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Murder of Lorenzon Wright

Lorenzon Wright was drafted into the NBA in 1996. He was a solid player who played 13 seasons for several different teams.

During his career, he earned around $55 million, but most of that money was gone by the time his career ended in 2009.

In January 2010, Wright divorced his wife of 13 years, Sherra. She was supposed to receive $16,650 a month in child support and $10,000 a month in alimony. She may have been concerned about Lorenzen’s ability to pay as she put a devious plan into action.

On July 18th, 2010, the father of six left his ex-wife’s home in Collierville, Tennessee.

The next day, the 911 dispatch in Germantown, Tennessee, received a call from his phone, then she heard multiple gunshots being fired.

For unknown reasons, the operator did not report the call to her supervisor for 8 days, and Wright’s body wasn’t found until July 28th, 2010.

The murder was big news, as Wright played high school basketball in Memphis, then spent two years of college ball at the University of Memphis, before going on to the NBA. He also played 5 seasons for the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team.

When Sherra was questioned about her husband’s death, she claimed he had left her home with a bunch of money and was going to make a drug deal.

After Wright’s death, Sherra received a $1 million life insurance payout that was supposed to benefit her kids.

Instead of saving or investing, she spent the money frivolously. Lorenzo’s family later sued her for how she spent the money. Sherra agreed to settle the case in 2014 for an undisclosed amount.

Sherra’s Cousin Reveals All

As time passed, it didn’t look like the case would be solved, but everything fell into place after an informant started talking to the police.

Sherra’s cousin Jimmie Martin was convicted of killing his girlfriend in 2012. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

He later gave statements implicating Sherra and her former lover, Billy Ray Turner, in the murder of Lorenzen.

He told authorities the planning first started in May 2010 when he met Sherra and Turner at Sherra’s home in Collierville. He tried to talk Sherra out of it, but she was determined.

Martin said at one point, Sherra gave him a car with three guns and money and wanted him to go to Atlanta, where Lorenzen owned a condo, and kill him.

Martin said he later told her he went to Atlanta, but couldn’t find Lorenzen. However, he never actually went.

Later, Sherra told Martin and Turner that she had recently visited Lorenzen’s Atlanta condo and left a window open.

She sent the two to Atlanta, where Martin said they entered the condo through the window and saw someone sleeping on the couch, but it wasn’t Lorenzen.

The two men return home without completing their mission.

The final plot of luring Lorenzen to a wooded area proceeded without Martin, but he was present when Turner disposed of the gun and told police where it was.

The gun is recovered and arrests are made

On November 9th, 2017, authorities found the murder weapon in a lake in Mississippi.

Less than a month later, they arrested Turner for first-degree murder.

On December 15th, 2017, Sherra was arrested in Riverside, California.

She was sent back to Memphis to face charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and attempted first-degree murder.

The evidence was stacked against her as Martin was prepared to testify about the previous murder plots that were to take place in Atlanta.

Martin also planned to testify that Sherra lured Lorenzen to the wooded area on July 10th, 2010, where both she and Turner fired the shots that killed the ex-NBA star. Reports indicate that phone records place her at the scene.

Sherra Wright and Billy Ray Turner Are Convicted

Two years later, in July 2019, she pleaded guilty to facilitation of first-degree murder and got a 30-year sentence.

Despite taking a deal, she had maintained her innocence in the case.

Turner went to trial saying he was innocent. Martin took the stand against him and repeated the things he told police previously about Turner’s involvement in the Lorenzen’s murder.

Turner was convicted and sentenced to life plus 41 years.

Sherra Wright’s Parole

She had a parole hearing in May 2022, and two of her kids spoke on her behalf. Lorenzon’s mother also attended the hearing and said she wants Sherra to serve the full 30 years.

Sherra’s parole was denied.

She remains locked up in Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center in Nashville, TN. Her next parole hearing is scheduled for May 2027.