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Lorenzen Wright Cause of Death & Disappearance, Age, Family, Net Worth – Lorenzen Vern-Gagne Wright (November 4, 1975 – July 19, 2010) had a successful career as an American professional basketball player, spanning 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
He was selected as the seventh overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers and played for various teams throughout his career, including the Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Tragically, Wright went missing on July 18, 2010, and his life came to a tragic end when he was found shot to death 10 days later. In December 2017, his ex-wife Sherra Wright-Robinson was charged with facilitating his murder, and she later pled guilty.
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Additionally, her acquaintance Billy Ray Turner was convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and attempted first-degree murder in March 2022. He received a life sentence in prison. The high-profile nature of Wright’s disappearance and his standing as a beloved figure in Memphis contributed to significant media attention surrounding the prosecution of his murder case in the city.
Wright’s basketball journey began in Oxford, Mississippi, where he played for Lafayette High School before relocating to Memphis. In his senior year, he joined Booker T. Washington High School. Wright’s basketball career flourished at all levels, from high school to college and eventually the professional ranks.
His father, Herb Wright, was also involved in basketball, having played professionally in Finland and even undergoing a tryout with the Utah Jazz. However, when Lorenzen was just seven years old, tragedy struck the family when Herb was paralyzed by a gunshot to the back while working for the Memphis Police Department.
During his time at the University of Memphis, Wright achieved recognition as a Third Team All-American by the Associated Press. He was also a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, reflecting his involvement in campus life beyond basketball.
Lorenzen Wright Cause of Death & Disappearance
According to information provided by his ex-wife, who was later convicted of facilitating his murder, Lorenzen Wright left his residence in Collierville, Tennessee on the night of July 18, 2010. He was carrying drugs and an undisclosed sum of money and was not heard from or seen again. Concerned about his whereabouts, his family filed a missing-person report on July 22.
However, it wasn’t until July 28 that Wright’s body was discovered in a wooded area near Callis-Cutoff Road, west of Hacks Cross Road. An intriguing detail emerged as it was reported that a 911 call had been made from Wright’s cellphone in the early morning hours of July 19.
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During the call, which was interrupted by the sound of 11 gunshots, the dispatcher failed to immediately report the incident to her supervisor. This delay hindered the police investigation and ultimately led to compensation being awarded to Wright’s family.
The case was subsequently investigated as a homicide, and Wright was laid to rest in Calvary Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2011, a reward of $21,000 was offered for information related to the killing, with contributions from the state of Tennessee, the city of Memphis, the Memphis Grizzlies, and Crime Stoppers.
In a significant development, on November 9, 2017, the gun believed to have been used in Wright’s murder was found in a lake in Walnut, Mississippi. Following this discovery, Billy R. Turner, a landscaper and church deacon, was indicted on first-degree murder charges on December 5, 2017, and was held on a $1 million bond.
Further progress in the case came on December 15, 2017, when Wright’s ex-wife, Sherra Wright-Robinson, was arrested in Riverside, California in connection with the murder. Wright-Robinson, who was previously associated with Turner’s church, became a suspect after a seven-year investigation into the high-profile unsolved case.
Lorenzen Wright’s mother, Deborah Marion, believed that Wright-Robinson’s motivation was financial, particularly relating to a $1 million life insurance policy held by Lorenzen Wright.
Records indicated that on August 1, 2010, Memphis police conducted a search of Wright-Robinson’s residence, where they discovered burned pieces of metal and a letter addressed to Lorenzen Wright and her. However, law enforcement did not disclose the significance of these items at the time.
In 2014, Wright-Robinson reached a confidential settlement in a circuit court dispute over the allocation of the $1 million insurance money, which was intended to benefit their six children.
Ultimately, on July 25, 2019, Wright-Robinson pled guilty to facilitation of first-degree murder in relation to Lorenzen Wright’s shooting death. As a result, she was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Lorenzen Wright Age
At the time of his death, he was 34 years old.
Lorenzen Wright Family
He was married to Sherra Wright Robinson, and his children are Lorenzen Wright Jr., Sierra Wright, Shamar Wright, Loren Wright, Lamar Wright, Sofia Wright, and Lawson Wright.
Lorenzen Wright Net Worth
His estimated net worth was known to be in the region of $20 million.
Source: www.ghgossip.com
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