FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The key witness in the trial of Jimmy Rodgers for the murder of Teresa Sievers took the stand Thursday.
Rodgers is accused of murdering Dr. Teresa Sievers in her Bonita Springs home in 2015. Prosecutors say her husband Mark Sievers hired Curtis Wright and Jimmy Rodgers to drive from Missouri to Florida to commit the murder.
Wright has taken a plea deal for a 25-year prison sentence in exchange for his cooperation with investigators.
As part of the deal, Wright took the stand Thursday. The State immediately asked Wright: "Who killed Dr. Teresa Sievers?" Wright answered, "I did and Jimmy Rodgers."
Wright says once Teresa fell on the floor Rodgers continued to hit her.
— Sandra Rodriguez (@SandraR_media) October 17, 2019
He says they both wanted her dead.
Wright says she started to turn towards him so he hit her with the hammer.
— Sandra Rodriguez (@SandraR_media) October 17, 2019
He says he hit her on the backside of her head.
Wright says he and Teresa did make eye contact and she looked surprised.
Wright says it was Rodgers's idea to ducktape gloves on.
— Sandra Rodriguez (@SandraR_media) October 17, 2019
Wright says they were still deciding on what the game plan would be at this point.
Wright says he wanted to kill Teresa Sievers in a way that looked like it was an accident.
Wright says he asked Mark when he wanted Teresa to be killed and Mark's response was "ASAP."
— Sandra Rodriguez (@SandraR_media) October 17, 2019
Wright says Mark made the decision of when Teresa's murder was going to happen.
He says Mark decided it would be after the trip.
Going back, Wright says he asked Mark Sievers what kind of money he had available to do this. He says Mark told him he would pay up to $100,000 that he would get from Teresa Sievers's life insurance policy
— Sandra Rodriguez (@SandraR_media) October 17, 2019
Wright says Mark Sievers asked him to help him or help him find someone.
— Sandra Rodriguez (@SandraR_media) October 17, 2019
Wright says Mark asked him to have her killed.
The state asked Wright if Dr. Sievers died from something Mark Sievers did.
— Sandra Rodriguez (@SandraR_media) October 17, 2019
Wright's response was that Mark told him "he needed to have his wife killed."
Wright says he was trying to protect himself and his co-defendants (Rodgers and Sievers) when he lied to detectives.
— Sandra Rodriguez (@SandraR_media) October 17, 2019
"I was trying to protect myself," said Wright.
State immediately asked Wright, "who killed Dr. Teresa Sievers?"
— Sandra Rodriguez (@SandraR_media) October 17, 2019
Wright answered, "I did and Jimmy Rodgers."
Wright says he took a plea deal with the state of Florida.
— Sandra Rodriguez (@SandraR_media) October 17, 2019
Plea deal is for a 25-year sentence. Wright says the sentence has not started.
When asked why he said it's until determined he's telling the truth.
