MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Phone calls between Sherra Wright, Billy Ray Turner and Jimmie Martin kicked off testimony Wednesday morning.
Lorenzen Wright Trial Day 3: Who testified?
Detective Jesse Browning with the Multi Agency Gang Unit that broke the case dubbed “Operation Rebound” testified that Sherra Wright, Billy Turner and Jimmie Martin were corresponding by text and Facebook messages back in 2010 before Lorenzen Wright was murdered and made it appear they were talking about planning a party.
“I believe they were using that as a code for killing Lorenzen Wright,” Detective Browning said.
Defense attorneys said Sherra was texting many other people during that time too.
Prosecutors said phone records also show calls back and forth between the parties the night Lorenzen was killed, and that Sherra used other phones.
“Was there evidence of a phone call from Billy Turner to a phone other than Sherra Wright’s that you believe Sherra was using? Yes. That would have been Lorenzen Junior’s Phone. The kid? Yes. Her child. The 14 or 15 year old? The 15 year old,” Detective Browning said to the Prosecution.
Testimony took a technical turn when a firearms expert spoke who tested the gun used to kill Lorenzen Wright after the weapon was retrieved from a lake. The TBI Special Agent showed the jury how she determines certain bullets come from certain guns.
When the Medical Examiner who did an autopsy on Lorenzen showed the jury graphic photos of his decomposed remains, some of Lorenzen’s family members left in tears.
His mother Deborah Marion chose to stay out of the courtroom during that part of the trial.
Next, a digital forensics expert, Sgt. Dennis Evans with the Memphis Police Department testified how they tracked the phone calls made between Sherra, Turner and Martin.
His testimony showed all three were in contact before the murder and shortly after.
“We found 186 basically voice calls from Billy Turner’s records. We found 186 calls between July 5th 2010 and August 3rd 2010,” Sgt. Evans said.
That expert said they were able to get text messages between Sherra and Turner even though she deleted 83 of them, and also messages between her and Jimmie Martin.
They say Sherra even saved Martin as Edna in her phone. They think it was to disguise the calls.
Cross examination continues Thursday morning.
