Tenn. Man Found Guilty of Murdering NBA Star Lorenzen Wright
Billy Ray Turner, 51, was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison on Monday in the 2010 murder of NBA player Lorenzen Wright in Memphis, Tennessee.
Turner was found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy in a Shelby County court on Monday. Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee sentenced Wright to life in prison for the murder conviction. Sentencing for the other two charges will be determined at a later date, according to ESPN.
Wright’s ex-wife Sherra Wright-Robinson is currently serving 30 years in prison for facilitating Wright’s murder. She was arrested and also charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and criminal attempt first-degree murder. Wright’s mother believes the pair may have wanted to kill him for his $1 million life insurance policy.
Marion stated that she was just glad that they caught him, and “Maybe I can sleep all night now. We got him.” She then followed on by saying she hopes her six grandchildren from Lorenzen can begin the process of healing.
Wright, who was 34 at the time of his death, was found on July 28, 2010, shot to death in a field in Memphis. He’d been shot 11 times total in various areas of his body. He first went missing on July 19, 2010 and made a 911 call where nine gunshots were heard.
Wright had played 13 seasons in the NBA and retired after the 2008-09 season. He was initially drafted to play with the Los Angeles Clippers in 1996. He went on to play for teams such as the Atlanta Hawks, the Sacramento Kings, and the Memphis Grizzlies amongst others. He’d only been retired one year at the time of his murder.
Left - Billy Ray Turner, Right, Sherra Wright-Robinson. Found on Twitter
