In a stunning unscheduled court hearing Thursday, Sherra Wright, the ex-wife of NBA star and Memphian Lorenzen Wright, pleaded guilty to her role in his 2010 killing and an earlier attempt on his life.

She could have faced life in prison if convicted at trial in September. But with credit for more than 500 days already served in jail, the judge said Sherra Wright now might become eligible for release in roughly seven more years.

The judge also said in an interview that if she exhibits good behavior in prison, release might come even sooner than that.

And in an emotional scene, the mother of Lorenzen Wright thanked Sherra Wright in court for giving her grandchildren, and begged for Sherra Wright's help in repairing her relationship with them. Later, the basketball player's mother said she would go to future parole hearings in an effort to keep Sherra Wright locked up as long as possible.

Sherra Wright avoided a first-degree murder conviction, instead pleading guilty to facilitation to commit first-degree murder and facilitation to commit attempted first-degree murder.

Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee said the plea hearing wasn't on his docket for Thursday and "came out of left field." He quickly rearranged the court schedule to accommodate it.

Sherra Wright's unexpected guilty plea, negotiated between her defense lawyers and prosecutors, was one of the most surprising moments in one of the city's highest-profile homicide cases in recent history.

Lorenzen Wright was a star player for the University of Memphis who went on to play for several NBA teams including the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies.

After his disappearance in 2010 and the subsequent discovery of his body, thousands of people gathered inside FedExForum for his memorial service, including former Memphis mayor Willie Herenton and U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen.

The guilty plea means Sherra Wright has now been convicted for her role in the slaying. It's unclear if Sherra Wright will now testify against Billy Turner, one of the men she's accused of conspiring with to kill Lorenzen Wright. Turner's trial is still scheduled for September.

Both Sherra Wright and Billy Turner are 48.

Prosecutor Paul Hagerman said Lorenzen Wright's family members supported the plea deal.

Juni Ganguli, one of Sherra Wright's attorneys, explained his thinking. “My goal, and I think I speak for (fellow defense lawyer Laurie Hall) when I say this, as a lawyer in a first-degree murder case is to make sure that my client avoids a life sentence,” he told reporters.

“And in this case, Sherra’s going to serve 9 years, maybe 8 or 7 before she’s eligible for release. In a maximum situation, she’ll serve I think 15 additional years.”

In a followup interview, Ganguli said the defense would have presented a much different picture of Lorenzen Wright than the smiling basketball star that the public loved - he said Lorenzen Wright was involved with drug dealers and sometimes beat his wife and children.

"So part of the defense would be that she would be a victim of domestic violence and there would have been witnesses that would have supported that . . . But in the end, we thought that that would be problematic. And I could see how a jury would have convicted her of first degree murder."

For the unscheduled hearing, the courtroom at 201 Poplar was full of security officers, reporters and observers.

Sherra Wright was brought into the courtroom dressed in an orange jail uniform and with her hair trimmed short. At about 11 a.m., the judge began asking Sherra Wright basic questions about her guilty plea and she responded in a soft, high-pitched voice, several times giving short answers such as "Yes sir."

She said she understood she was giving up her right to the trial that had been scheduled for Sept. 16, 2019.

Coffee told Wright if she had gone to trial, she could have faced life in prison.

Eligible for release in less than 9 years

In an interview after the hearing, the judge explained how Sherra Wright's sentence will play out.

She's required to serve 30 percent of the 30 year sentence, or nine years. And she will get credit for all the time she served in local jail pending trial.

Sherra Wright was arrested in California on Dec. 15, 2017 and was extradited to Memphis about Jan. 20, 2018.

Counting the Memphis jail time alone, she has already accumulated for about 552 credited days.

That would reduce her potential prison time from nine years to around seven years, two months, the judge said. (The Commercial Appeal calculated the amount slightly differently, coming up with a total of around seven-and-a-half years.)

Other factors could reduce her prison time even further, the judge said. For instance, she might earn credits for good behavior or participation in various programs offered to prisoners, such as drug rehab, vocational training, or college courses, the judge said. “She can actually earn a bachelor's or master's,” he said.

But if she was written up for misbehavior in prison, she could serve more time than the total of nine years behind bars, he said.

One of Sherra Wright's defense attorneys, Laurie Hall, said she thinks it's unlikely that she'll be granted parole at her first hearing, which she says would come in a little over seven-and-a-half years. “From a practical perspective she's looking at serving a little over 7-and-a-half years and a little over 15-and-a-half years.”

Future parole hearings

Reporters asked Hagerman, the prosecutor, to address concerns that the public might see the sentence as too lenient.

Hagerman said the possibility of Sherra Wright’s early release doesn’t mean that it will happen. “That means there will be parole hearings. That doesn’t mean they’ll be granted.”

He said he anticipated members of Lorenzen Wright’s family will speak at future parole hearings. “I think they’ll be there.”

And he also said that they backed the deal.“It was a guilty plea they 100 percent supported,” he said.

