He's accused of recruiting childhood friend, 51-year-old Curtis Wayne Wright Jr., to help carry out the gruesome crime. Wright was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Feb.. Curtis Wayne Wright Jr. was 51 at the time of his sentencing. Why Mark Sievers Bludgeoned His Wife Teresa Sievers to Death Mrs. Amanda Hopkins Something went wrong, please try again later. Rodgers chose not to speak on his own behalf, and the judge called it one of the most horrific crimes he ever tried. 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. The two men then drove over 1,000 miles to the home of Teresa Sievers in Bonita Springs, Florida. Our intention, as its been from the beginning, is to follow every shred of evidence we can and make sure at the end of the day when we start clamping handcuffs on people that its all good, he said. Court in the Act: Mark Sievers - Orchestrating the Murder of his Wife, Dr. Teresa Sievers - 2019 Trial Sex & Murder: Fatal Ambush. The man who had employed Rodgers said the Missouri man had worked for him for about a year doing general labor work. They also recommended death. Mark Sievers GUILTY in murder of beautiful wife, Dr Teresa Sievers 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. Prior to coming to the Daily News in 2012, she worked at papers in North Carolina and in Texas. Rodgers grew up with one older brother in Paris, Missouri, a small town about two and a half hours northwest of St. Louis. 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. 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. The final suspect connected to the 2015 death of a Bonita Springs doctor was sentenced to 25 years in prison at the Lee County Justice Center on Monday. Jimmy Rodgers and I physically did it, but Mark Sievers was also involved in the planning, Wright told the court, adding that it was planned by Sievers because he had money problems. Angela Wideman, 42, married Wright in May, two months after her 24-year-old daughter tragically died,only to have her husband jailed over his alleged rolein the death of the Bonita Springs doctor. About eight weeks later, on June 29, Dr. Sievers was found bludgeoned to death in her home in Bonita Springs. Neither Rodgers or Mark Sievers testified during Rodgers trial. Prosecutors in the murder trial of Jimmy Ray Rodgers, 29, revealed the ostensible motive behind the brutal 2015 murder of Dr. Teresa Sievers, 46. NFL Combine 2023 schedule, dates, time, invites list, events, location Wright received his 25-year sentence in February this year. After being found guilty of first-degree murder and the conspiracy to commit murder, Mark Sievers was sentenced to death for first-degree murder. 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. Investigators believe he hired two men to kill his wife, Teresa, 46; Jimmy Rodgers and Curtis Wayne Wright Jr charged with murder; Teresa was found dead in her Bonita Springs, Florida, home on June 29 Originally charged with first-degree murder, Wright admitted to helping kill Dr. Sievers, and bargained down to second-degree murder. When asked if she thought 25 years in prison was enough, Wrights defense attorney Elizabeth Parkersaid it can never enough. The fire has been called The Jung Fire. Crews have been working overnight to contain the blazes. Unbeknownst to Greg Bolin, his older brother started using meth with Wright following a divorce from his wife. The bride wore the dress she planned to marry Sievers in. Prosecutors argued the motive had to do with his wifes $4 million life insurance policy as well as a generally unhappy marriage. On October 23, 2019, a Lee County jury found him guilty and on December 12, he was sentenced to life in prison. "Everybody knowseverybody. Shes very distraught, said Karen Wideman, Angela Wrights mother. List of death row inmates in the United States, "On her birthday, friends and family remember slain Bonita doctor", "Sievers a year later: Lives that disappeared behind the headlines", "Who killed Dr. Teresa Sievers? [5], Teresa landed at Southwest Florida International Airport that night, having cut short a family vacation in Connecticut. By Jessica Lipscomb of the Naples Daily News. A look at one of Southwest Florida's most notorious murders", "Evidence in the murder of Dr. Teresa Sievers", "Husband's chilling plot to kill his wife using his doppelganger best friend", "Sheriff: 'We were after Mark Sievers, we got our man', "Teresa Sievers' mother gets custody of kids", "Jimmy Ray Rodgers, convicted in murder of Bonita Springs doctor Teresa Sievers, sentenced to life