A Tennessee man was found guilty on Monday (March 21) of murdering former NBA player Lorenzen Wright in 2010, finally bringing the 12-year case to a close.
According to CNN, a Memphis jury found Billy Ray Turner guilty of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy. Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee sentenced Turner to life in prison for the first-degree murder charge and he will be sentenced for his other charges at a later date.
Lorenzen was last seen on July 18, 2010 while visiting his children at his ex-wife Sherra Wright’s home in Collierville, Tennessee. Prosecutors claim that Sherra conspired with Turner, whom she was allegedly in a romantic relationship with, and her cousin Jimmie Martin to kill her ex-husband.
On July 19, Sherra and Turner are believed to have lured Lorenzen to a field where he was ambushed and chased. The 13-year NBA veteran was fatally shot while trying to run away and gunshots were heard during his 911 call, which he made during the attack. Lorenzen’s body, riddled with bullets, was found nine days later in a wooded area in southeast Memphis.
The case of Lorenzen’s death went cold for several years until Sherra and Turner were arrested in December of 2017. In 2019, Sherra pleaded guilty to facilitation to commit first-degree murder and facilitation to commit attempted first-degree murder. She was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
After Turner was found guilty on Monday, Wright’s mother, Deborah Marion, said their family could finally find closure.
“Thank you, Jesus! He can suffer like I’ve been suffering all this time without my son,” she told WMC-TV. “It’s a celebration for me.”
Lorenzen played 13 seasons with the NBA for the Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers. He retired from the league just one year before his death.