Lorenzen Wright mother speaks after plea

Minutes after Sherra Wright pleaded guilty, Coffee allowed Lorenzen Wright's mother, Deborah Marion, to speak.

Standing behind a panel that separates the lawyers and court personnel from the audience, the victim's mother stood and addressed Sherra Wright, who was sitting a few feet away.

“Ms. Sherra, I want to thank you for giving me my grandchildren,” she began.

She asked for Sherra Wright's help in repairing her relationship with them.

"We just love 'em, we just want to see 'em . . . But I want you to call and let ‘em know it’s OK to talk to grandma.”

She added, “I just hate what happened to my child.”

When she was done, Sherra Wright asked, "Am I able to respond to her?" But after her defense attorneys spoke briefly with one another, they said they didn't want Sherra Wright to speak.

Later, defense attorney Laura Hall said the two had conflicts even before Lorenzen Wright's death, and she didn't think it would be helpful to have a lot of back-and-forth in the court.

She also said while two of the couple's children are minors, four of the children are already adults and can decide on their own if they want to see their grandmother.

The judge told the victim's mother that he knows nothing the courts do can bring back Lorenzen Wright.

"I hope it brings you some closure," he told. "And I hope it allows your family to continue to heal."

After the hearing, Lorenzen Wright's mother spoke with reporters. “I’m so glad this is over so my grandkids can heal and rest and come see their grandmama,” she said.

And she said focusing on her grandchildren helped her keep positive spirits. "I had to think of my grandchildren. Because if I hadn't thought of my grandkids, I would have gone way left. As long as I keep thinking of them, I could stay up and positive."

When a reporter asked if she would work to keep Sherra Wright in prison, she said yes.

"My son is serving life," she said.

Sherra Wright's time in lockup

Sherra Wright’s possible mental illness had been an issue in the case.

While locked up in Jail East, the women’s jail facility in May 2018, she reportedly stripped naked and used her clothes to stuff the toilet in an attempt to flood her cell, saying she was “going swimming, y’all.”

The prosecutor had also filed a report that said she had caused a “verbal riot,” cursed guards, refused to comply with orders and was slow to comply when she did.

Her defense lawyers asked for a forensic mental evaluation, and the mental health professional last year found her competent to stand trial.

During the guilty plea hearing Thursday, the judge referred to that evaluation process and asked if she was taking medication today.

She said yes, she’s taking Lexapro for anxiety and depression, and she also mentioned taking another drug that’s similar to Benadryl, the anti-allergy drug.

She told the judge she didn’t have any additional questions. “No sir, you’ve been through.”

And she also thanked Ganguli, her defense lawyer. “Thank you, you’ve been excellent.”

From an unsolved mystery to a conviction

For years, the killing of Lorenzen Wright was a high-profile cold case.

On July 18, 2010, Lorenzen Wright, who had been in Memphis to visit his six children, left Sherra Wright’s home in Collierville. Police determined he was shot in the early hours of July 19 in a secluded, grassy area.

He was 34.

Anniversary:Nine years after he was shot to death, Lorenzen Wright's family gathers to remember NBA star

Latest in the case:Attorneys drop request for out-of-town jury in Lorenzen Wright murder trial

He was reported missing by his mother on July 22 and on July 28, his body was found near the TPC Southwind golf course. An autopsy report released later that year shows he was shot at least 11 times, including twice in the head and twice in the chest.

As the investigation progressed, reward money for information about the homicide increased. Despite this, the investigation appeared to go cold and few public updates were given in the half-decade following the shooting.

In September 2014, Sherra Wright agreed to a settlement with Lorenzen Wright’s father in his petition to have her removed as trustee of the insurance money Lorenzen Wright had left for their children.

More than seven years after Lorenzen Wright’s death, in November 2017, Memphis police announced a firearm believed to have been used in the killing was found in a lake in Walnut, Mississippi.

On Dec. 4, 2017, Turner — a church deacon and small business owner — was arrested in Collierville on charges related to Lorenzen Wright’s death. Sherra Wright — who had remarried and was living in Riverside, California — was also arrested on charges related to Wright’s death.

At a bond hearing on May 5, 2018, prosecutors laid out the case against Turner and Sherra Wright using information from a third unindicted suspect, Lorenzen Wright’s cousin Jimmie Martin, who had been convicted of murder in a separate case and was in prison.

Prosecutors said Martin detailed a failed plot to kill Lorenzen Wright in Atlanta, told investigators where to find the firearm used in the shooting and detailed how he helped Sherra Wright and Turner clean up the crime scene. Turner’s bond was set at $15 million and at a separate hearing later that month Sherra Wright’s bond was set at $20 million.

Reporter Sarah Macaraeg contributed to this story.

Investigative reporter Daniel Connolly welcomes tips and comments from the public. Reach him at 529-5296, daniel.connolly@commercialappeal.com, or on Twitter at @danielconnolly.