MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The man who helped police solve the Lorenzen Wright murder case was back in court Thursday. Jimmie Martin is hoping to get a new trial in another murder case that has him serving a 22-year prison sentence.
Martin may have been the prosecution’s top witness in the Lorenzen Wrights murder, providing never before heard details of the basketball player’s final minutes of life.
Martin got immunity from prosecution for his testimony that led to the conviction of Billy Ray Turner in the murder. But Martin’s attorney says the deal he made with the DA’s office did not help on his own murder case.
“They’re completely unrelated,” said Martin’s attorney James Jones. “So what his involvement was with the other cases had no impact on this particular matter.”
In 2007, Martin shot his girlfriend Martha Bownes.
He said it was an accident, saying someone knocked at their apartment door and they went to check it out. Martin had a gun that he says accidentally went off, killing Bownes.
But Bownes’ family disagrees, saying she was on the verge of leaving him and they had prior altercations. They said Martin told them he was behind her at the door, but Bownes was shot in the chest.
After a hung jury on first-degree murder, Martin was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 22 years.
But now, as a part of his post conviction relief, he is raising questions about the former lawyer who represented him in that case. Jones is his new lawyer.
“There were certain things that he learned that could have substantially affected the outcome in a different manner,” Jones said. “And so those are some of the things that he’s presented for review.”
That former attorney is Coleman Garrett, Sherra Wright’s one-time attorney who was by her side during WREG’S exclusive interview just months after Lorenzen’s murder.
“I got 12 house notes in my ear right now. That’s enough,” Wright said at the time. “I am just saying. Ok.”
Wright helped hire Garrett to represent Martin.
Jones says the families were close, but when rumblings began that they were trying to pin the murder on Martin, he decided to work with police and get out what really happened.
“I know he is happy that the Lorenzen matter is done and he can focus on this part,” Jones said.
Martin’s hearing was reset to July 21, but his attorney says that date may change. WREG reached out to Bownes’ family but did not hear back.