Dateline NBC: How were Teresa Sievers's killers arrested?

The murder-for-hire plot for the beloved Bonita Springs doctor Teresa Sievers required the authorities to take on a complex investigation, which led to Mark Sievers. Mark had hired his close friend Curtis Wayne Wright, who in turn hired Jimmy Ray Rodgers to put an end to Teresa Sievers over insurance money and child custody issues.

Wright and Rodgers made a trip to Florida from Missouri and disarmed the home alarm system before they attacked Teresa with a hammer. The GPS data on the rented car, video evidence from businesses, and a tip from an informant led to the closure of the case.

The Dateline NBC episode titled The Road Trip showcases how the investigation into Dr. Teresa Sievers' murder unfolded as it re-airs on May 24, 2024, at 9 pm EST on NBC exclusively. The official synopsis reads:

"When Dr. Teresa Sievers is found murdered in her kitchen, detectives struggle to find any leads until an unexpected tip changes everything; the woman who helped investigators speaks out."

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How was Mark Sievers suspected of killing Teresa Sievers?

The 46-year-old Teresa Sievers had returned home from a family reunion in Connecticut when she was found bludgeoned to death in her Jarvis Road home on June 29, 2017. Teresa's husband, Mark Sievers, was in Connecticut with their daughters.

According to the court documents, he provided their neighbor and family friend, Dr. Mark Petrites, with the garage code and instructed him to walk in to check for any abnormalities. A&E reported Petrites' recorded 911 call as he said:

“She’s bashed in the back of the head. And she’s cold. She’s dead cold.”

Teresa had been struck in the head with a hammer 17 times. The crime scene looked like a burglary gone wrong as the Lee County Sheriff's Office's report stated:

"In the 'his and hers' closets in the master bedroom, the shelves have been emptied onto the floor."

However, investigations revealed that none of the valuables including Mark's gun collection and a safe with over $40,000 cash were missing, as per CBS News. The authorities received a tip about Mark Sievers' close friend Curtis Wayne Wright Jr., who had been on a trip to Florida.

Soon, Wayne Wright and Mark Sievers were considered suspects along with Jimmy Ray Rodgers.

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How were Mark Sievers, Wayne Wright, and Jimmy Ray Rodgers arrested?

Wright told several people about his all-expenses-paid weekend trip with Jimmy Ray Rodgers. However, the authorities spoke to Jimmy Ray Rodgers' pregnant girlfriend, Taylor Shomaker, who clarified that Rodgers had been to Florida to make money, according to CBS News. Wright had reportedly served time for drug possession and had befriended Rodgers, aka The Hammer, who was behind bars for a weapons charge.

The investigators discovered the GPS data from their rental car and found the 1,100-mile trip to Sievers' place and then to a nearby Walmart on June 27, 2017. The surveillance footage from a gas station on the route and the Walmart store offered more evidence as the duo purchased trash bags, lock-picking kit, and towels among other things.

The authorities probed further with Shomaker's help and had Rodgers confess to his agenda in Florida. He further revealed Mark Sievers' murder-for-hire plot to kill Teresa over her life insurance payout of $4.433 million and child custody rights. According to The News-Press, Mark had hired Wright who had, in turn, hired Rodgers.

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Where is Mark Sievers now?

According to the Associated Press, Wayne Wright took a plea deal and assisted the police with the murder case of Teresa Sievers. Mark Sievers was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. He is presently incarcerated at the Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida.

Wayne Wright received 25 years in prison while Jimmy Ray Rodgers was sentenced to life.

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Catch all the details on episode 29 of season 28 of Dateline on NBC on Friday.