A Tennessee woman convicted of killing her ex-husband, one-time NBA star Lorenzen Wright, has reportedly been sentenced to spend 30 years behind bars.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Sherra Wright was arrested in 2017 on suspicion of first-degree murder — seven years after 34-year-old Lorenzen Wright’s decomposed body was found 10 days after he was reported missing in July 2010. She reportedly received a $1 million payout as the beneficiary of his life insurance policy.
She later pleaded guilty and was sentenced during a court appearance this week.
According to Fox News, Shelby County Judge Lee Coffee ordered her to spend three decades in prison as part of a plea deal that kept a possible life sentence off the table.
Investigators believe another defendant, Billy Turner, aided in the murder plot. He is also facing first-degree murder charges.
Prosecutor Paul Hagerman issued a statement calling the athlete’s death “a violent offense, an offense that has torn apart a family, an offense that’s been highlighted throughout Memphis and the media and everything else.”
As defense attorney Juni Ganguli argued, however, Sherra Wright had been physically abused by the victim.
“She feared that Mr. Wright would never leave her alone, and she recruited Billy Turner to kill Mr. Wright,” Ganguli said.
The victim’s relatives say they plan to attend parole hearings, with mom Deborah Marion declaring that her son “is serving life” because of Sherra Wright’s actions.
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[Featured image: Sherra Wright, Riverside Sheriff’s Department]
