National Basketball Association

Revelations shed light on murder case

Published Aug. 11, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

The ex-wife of slain former NBA player Lorenzen Wright told police she saw him leave her home carrying money and a box of drugs the night he disappeared, according to court documents obtained Wednesday.

Sherra Wright said her ex-husband left her home at 10:30 p.m. on July 18 with the drugs, returned a short time later, then left again with an unspecified amount of money, said an affidavit for a search warrant by Memphis police Sgt. W.D. Merritt.

Before he left, Sherra Wright said she overheard her ex-husband on the telephone telling someone that he was going to ''flip something for $110,000,'' the document said.

Sherra Wright said Lorenzen Wright left her home in a car with a person she said she could not identify. Hours later, police dispatchers received a 911 call from Wright's cell phone and heard noises like gunshots before the call was dropped.

Wright's body was found July 28 in woods outside Memphis. The 34-year-old had been missing for 10 days. No arrests have been made in the homicide and Memphis police will not discuss whether they have a motive or suspects in the shooting death.

The affidavit said Sherra Wright gave the statements to police in the Memphis suburb of Collierville, where she lives, on July 27 — five days after the former University of Memphis star's mother filed a missing person report.

Sherra Wright also told police that her ex-husband owned a shotgun that he kept at her home and a handgun he kept inside the family van. A search of the home and the van failed to turn up the weapons, the affidavit said.

Police did find shell casings of different caliber bullets at the scene where Wright was shot, but they could not find Wright's phone.

The affidavit said police were going to use documents showing ownership of the two weapons to see if they match the bullet shell casings recovered at the crime scene.

Wright, a 6-foot-11 forward-center, played with five teams during his 13-year NBA career. He averaged 8 points and 6.4 rebounds in 778 games.