MEMPHIS, Tenn. — They are unlikely legal foes. The wives of a victim and an admitted killer are now battling in court over property.
Headed to Bankruptcy Court Thursday morning, Frances Wright said it’s time for it to end.
“We have just been jumping through hoops trying to collect on our judgment. It’s just been 15 years going and I am just ready for it to be over with,” said Wright.
She lost her husband Mickey Wright, a Code Enforcement Officer, in 2001. He was never again seen after going to Dale Mardis` business on Lamar Avenue about a code violation.
The two argued and Mardis eventually admitted he killed Wright and burned his body, which has never been found.
While Mardis was sent to prison, his wife, Patsy Mardis, was left to handle their property: two houses in Cooper Young and car lot business on Lamar where Mickey Wright was last seen.
Frances Wright filed a civil lawsuit for restitution and was granted the property in court.
Patsy Mardis filed for bankruptcy and reportedly said if the homes are taken, she has no place to stay. We tried to ask her about that at court, but we were blocked from talking to her.
“No comment please. Please no comment. You are harassing her,” said an unidentified man who blocked us from Mardis.
The case has been back and forth in court. Now a judge has to decide whether to enforce an agreement that would deed all the property over to Frances Wright and let Patsy Mardis stay in one house and pay rent.
The other option on the table is to pull the properties out of the bankruptcy filing and put them up for public sale with all proceeds going to Frances Wright.
In court Thursday, another attorney stepped down from Patsy Mardis’ case, leading to a re-set.
“This is another way of her delaying the matter, but I feel confident we are getting to the point of bringing this to a conclusion,” said Wright’s attorney Larry Weissman.
“We will never get Mickey back, but the fact that as of Mardis’ racist behavior and we’ve received the judgment, it is something that we will get,” said Wright.
The case has been re-set to December 8th.