in prison", "Man sentenced to death for killing doctor wife in Florida", "Inmate Population Information Detail Inmate J80689", "Mark Sievers, convicted in 2015 murder-for-hire of wife Teresa, denied death row appeal", "Mark Sievers, on death row for wife's 2015 murder-for-hire, demands hearing", "Teresa Sievers killing: Eleven hundred miles to murder", "Holistic doctor bludgeoned to death; husband, alleged conspirators accused in murder-for-hire", "Florida holistic doctor case: Teresa Sievers", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Teresa_Sievers&oldid=1132143427, Violence against women in the United States, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 7 January 2023, at 13:13. His brother Ronnie, who was a minister there, officiated. Most Famous Musician Born the Same Year As You | Stacker Wright had done some work on the computers at Teresas clinic and Sievers had been best man at Wrights wedding. Sievers' attorneys told FOX 4 they plan to appeal the sentence if the death penalty is imposed. Thanks, Taylor. 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. With God as my witness, that's what that cop said to me.". It all started when the cops found a sawed-off shotgun. He was arrested for the murder soon after, but prosecutors later dropped the case due to a lack of evidence, saying they didn't believe his story. While in Missouri for Wright's. It was June 2015 and Teresa, 46, had been visiting her family in upstate New York with her husband Mark and their two girls, aged eight and 11. Curtis Wayne Wright Jr. and Jimmy Rodgers, both of Missouri, were charged. I cant and it will be with me for the rest of my life and Im truly sorry.. A week later, her funeral took place at Unity Church in Naples. exploded onto the scene. They called her, and Mark, but nobody could reach her. Hed previously agreed to a plea deal where he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Wright's most recent ex-wife, Kathy Becker, 47, said Wright tried to get her to write Rodgers in jail as a pen pal, something she wasn't comfortable with. But why did two men drive 1,000 miles to kill a woman? Since Wright had been jailed, his wife has been quiet and crying, according to her mother, and has been working as a waitress three nights a week inValley Park, Missouri. 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. Man sentenced to death for killing doctor wife in Florida Heres what you should know about the murder of Dr. Teresa Sievers: 48 HOURS IN 48 SECONDS: A hammer is discovered at the crime scene, but clues to solving the murder of a Florida doctor come from a digital trail that leads investigators to the killers doorstep https://t.co/8jXoY2OiPQ pic.twitter.com/BskgiVAAqb. "Other than at night when they're locked down, the doors are left open and they can come out into the day room," Schott said. Becker, who married Wright in November 2011, said Wright mentioned Rodgers maybe three times throughout the course of their relationship, which she said lasted less than a year. 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 . Prior to the sentencing, hed served over 1,400 days in jail, which he was given credit for. Three years later the couple divorced, and Teresa met another man called Mark Sievers through his sister, with whom she was good friends. According to Florida Highway Patrol, a 40-year-old man riding a motorcycle from Fort Myers died in the three-vehicle and motorcycle crash. Then, acting on a tip-off, police started to investigate Curtis Wayne Wright, 51, a man who lived 1,000 miles away in Missouri and coincidentally had an uncanny resemblance to Sievers. Less than a decade after his career began, N.W.A. More probing revealed that Sievers and Teresa were having marital problems along with some serious financial issues. Staff writer Melissa Montoya contributed to this report. Mark Sievers was charged with first-degree murder and the conspiracy to commit murder. She last saw him on Christmas Day at her mother's house. Chelsea Wideman, 24, died March 15 from complications of the flu, pneumonia and a MRSA infection. He is slated to appear in federal court Wednesday for a hearing related to a violation of probation. Wright, who expected to receive a portion of life-insurance money, recruited another. Rodgers was found guiltyofsecond-degree murder and trespassingthensentenced to life in prison last year. Sievers was found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for his role in the plot to kill his. Because Rodgers is in the federal prison system, he can serve his time in any