Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Dateline NBC plans to re-examine the brutal murder case of Teresa Sievers that took place in June 2015. Titled “The Road Trip,” the episode will unravel startling details about the gruesome crime and how an innocent woman lost her life. It would also shed light on how investigators solved the case and concluded that Teresa’s husband, Mark Sievers, was responsible for stitching a murder-for-hire plot. The episode will air on the network on Friday, May 24, at 9 p.m. EST.
In June 2015, Teresa Sievers was enjoying a family vacation in upstate New York. However, on June 28, she abruptly shortened her vacation to return to her Bonita Springs, Florida, home. Per CBS News, Teresa Sievers was a doctor and wanted to see her patients the following day. But as soon as she entered her house, unknown assailants attacked her from behind. News-Press.com reported that the assailants struck her head with hammers and killed her. Meanwhile, CBS News noted that authorities discovered her dead body lying in a pool of blood on the floor.
Investigators found a hammer in the kitchen of Teresa Sievers’ house. Two months later, police apprehended two suspects—Jimmy Ray Rodgers and Curtis Wayne Wright—in the murder case. The investigation continued, and some months later, Wright took a plea deal and accused Mark Sievers of planning the entire crime. As a result, authorities charged him for his wife’s killing. The jury found Mark guilty of first-degree murder and gave him a death sentence, per Associated Press. Meanwhile, Curtis Wayne Wright was sentenced to 25 years in prison and Rodgers received a life sentence.
Mark Sievers is currently on death row at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida.
Did Mark Sievers have any accomplices?
During the investigation, police found physical evidence that led to the arrest of Teresa Sievers’ murderers. According to the News-Press, Jimmy Ray Rodgers’ girlfriend informed authorities that her boyfriend went to Florida to kill someone. The outlet mentioned that Rodgers’ girlfriend confronted him and said she knew why he went to Florida. He then confirmed her suspicions and told her that Mark Sievers hired him and Curtis Wayne Wright to kill his wife.
Citing her statement, News-Press noted that Rodgers admitted to her that he killed Teresa Sievers with a hammer. Her statement proved crucial in arresting Rodgers and his accomplice. CBS News reported that digital evidence helped investigators in tracing the whereabouts of the killers. During the trial, the prosecution team told the jury how Curtis Wayne Wright rented a car and picked up Rodgers. The outlet also stated that the duo traveled 1,100 miles to reach Bonita Springs. Additionally, they disabled the security alarms before getting back in their vehicle.
Months after their arrest, in December 2015, the court released the documents that claimed that Mark Sievers hired both suspects to slay his wife, Teresa. Police then arrested Mark in the murder case, per FOX 4 Now. In November 2019, the prosecution team began the opening arguments in Mark Sievers’ trial. During the trial, one of the suspects, Curtis Wayne Wright, testified against Mark and revealed how he and Rodgers killed Teresa.
Almost a month later, the jury found Mark Sievers guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, per Naples Daily News. The jury deliberated for four hours before coming out with a guilty verdict.
Dateline NBC will feature the case in its upcoming episode on Friday.
