Tennessee Department of Corrections/Getty Sherra Wright, Lorenzen Wright's ex-wife./Lorenzen Wright.
Lorenzen Wright left behind six children with his ex-wife, Sherra Wright Robinson, after he was murdered in 2010. Today, Robinson is in prison, and she rapidly spent a life insurance policy intended to care for Wright’s kids.
Today, Sherra Wright is 50 and incarcerated at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center, according to her prison records.
Wright-Robinson was sentenced to 30 years in prison related to Lorenzen Wright’s death and will be eligible for parole after serving 30% of her sentence, or about nine years in prison. A trial date was set for co-defendant Billy Ray Turner on June 4, 2021, and his trial is scheduled to begin in January 2022, according to the Associated Press.
Wright’s disappearance and murder will be featured on the premiere episode of “Infamy: When Fame Turns Deadly” tonight on VH1. The episode airs at 10 p.m. Eastern time.
Here’s what you need to know:
Most of Lorenzen Wright’s Children Are Young Adults Now & Several of His Sons Play College Basketball
My Twin 💜 @lowright42
Lorenzen Wright had seven children with Sherra Wright, one who died as an infant, according to ABC News. Sierra Wright was born in 2002 and died just 11 months later from sudden infant death syndrome, the article said.
Most of the former couple’s children are now adults. Lorenzen Wright Jr., the oldest child, is 26 and played basketball at Robert Morris University, according to his profile.
The couple’s next oldest child, Loren Wright, said at her mother’s plea hearing the siblings are close and said they are “OK,” according to the Commercial Appeal. She asked that the public respect their privacy.
“We all are so close to each other, we feel like we don’t really need much in terms of support, because we have my mom and the six of us, and we’re OK,” Loren Wright said, according to the article.
Lorenzen Vern Gagne Wright Jr. ♥️ love you pops
Lorenzo Wright and Sherra Wright also had twins, Lamar and Shamar, a son named Lawson and a daughter, Sofia, who is a teenager, ABC News reported. The twins are now college basketball players at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, according to The Telegraph.
Lorenzen Wright Saw His Son Play Basketball the Day Before His Murder & Sherra Wright Quickly Spent a Life Insurance Payout
I love you Sisi♥️.
Lorenzen Wright and Sherra Wright had divorced in January 2010, about seven months before his murder, Sports Illustrated reported. He was living in Atlanta and went to the Memphis, Tennessee suburbs to see his six children on July 18, 2010, the article continued. That day, he watched his oldest son, Lorenzen Wright Jr., play basketball, the article said.
Police had several reasons to suspect Sherra Wright in her ex-husband’s disappearance, the article said. Lorenzen Wright had a $1 million life insurance policy as a condition of their divorce settlement, which was paid to Sherra Wright one year after his death, according to Sports Illustrated. It was intended for their children, but she spent it on a house, luxury cars and furniture and vacations, the article said.
“Within months of receiving the $1 million, Wright had spent all but $5.05,” the article said. “She spent the majority of the $1 million in ways that appeared only loosely connected to her children’s well-being.”
Family Matters🧬🚾
Lorenzen Wright’s father and the executor if his estate, Herb Wright, sued Sherra Wright on behalf of his grandchildren, Sports Illustrated reported.
“A Tennessee circuit court resolved the matter by ordering the creation of a trust intended to benefit the children. Sherra Wright was named the trustee, but with the stipulation that she file with the court regular accountings of money received by the trust and money paid out,” the article said.
A National Basketball Players’ Association death benefit of $184,000 was also to be paid into the trust, the article said. Court records reviewed by Sports Illustrated indicated Sherra Wright failed to provide required accounting statements, and eventually withdrew efforts to maintain control of the trust. Herb Wright became guardian over the pension funds, the article said.
Lorenzen Wright’s Mom, Deborah Marion, Said at Sherra Wright’s Hearing She Has Not Been Able to Visit Her Grandchildren
Family ❤️
Deborah Marion, Lorenzen Wright’s mother, said in court in 2019 that she had not been able to see her grandchildren, according to the Associated Press. Marion spoke at Sherra Wright’s plea hearing, where the ex-wife of the NBA star entered a guilty plea to charges in his 2010 murder, court records show.
“I just hate what happened to my child, but he left some nice-looking kids for their grandma,” Marion said, according to the Associated Press.
Robinson pleaded guilty to facilitation of first-degree murder and facilitation of a criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder in July 2019 in Shelby County Criminal Court, according to the Associated Press.
Here is her prison record:
Sherra Wright’s prison record.
Wright claimed she pleaded guilty for the sake of her children in an interview with Commercial Appeal.
“I’m just going to say because of my children, I have made this decision, and because of them I’m not going to go into many more details right now, but I’m just going to say everything is not what it seems,” she told the publication.