prison, including a Florida location. She said the area of Missouri that they are in is like a little commune. Scottsaid. Investigators believed shed arrived home from her flight, had walked into the kitchen and been attacked. (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. Theyattended grade school together in Missouri and have been best friends since. Judge denies motion for Mark Sievers, accused in wife's 2015 murder-for The men were caught on surveillance tape at a local Walmart store where they purchased trash bags, wet wipes, black towels, black shoes, and a lock-picking kit. I wish there was a way to change what happened, but I cant, Wright said. Were they connected? Sievers suspect's wife stands by her man, relative says 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. "He talked about him like they were friends," she said. In 2015, holistic doctor Teresa Sievers returned to her home from a family trip ahead of her husband and children in order to treat her parents. Thats still is something thats viable, Scott said. Wright, the third suspect in the murder, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2016 in exchange for a 25-year prison sentence. Since the murder, information has surfaced showing Mark Sievers and Wright had a connection that predates the Sieverses' marriage. After she pulled into the garage, retrieved her luggage and walked into the house, two men her husband hired to murder her Curtis Wayne Wright, Jr., and Jimmy Ray Rodgers , beat her in the . The victim, Teresa. Curtis Wayne Wright Jr. was 51 at the time of his sentencing. In 2016, Wright pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison. Prison is prison.". [3] Mark said he would pay Wright to help him, so the two men then planned how to murder Teresa. Group Photo of John Wayne, Bob Hope, Ronald Reagan, Dean Martin and I dont know if it was the position you were in was by luck or because it was pre-planned, but good luck to you., LIFE IN PRISON: Judge Bruce Kyle just sentenced Jimmy "the hammer" Rodgers to life in prison. Wright is accused of recruiting Jimmy Rodgers, 51, a former jail cellmate, to help him. We hold that time very closely." "I haven't talked to him since he was engaged to my little sister (Shelly) about 24 years ago.". Rodgers initially faced a first-degree murder charge and the possibility of the death penalty. If he doesn't stop now, he's going to graduate into killing people. Olivarez pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated manslaughter of a child, a first-degree felony. Then, Wright testified against both Mark Sievers and Rodgers. According to police, Sievers was the mastermind behind his wife's murder. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. According to the State Attorneys Office, Anthony Winn Cole, 51, was adjudicated guilty. Teresa Sievers (born Teresa Ann Grace Tottenham) was born on November 19, 1968, at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Connecticut. "He was an expert at scheming to get girls. At trial, prosecutors argued Sievers planned his wife's murder, calling upon his good friend, Curtis Wayne Wright Jr., to execute his fatal orders. But Teresa had left them to enjoy a few more days, and had caught an earlier flight back home to Bonita Springs, Florida, so she could go into work. [3], In 2015, Mark went to the wedding of his childhood friend Curtis Wayne Wright Jr. in Missouri and confided in him that he was having marriage problems with Teresa. ", Are you viewing this story on our app? "We're cautious with what we talk about," she said. Asked how her daughter views the arrest, Wideman said: How can a wife not believe her husband?. He's like, you know, this is a chance to stop him. Doctor Mom Ready To Divorce Her Cheating Husband Ends Up Hammered To After high school, Wright's girlfriend became pregnant, something he was not prepared for, according to Bolin. They then returned to Teresa's home and waited for several hours until she returned. A Missouri court document dated Monday says a Lee County prosecutor will ask Florida Gov. The couple dated for about three years and were engaged but broke things off before the wedding. ", Speaking to the Naples Daily News, Teresa's brother, Patrick Tottenham, said, "We are obviously very happy with the verdict. Students, staff, family, and friends came together on Friday for the annual unified basketball game at Fort Myers High School. Mark Sievers murder trial: Curtis Wayne Wright Jr. testifies Mark Sievers recruited two Missouri men, Curtis Wayne Wright Jr., 51, and and Jimmy Ray Rodgers, 29, to kill his wife, prosecutors said. 