Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Jurors deliberated for just four hours at the Lee County Justice Center before returning with a guilty verdict, according to News-Press. A jury convicted Mark Sievers,. According to the 20th judicial circuit in and for Lee County, Florida, Erb was arrested for the death of a 17-month-old [], A man was sentenced on Friday in connection to the death of a one-year-old child in Lehigh Acres in 2020. Mark Sievers asked if Wright was back on drugs but she said she didn't believe so. The two men then drove over 1,000 miles to the home of Teresa Sievers in Bonita Springs, Florida. (The investigation is) what I deem to be successful and on-track, continues to produce positive things we can affirmand reaffirm through evidence and other things, said Lee Sheriff Mike Scott. The murder of Teresa Sievers occurred on June 28, 2015, when she was attacked at her home in Bonita Springs, Florida by two men who bludgeoned her to death with a hammer, striking her a total of seventeen times. Authorities say that the plan was made in advance, leaning on the fact that Mark and the children remained in Connecticut on vacation as Teresa headed home to work. [17], On December 10, 2019, WFTX-TV (FOX 4 Now) released footage from the trial of Mark Sievers' when the jury recommended he be sentenced to death. Teresa Sievers did not attend the nuptials. Sievers and Wright had been childhood friends in Missouri. After driving all day and all night,. More: Mark Sievers, sentenced to death for wife's murder, denied new trial, And: Mark Sievers before being sentenced: 'Our girls have tragically lost their mommy and now their daddy', Also: Jimmy Ray Rodgers found guilty of second-degree murder in death of Teresa Sievers. How do you protect your children from predators? Originally charged with first-degree murder, Wright admitted to helping kill Dr. Sievers, and bargained down to second-degree murder. "I think if a lot of people are honest or truthful, just knowing him or meeting him, you would probably like him," Bolin said. Wright had gone to Teresa and Marks wedding, and had even attended Teresas funeral. Sievers was found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for his role in the plot to kill his wife. Years earlier, while living and working in New York under the name Angela Williamson, another daughter was tragically taken from her. Jimmy Rodgers and Curtis Wayne murdered Teresa Sievers The police were eventually pointed in the direction of two residents of Missouri, Jimmy Rodgers, and Curtis Wayne Wright. The men arrived at Teresa's home at approximately 6:00a.m. on the morning of Sunday, June 28, 2015. She last saw him on Christmas Day at her mother's house. Photo by Roberto Rodriguez, The church in Hillsboro, Missouri, where Ronnie Bolin served as a minister before he went missing in 1996, photographed Friday, October 23, 2015. She dedicated her. According to police, Sievers recruited his childhood friend, Curtis Wayne Wright, Jr. to kill his wife. A motion filed by a Bonita Springs man on death row for hiring two individuals to murder his wife in 2015 that sought to reverse a recent ruling has been denied. "[7], No leads came in the case for nearly two months. Unbeknownst to Greg Bolin, his older brother started using meth with Wright following a divorce from his wife. Neighbor Jimmy Ball lived next to the Rodgerses for about eight or nine years before the sons sold the house. Everyone assumed the shock was making him act out of character. me and my children have to move out of our home due to very horrible situation and only have 72 hours to find an new one," Shomaker wrote in the page. She claimed that Rodgers had told her that Mark Sievers had hired Wright, who then hired Rodgers to murder his wife for life insurance money. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. A long-awaited sentencing gives survivors the chance to come face-to-face with their attacker, who eluded them for so long. Firefighters are battling several brush fires in Charlotte County; the one off McCall Road threatens several buildings, including a church. A Bonita Springs man on death row for hiring two individuals to murder his wife in 2015 has filed a motion for a rehearing in hopes of reversing a recent ruling. Next to face a jury was Sievers and again, Wright was there to testify against his former best friend who he referred to as his brother from another mother. "Jim was always kind of a troubled child," Ball said. Minutes before Judge Kyle signed off on Wrights plea deal, Groves addressed the court while standing feet away from the man who committed the egregious crime. In 2001, an Illinois inmate named Corey Lynn Fox confessed to killing a dozen people, including Bolin. Years before he married Teresa in 2003, Mark Sievers was engaged to a woman named Shelley Fryer. Wright wore handcuffs and a tan Charlotte County jumpsuit while sitting at the defense table. "I asked him straight up, 'Did you have anything to do with my brother?'" The area near where Greg Bolin, a former friend and classmate of Curtis Wayne Wright, remembered seeing a cast iron tub used to hold water for horses, photographed Friday, October 23, 2015. [4], In December 2015, Mark Sievers was charged with murder after a connection was found between him and Wright. Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 - May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. 