Man charged in Wright's killing pleads guilty to gun charge
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
A Tennessee man charged with killing former NBA player Lorenzen Wright pleaded guilty Monday to a separate gun charge.
Billy Ray Turner entered his plea in a Memphis court before the scheduled start of his trial on charges of possessing a weapon as a convicted felon.
Shelby County prosecutors say Turner illegally had two guns in his possession when he was charged in December 2017 with killing the 34-year-old Wright.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Turner has a previous felony conviction of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon.
Turner and Wright's ex-wife, Sherra Wright, conspired to kill the retired NBA player and Memphis native in July 2010, authorities have said. Turner, a landscaper in the Memphis suburb of Collierville, and Sherra Wright attended the same church.
Lorenzen Wright's body was found riddled with gunshots in a swampy Memphis field 10 days after he was reported missing. His killing was one of Memphis' most highly publicized slayings ever, and it has drawn national attention.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Turner and Sherra Wright have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. Their trial is scheduled in September.
Turner faces 12 to 20 years in prison on the gun charge at sentencing set for July 26.