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Few would forget about the chilling murder of Lorenzen Wright, one of the most renowned and well-known NBA stars during his peak years. The high-profile murder case, which spanned over a decade, finally concluded earlier this year with the sentencing of Billy Ray Turner, who conspired with Lorenzen's ex-wife, Sherra Wright-Robinson, to kill the ex-NBA player.
Lorenzen Wright allegedly disappeared after a visit to his ex-wife's home. His dead body was found days later but authorities could not track down a concrete suspect. This was because the main person behind the murder was in front of them all along but managed to steer clear. In 2017, the case finally reached a conclusive point after a discovery led the authorities to Sherra Wright-Robinson and Billy Ray Turner, who attended church with Sherra.
Here are five chilling details from the prolific case that shook the basketball world in 2010.
Five quick facts about Lorenzen Wright's murder
1) The case went cold for seven years before a breakthrough
Few would have expected such a high-profile case to turn cold without any concrete lead or evidence. But that's what happened. Apart from Sherra's suspiciously rapid expenditure after receiving Lorenzen's insurance fund, there was no breakthrough in the case for almost seven years.
This was nearly the perfect murder, apart from one small piece of evidence - the murder weapon.
2) Jimmie Martin, Sherra's cousin, was instrumental in cracking the case
In 2017, Jimmie Martin, who was awaiting sentencing for another crime, spoke to the police about Lorenzen's murder. His information proved crucial in the apprehension of the perpetrators. He allegedly told authorities that Sherra and Billy Ray Turner approached him back in 2010 and confessed that they had killed Lorenzen Wright and had reportedly asked Martin for help.
Martin also pointed the authorities to the murder weapon.
3) The murder weapon became the most crucial piece of evidence
After retrieving the handgun used to kill Lorenzen Wright, authorities directly traced it back to Billy Ray Turner. After some additional surveillance, they also learned about the connection between Turner and Lorenzen's ex-wife Sherra, who attended the same church as him.
Sherra allegedly conspired with him to kill her ex-husband for money and some personal benefits.
4) This was not the first time Sherra Wright-Robinson tried to kill her ex-husband
It was only months before Lorenzen Wright's disappearance that Sherra and he got divorced. After being married for a long time, Sherra and Lorenzen had seven children together. However, things started to falter between them, and they decided to separate.
Before the plan that worked, she had another idea of how to kill her ex-husband. She allegedly planned to hire two men and have them kill the NBA star at his home in Atlanta, Georgia. After the plan failed to work, Sherra conspired with Billy Ray Turner to kill her ex-husband.
5) Both Billy Ray Turner and Sherra Wright-Robinson were arrested and sentenced
After the police arrested them in 2017, both defendants pleaded not guilty. However, before her trial in 2019, Sherra agreed to a plea deal that sentenced her to 30 years in prison. Billy's trial took place in 2022 and he was sentenced to life in prison.