'She went willingly,'' he said. [14] Three years later in February 2020, they aired another episode that focused on the murder trials that followed her killing. According to Florida Highway Patrol, a sedan driven by Stangelo was going South on the inside lane of I-75, just South of Tuckers Grade. She was the seco My client did what he needed to do and I think was a very important part of those trials, said Elizabeth Parker, the defense attorney. Theyattended grade school together in Missouri and have been best friends since. After court, Teresa's sister, Anne Lisa, spoke to WINK, saying she was "so relieved, so relieved. While Curtis Wayne Wright Jr., 47, sits in a Missouri jail on murder charges in the death of Dr. Teresa Sievers, his wife of less than four monthsis again dealing with a tragic situation. He went from being a drug dealer to a multiplatinum artist as N.W.A. Mark had called the friend to check up on her after she failed to show up at work. The American television series The Love Boat (Love Boat in its final season), set on a cruise ship, was aired on ABC from September 24, 1977, until May 24, 1986. Curtis Wayne Wright Jr. testifies, describes how Teresa Sievers' slaying was planned, Mark Sievers, sentenced to death for wife's murder, denied new trial, Mark Sievers before being sentenced: 'Our girls have tragically lost their mommy and now their daddy', Jimmy Ray Rodgers found guilty of second-degree murder in death of Teresa Sievers, 'It's bittersweet, but justice has been served,' brother of Teresa Sievers says, For Missouri man with missing brother, Teresa Sievers murder trial is of extra significance, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. There seemed to be no reason why Wright would take a violent friend on a road trip to murder his best friends wife. The trailer Shomaker shared with Rodgers was owned by JV Contracting, Juliette said during a segment on the "Nancy Grace" show. Detectives have continued to look at Wright as a person of interest, most recently making contact with him just before he was extradited to Florida in the Sievers case. #SieversTrial Shomaker testified that following Dr. Sievers murder she asked Rodgers if he killed her and he said yes. Each episode has multiple titles, referencing the simultaneous storylines contained within. Prosecutors said at trial Wright tapped Jimmy Ray Rodgers, 29, to help him out with Teresa's killing, which they carried out with hammers, reports the Naples Daily News. "I think he's innocent.". An autopsy indicated the daughter died from blows to the head. They said that Wright then recruited Jimmy Rodgers, who was a former cellmate of his, to help him carry out the crime. Teresa was found dead on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood with a bloodstained hammer beside her. I could see him switch it on and off.". In 2003, Teresa married Mark and the couple had two daughters. Jimmy Rodgers was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury convicted him of second-degree murder. On October 23, 2019, a Lee County jury found him guilty and on December 12, he was sentenced to life in prison. Rodgers was found guiltyofsecond-degree murder and trespassingthensentenced to life in prison last year. "He's like, you know what? In addition to the prison sentence, Wright will have to pay court costs andotherfees. ", The paper reports Assistant State Attorney Cynthia Ross said, "This is only the first stage and there is the second phase that is coming next week, so it's time for us to get back to work.". Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. [7], On May 11, 2016, Teresa's mother gained custody of Teresa's children as the case prepared to move toward trial. "He denied it. Since sixth grade, she had an interest in medicine and wanted to become a doctor. Karen Wideman said her daughter and Wright were friends for years. En route, they stopped at a gas station and were caught on surveillance tape. Teresa took a flight home on Sunday 28 June ready for her patients the next morning, but her colleagues were very surprised when the doctor didnt show up. Curtis Wayne Wright, convicted in beating Dr. Teresa Sievers to death with a hammer in 2015, was sentenced on Monday at the Lee County Courthouse by Judge Bruce Kyle to 25 years in prison.. #SieversTrial Hunter shows the jury Secret Communications between Sievers and Wright about the prepaid burner phones. Mark had driven her to LaGuardia Airport in New York City earlier in the day so she could catch a flight home. Prior to the sentencing, hed served over 1,400 days in jail, which he was given credit for. She said her daughter has been told by her husband's lawyer not to talk about the case. I wish that there was a way, anything at all I could do to change what happened, Wright said as he turned around to look at the victims mother in the gallery. "We're cautious with what we talk about," she said. Juliette said he didnt know Rodgers before he hired him but did put him through the same sort of background checks anybody who applies goes through. In fourth grade, Wright moved away to another school district, where he became friends with Mark Sievers. The jurors deliberated for four hours before rendering a verdict, and now Sievers faces a possible death sentence when the case shifts to the penalty phase next week. A fish kill is filling up the water in Southwest Florida. The evidence was slowly pieced together, and police believed they knew what had happened. Curtis Wayne Wright Jr. was 51 at the time of his sentencing. An award-winning journalist who has worked forRolling Stone and MTV News, Chris enjoys prog