Lorenzen Wright's Ex-Wife Pleads Guilty to Facilitating His Murder
Sherra Wright, the ex-wife of late Memphis Grizzlies center Lorenzen Wright, pleaded guilty Thursday to facilitating Wright's murder in 2010.
According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), Sherra Wright reached the plea deal that will result in her receiving a 30-year prison sentence in exchange for the guilty plea.
Judge Lee Coffee said Thursday that Wright will be eligible for parole once she serves 30 percent of her prison sentence, which will be in approximately nine years.
Lorenzen Wright was found dead on July 28, 2010, in a wooded area on the outskirts of Memphis. He was 34 years old.
Per WMC Action News 5, Billy Turner was arrested and charged with Wright's murder in December 2017, and Sherra Wright was arrested 10 days later. Both were charged with first-degree murder.
Police believe Turner and Wright worked with a third person to facilitate Lorenzen Wright's murder. Both Turner and Wright initially pleaded not guilty.
Sherra Wright's divorce from Lorenzen Wright was finalized a few months before his death, and Sherra collected a $1 million life insurance settlement afterward.
Lorenzen and Sherra Wright had six children together, and the Memphis Commercial Appeal (h/t Yahoo) reported his family members took issue with Sherra's spending the settlement lavishly on cars, vacations and furniture rather than using it to support the children.
During Lorenzen's 13-year NBA career, he played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers. In 778 regular-season games, he averaged 8.0 points and 6.4 rebounds.
Sherra Wright and Turner had been set to stand trial in September.
