NBA: Lorenzen Wright's Ex-Wife Sentenced To 30 Years For Facilitation Of First-Degree Murder

Sherra Wright, the ex-wife of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to facilitation of first-degree murder of her husband back in 2010 in Memphis. She was originally set to stand trial in September alongside co-defendant Billy Turner but agreed to a plea deal instead. The sentence was imposed by Judge Lee Coffee recently.

On July 19, the body of the former NBA star was found dead, brutally shot in a secluded grassy area in Memphis. Wright was reported missing on July 22 and his bullet-riddled body was only discovered on July 28, The New York Daily News reported.

"This is obviously 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," prosecutor Paul Hagerman said after the hearing.

It is believed that Sherra had conspired with Turner to kill her ex-husband. One of the guns believed to be used in the murder was recovered weeks before the two were arrested and charged. Curiously, there are insinuations that there were already plans to have Wright killed at his Atlanta home by Turner and another cohort. With that plan failing to push through, the murder plot shifted to Memphis.

In a report from Fox News, the defense claimed that the former wife of the ex-NBA player had grown tired of being abused physically. Both Turner and Sherra went to the same church.

"The beatings were consistent, and it led to her face being disfigured," Ganguli said. "She feared that Mr. Wright would never leave her alone, and she recruited Billy Turner to kill Mr. Wright."

Sherra collected the $1 million life insurance policy of her husband before agreeing to a settlement in 2014. Apparently, there was a dispute on how she was spending it, although it was meant to benefit their six children. With the sentence carried out, she will be eligible for parole in nine years. Turner, on the other hand, will go to trial in September.

Wright was the 7th overall pick of the Los Angeles Clippers during the 1996 NBA Draft. He played for five different teams (LA Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers). He had his best year during the 2000-01 NBA season with the Hawks, averaging 12.4 points and 7.5 rebounds in 71 games.