rock, cycling, Marvel movies, IPAs, and roller coasters. Any time youre moving an inmate, theres an escape risk.". Hed rented a car that weekend, and the GPS showed hed driven to Florida specifically to the Sievers house. Moments before Wright was sentenced, he apologized to the victims mother. They could not be reached for comment on Wednesday's verdict. Prior to coming to the Daily News in 2012, she worked at papers in North Carolina and in Texas. Five years before his arrest in the death of Dr. Teresa Sievers in Bonita Springs, Jimmy Rodgers was in the throes of another criminal case. The man who had employed Rodgers said the Missouri man had worked for him for about a year doing general labor work. Police also turned their attention to patients who might have had an issue with Teresa whose focused determination could sometimes come across as abrasive but any leads came to nothing. To share a story idea or tip, please email her at jessica.lipscomb@naplesnews.com. Have a tip or story idea? A jury convicted Mark Sievers,. Curtis Wayne Wright describes in detail how he murdered Dr Teresa Sievers with a hammer, Teresa Sievers was a much-loved mum of two and holistic physician, Curtis Wright (left) and Mark Sievers had an uncanny resemblance to each other, Teresa was found dead on the kitchen floor of her home in Bonita Springs, Florida, Curtis Wright (left) and Mark Sievers in prison overalls, Jimmy 'The Hammer' Rodgers helped Curtis Wright kill Teresa. The allegation that he was involved in his wife's killing surfaced when discovery documents were released in the cases of Curtis Wayne Wright Jr., 47, and Jimmy Rodgers, 25, the two men charged in . Jimmy Rodgers is serving a life sentence in South Bay Prison. "Jimmy was always hanging around with Wayne," she said, adding that Rodgers helped the family from time to time, offering transportation. Prosecutors in the murder trial of Jimmy Ray Rodgers, 29, revealed the ostensible motive behind the brutal 2015 murder of Dr. Teresa Sievers, 46. The day before her funeral he was at the beach inviting people back to his house for a pool party and he was cold when people tried to comfort him. Was Wright jealous of the Sievers family? You have robbed usall of the most brilliant, unique and compassionate doctor and human being.. Mark attended the funeral and walked down the church aisle with his two daughters, appearing distraught. Rodgers did not have permission to travel out of the state, but court records show he was in a south Fort Myers Wal-Mart on Ben C. Pratt/Six Mile Cypress Parkway the day before Sievers was killed. At the funeral, he gave a speech and said, "I was, and still am, the luckiest man in the world. We try to give people a second chance, he said. We want to get on with our lives now. Crader said Shomaker told her that her boyfriend was out of state on a job for the construction company he worked for and mentioned he planned to make $10,000 that weekend. Originally charged with first-degree murder, Wright admitted to helping kill Dr. Sievers, and bargained down to second-degree murder. Hed previously agreed to a plea deal where he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Shes very distraught, said Karen Wideman, Angela Wrights mother. Juliette added that there was nothing in Rodgers' background or interview that would have indicated that he might be capable of the crimes he has been charged with. Bolin remembers goofing around at the mall with Wright dressed in their togas before a toga party and riding around town with him looking for women. While Mark had initially been cooperative and handed over his cell phone to investigators, he later refused to cooperate. [6], On June 29, 2015, Teresa was found dead at her home by a family friend. In exchange, Wright threw Sievers's husband Mark Sievers and Jimmy Ray Rodgers under the bus. "He would just say, 'I don't really care for her,'" Becker said. 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", Wideman, 60, said herfamily has known Mark Sieversfor more than 20 years. Wright, the third suspect in the murder, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016 in exchange for a 25-year prison sentence. An appeal was automatically filed on Mark Sievers behalf. Sievers was accused of asking a longtime friend, Curtis Wayne Wright Jr., to murder Teresa Sievers. A motive was still undetermined but then, after initially denying being involved, Wright started talking. She was the valedictorian of her high school class. Students, staff, family, and friends came together on Friday for the annual unified basketball game at Fort Myers High School. It had all been his idea. In 2014, a tipster told detectives Ronnie Bolin's body was dissolved in a cast iron tub on the Wright property, then thrown in a wood chipper. ", Are you viewing this story on our app? [2], In 2000, she married a man named Kenny Cousins. "You hear things, what's true, what's not? For the second charge, he was sentenced to 30 years, to be served concurrently. Her husband, Mark Sievers, 51, allegedly told childhood friend Curtis Wayne Wright Jr., 51, that he feared losing his daughters in a divorce. A Missouri circuit judge has set a Sept. 30extradition hearing for Wright. When asked who had killed Dr Sievers, he replied, I did and Jimmy Rodgers.. Curtis Wayne Wright Jr. was 51 at the time of his sentencing. The Missouri woman said she thinks her daughter should open her eyes and get her marriage annulled, but Angelais standing by him. 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