The Sievers murder: 9 things to know
Nine things learned from the arrest affidavit of Curtis Wayne Wright Jr. and Jimmy Rodgers:
The Autopsy
Teresa Sievers died from blunt force trauma. She had about 17 crescent shaped and irregular lacerations on the front, back and sides of her scalp. She also had bruises on her left arm and right forearm.
The Security Alarm
Statewide Security, Sievers’ alarm company, said the alarm was disarmed at 6:09 a.m., Sunday, June 28 with the code used by Bonnie Sievers, mother of Teresa's husband Mark, even though she didn’t arrive until 7:45 a.m. She said she didn’t know how the alarm could have been deactivated. She activated the code at 8:01 a.m. and then deactivated it at 4:13 p.m. when she returned to feed the animals. She didn’t reactivate it again because she was having trouble with the code. She called her son in New York, who told her to leave it off because Teresa would be arriving that night.
The Relationship
Mark Sievers in his first interview with investigators said he had a good marriage but the two “often got on each others nerves.” He denied any suspicion or allegations of infidelity and went on to confirm the two were taking steps to “rekindle” their relationship. During his second interview, he told authorities in the past he and his wife had experimented with other partners and swinging. He was adamant his wife never secretly cheated on him.
The Finances
Mark Sievers told investigators they had four safes in the house and one of them contained about $40,000 in cash. He said despite the cash in the safe they commonly lived month to month and did not have much financial stability.
The Insurance Policies
Mark Sievers told investigators he and his wife had $2.5 million life insurance policies. Authorities, however, found five policies for her: $300,000 from State Farm; $2.5 million and $500,000 from Ohio National Life; $1 million from Prudential Life; $133,342.84 from Jackson National Life. The arrest affidavit lists Hartford Business General Liability but doesn’t list an amount.
IRS files lien on Sievers' Bonita Springs home
The Witness
Investigators received a break in the case when on July 9 Chief Jeff Hamilton of the Southern Illinois Airport Authority called to say he may have some information regarding the homicide. He said an acquaintance overheard information regarding Wright who was in Florida at the time of the killing and might be involved in some way. Investigators flew to Illinois to get a statement from the witness known as CTW (Cooperating Testifying Witness) in the affidavit.
The Video Surveillance Tapes
Authorities have Wright and Rodgers on video surveillance at several locations between June 28 and June 30. Video places them at the Wal-Mart on Six Mile Cypress in Fort Myers buying flushable wet wipes, 30-gallon trash bags, a lock pick set, black shoes, water shoes, black towels a red Budweiser T-shirt, a black backpack and additional clothing items. The items were paid for with a $100 bill. The rented Hyundai Elantra also was caught on tape. They were captured on video at a Race-Trac in Brooksville and a Shell/Circle K in Bushnell.
Law enforcement requests
Lee County sheriff's Sgt. James McDaniel applied 17 days after Sievers was murdered to put a wire tap on Mark Sievers' phone. Deputies later gathered through subpoena phone records Wright and Rodgers. Mark Sievers offered up his phone to deputies when he first spoke to them about the murder. The day after the funeral, his attorney told deputies he wouldn't be participating with the investigation any further.
Sievers Funeral
Friends and family of Teresa Sievers celebrated her life July 6 at Unity Church in Naples. The church was packed with people, including Wright and his newly married wife. Mark Sievers spoke at the funeral, thanked all who attended and said he was the "luckiest man in the world."
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