Theft charge dropped against Bernie Tiede, imprisoned for murder of Marjorie Nugent of Carthage
Published 11:16 am Thursday, June 16, 2016
- Bernie Tiede tears up as his uncle Elmer Doucet denies sexually abusing him as a child during day nine of Tiede's new sentencing trial, on Monday April 18, 2016, at the Rusk County Justice Center in Henderson Texas. (Michael Cavazos/Longview News Journal via AP, Pool)
CARTHAGE, Texas (AP) – A 1997 theft charge has been dropped against an ex-mortician sentenced to 99 years to life in prison for killing a wealthy Texas widow and hiding her body in a freezer.
Bernie Tiede (TEE’-duh) in April was resentenced for his 1999 murder conviction in the fatal shooting of 81-year-old Marjorie Nugent of Carthage. A judge Monday decided the lingering theft count violated Tiede’s right to a speedy trial.
Attorneys are appealing Tiede’s latest sentence.
He originally received a life term for killing Nugent, but was temporarily freed in 2014 after the original prosecutor said he believed Tiede deserved a lesser sentence.
New prosecutors this year used information from the theft indictment and said Tiede stole millions of dollars from Nugent.
A 2011 movie called “Bernie” starred Jack Black and Shirley MacLaine.
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