On Monday, Billy Ray Turner, 51, was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and attempted murder in ex-NBA star Lorenzen Wright’s death.
Turner was given life in prison in a Memphis courtroom for the 2010 killing. He has not received his punishment for the conspiracy and attempted murder charges, as of yet.
Turner had already been in aTennessee prison for a gun possession charge.
After playing for the NBA for 14-years, Wright, 34, retired and went missing shortly after that. Although many leads were made in the case, including Wright’s possible connection to drug dealing and other rumors, no progress had been made.
In July 2010, Wright’s body was discovered in a field.
After years of having no answers, a tip lead to the discovery of the murder weapon in a lake in Mississippi. That’s when things started to unravel. It lead to a conspiracy plot that involved Wright’s ex-wife wanting him to die so that she would receive $1 million from a life insurance policy.
Testimony in court revealed that Sherra Wright was able to get her ex-husband to go to a field. She had told him that she needed to meet someone to collect money. Then, she and Turner went after and chased Wright as he attempted to run, jump a fence, and get away. They then shot him in the field.
The jury also heard an emotional 911 call that Lorenzen Wright made as gunshots were going off.
Turner and Wright threw away evidence, including throwing the gun in a lake in North Mississippi. FBI divers later found the weapon in 2012.
Sherra Wright has already been given 30 years in prison for her part in the killing.
Wright, 6-foot-11, had played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
