Man Arrested In Murder Case Of Lorenzen Wright

What's the story?

The murderer of the former NBA player Lorenzen Wright has been arrested.

In case you didn't know...

Wright was drafted seventh overall in the famous 1996 NBA draft ahead of players such as Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and Jermaine O'Neal.

The heart of the matter...

On July 19, 2010, the 34-year-old Wright called 911 from his cellphone outside his hometown of Memphis, Tenn. A police dispatcher in the suburb of German town received a call from Wright's cell phone. Dispatchers acknowledged they heard noises like gunshots before the call was dropped. During the call, gunshots were heard.

Dispatchers said they didn't alert patrol officers or commanders because they couldn't confirm it came from their jurisdiction. They didn't send a patrol officer or relay the information to Memphis police until days later. Wright's body was found in a field near some woods in the height of summer. The corpse was badly decomposed, weighing 57 pounds while Wright's playing weight was around 225 pounds.

The 6-foot-11 center was drafted by the LA Clippers. Wright played for five teams during his 13 years in the league. He was traded around the league but played the majority of his career with his hometown Memphis Grizzlies and the Atlanta Hawks. He decided to retire in 2009 while playing for the Grizzlies. In those 13 years, he averaged 8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game with an effective field goal percentage of 45.9.

What's next?

Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich told the reporters on Tuesday that Billy Turner will be prosecuted for first-degree murder. There is no news on when Turner is scheduled for his arraignment.

Author's take

It is good to hear that the suspect in the murder of Lorenzen Wright has been caught and hopefully the prosecution process proceeds without any stoppages.