Who murdered Lorenzen Wright? A deep dive inside...
The murder of Lorenzen Wright is one of the greatest tragedies in the NBA. Given that the murder case took almost 10 years to solve, we take a deeper look at who murdered the Memphis Grizzlies player.
Lorenzen Wright was part of the 1996 NBA Draft. As part of the same draft class as Kobe Bryant, Allan Iverson, and Ray Allen, Wright established himself as the seventh pick.
The big man enjoyed a three-year stint with the Clippers and a two-year stint with the Atlanta Hawks before heading to the Memphis Grizzlies. Having played in college for Memphis, Wright enjoyed some of his best years in the city.
Wright went on to play for the Hawks, the Sacramento Kings, and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the following years. Unfortunately, his career was cut short by tragedy.
In July 2010, Wright was found dead in the swamps of Memphis. He went missing for nine days before being found. As per reports, his body had up to eleven bullet wounds from two different guns. The firing of the bullets was also recorded in a distress call made by the player.
A hometown hero to many in Memphis, basketball star Lorenzen Wright’s life ended in July 2010 during a call to 911. These may be his last words. (via @48hours) cbsn.ws/2KhZ05M https://t.co/C3mHPEaVzC
Reports by Sports Illustrated at the time mentioned that Wright left his home in Atlanta to see his son, Lorenzen Jr., play in a basketball game on July 18th. He went missing on the same day.
Read: 12 NBA Players who died during their Playing Career
Wright's murder was under investigation without an arrest for almost seven years. Law enforcement suspected his ex-wife, Sherra Wright, at the time of the murder. Unfortunately, they did not have enough evidence to arrest her.
However, in 2017, Wright's ex-wife was eventually arrested, along with a deacon from the Missionary Baptist Church named Billy Ray Turner. A gun found in a lake in Mississippi linked the two to the murder.
Sherra Wright and Billy Ray Turner convicted for the murder of Lorenzen Wright
Sherra Wright and Billy Ray Turner were eventually convicted of murdering Lorenzen Wright.
In July 2019, Wright reportedly pleaded guilty to first-degree facilitation of murder and facilitation of a criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder. She was sentenced to 30 years in prison and could be granted parole after serving nine years of her sentence.
Sherra Wright's attorney claimed that Wright was the victim of domestic violence. In fear of her ex-husband's abusive behavior, Wright reached out to Turner for help in murdering him.
Lorenzen Wright's ex-wife pleaded guilty to facilitation of murder in the first degree on Thursday.
In 2015, this is what Sherra Wright said when asked if she was involved in Wright's 2010 murder. https://t.co/Iho1OBBQeN
She is currently serving time at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center.
Meanwhile, Turner is currently facing life in prison for the murder of Lorenzen Wright. He was also sentenced to 25 years for conspiracy and attempted murder charges and 16 years for possession of a weapon as a convicted felon.
51-year-old Billy Ray Turner was convicted of murdering Lorenzen Wright and was sentenced to life in prison. tmz.com/2022/03/21/lor…
As per the Associated Press' report, the sentence will run alongside a pre-existing life sentence with the possibility of parole.