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Thats for somebody else to do. He then sentenced Sievers, 51, to the death penalty. Each episode has multiple titles, referencing the simultaneous storylines contained within. GPS showed they drove the 17 hours back to Missouri in the early hours of Monday morning. He was used to his wifes career and proudly supported her. #SieversTrial Shomaker testified that following Dr. Sievers murder she asked Rodgers if he killed her and he said yes. After arriving home and before leaving for work the next day, Sievers was murdered. Moments before Wright was sentenced, he apologized to the victims mother. 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. Neither of the defendants testified at trial. It can never be long enough, but my client did what he needed to do and was a very importantpartof the trials. Wright said that Mark Sievers recruited him to kill the victim, and he in turn got Rodgers to help out. Jimmy Ray Rodgers and Curtis Wayne Wright were the first two to be convicted for the murder of Dr. Teresa Sievers in her Bonita Springs residence. Have a tip or story idea? 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. For the second charge, he was sentenced to 30 years, to be served concurrently. Police arrested two men from Missouri for the crime: Curtis Wayne Wright Jr. and Jimmy Ray Rodgers. Wind gusts will not become as strong as yesterday. A superb, original guitarist and a singer of warmth and simplicity, he set countless . 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We're just trying to keep our acts together. Jimmy Rodgers was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury convicted him of second-degree murder. Curtis Wright, who killed Dr. Teresa Sievers, gets 25 years in prison, 4 victims transported, one trauma alerted after Lee County crash, Report: Impaired driver crashes and kills 67-year-old Fort Myers man in Charlotte County Friday night, Crash kills 40-year-old man in Lee County, Florida teacher who thought UF student debt was paid 20 years ago gets nearly $1M bill, David Erb changes to guilty plea, gets 12 years in prison 10 years probation, Lehigh Acres man gets 15 year prison sentence for childs death, North Fort Myers man to serve 25-year prison sentence for drug trafficking, Winds stoke brush fires and prompt evacuations across Southwest Florida, Fort Myers High School hosts annual unified basketball game, Public adjuster answers your hurricane-related property insurance questions. Theyd met while in prison together. The entire family is. The victim,TeresaSievers,was found dead on the kitchen floorofher familys home on Jarvis Road in Bonita Springs on June 29, 2015. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. A jury convicted Mark Sievers,. Rodger's girlfriend helped police with their investigation and told them that Rodgers had admitted to killing Teresa Sievers. Shomaker asked if it was with a gun and Rodgers said, no it was a hammer. [10] He remains on death row at Union Correctional Institution. He admitted he and Rodgers had killed Teresa. Jimmy Ray Rodgers sentenced to life in Teresa Sievers murder case There were three pilot movies, followed by 245 regular episodes over nine seasons, followed by five specials. Rodgersis serving a six-month federal sentence for violating his probation when he traveled out of the state, as he was seen in a south Fort Myers Wal-Mart with Wright buying itemsthe day before the murder. Sievers was found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for his role in the plot to kill his wife. ", Mark Sievers gives a personal statement to the judge before being sentenced to death. Husband's chilling plot to kill his wife using his - mirror [15], On September 14, 2017, Crime Watch Daily released a video segment focusing on the murder. I wish that there was a way, anything at all I could do to change what happened, he said. The murder was committed less than a year after Rodgers was released from federal prison, according to WINK News. Although a jury found me guilty, I am innocent of all charges, he said. Curtis Wayne Wright was sentenced on Monday to 25 years in prison in the homicide of Dr. Teresa Sievers. Nearly $120 was collected on the site in three days. "I thought he was a good guy," she said. Those who know Wright describe him as a childhood friend of the doctor's husband, Mark Sievers. Mark Sievers who 'paid friends for wife's murder' still has custody of Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.