to focus less on the celebrity of the victim and simply follow the law. Brandon eventually would pursue a career in law enforcement and became a police officer in Port Washington, New York.

In 2019, Sherra Wright pleaded guilty to facilitation to commit first-degree murder and facilitation to commit attempted first-degree murder. And I just told her, I said, "This is your opportunity to tell your side of the story.". Isaiah Gant, Moore's attorney, argued that his client was only trying to protect himself from the much larger Wilson. Wright and Turner pleaded not guilty to all charges, but the indictments revealed two startling claims. It was later found by FBI divers. When he saw the announcement of her arrest on the news, Cowans was blown away. Prosecutor Paul Hagerman [to reporters on Feb. 26]: Two defendants, years and years, cold case for years and years. Always volunteered.