29 Jan 1999: Lorenzen Wright #55 of the Los Angeles Clippers looks down during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California.
The Lakers defeated the Clippers 107-76. Mandatory Credit: Todd Warshaw /Allspor MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A jury on Monday convicted a Tennessee man in the slaying of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright, whose bullet-riddled body was found in a field nearly 12 years ago in his hometown of Memphis.The 12-person jury deliberated for about two hours before it found Billy Ray Turner guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder and conspiracy in the death of Wright, a 6-foot, 11-inch center who played 13 seasons in the NBA before he retired after the 2008-2009 season.
Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee sentenced Turner, 51, to life in prison for the murder conviction. He will be sentenced for the other charges at a later date.Coffee called Wright "a sacred son" of Memphis and told his mother, Deborah Marion, that the trial might not bring her closure but to "celebrate the good" about her son.Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter.
And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.The slaying is one of the most highly publicized murder cases in Memphis history.