Bernie Tiede, who was first convicted for the 1996 murder in 1999, was later granted an appeal based on the theory that he was in a dissociative state at the time of the killing due to abuse hed suffered earlier in life. Mortician Who Inspired 'Bernie' Movie Sent Back To Prison For Murder She was alright.". Bernie movie review & film summary (2012) | Roger Ebert What's going through your mind?" Tiede, now 55, was convicted in the slaying of Marjorie Nugent, 81, his companion, who was found dead in her freezer months after disappearing in 1996. "Bernie's name was top of the list," said Davidson. "And we went in and there were pictures of Bernie everywhere," said Alexandria Nugent. Neil Patmore is a former police officer, and private investigator. My grandmother taught me how to make cornbread, she says. In 1997, after the family filed a missing-persons report on Marjorie, her son broke into her house and found her body. It's a murder story based on what happened in the small town of Carthage in East Texas in 1997. And Tiede's uncle, under oath, denied ever having molested Bernie. "I think Danny Buck got enthralled with Hollywood," said Alexandria Nugent. He comforted families of the deceased at funerals, staying close to grieving widows, and holding their hands to steady them. ", Days turned into months, as Bernie Tiede kept his awful secret. News Guide: Real-life 'Bernie' murder case back in court "She was having a great time," he replied. Tiede met Nugent at the Hawthorne Funeral Home while preparing her husband . "So what was the attraction?" John R. Nugent, 68, of Downingtown, passed away on Saturday, December 12, at his home with his wife and children by his side. "She was kind and she loved telling stories.". In his confession, Nugent says, Tiede wrote that he went to Marjories home that day at 8 a.m. He moved the rifle, cleared out the freezer and made her coffee, she says. Van Sant asked. As a freelance writer, he spends his time writing about true crime. He then walks straight up to her body, puts the nuzzle to the gun to the back of her and shoots it two more times," Shanna Nugent explained. "He shot her in the back four times," said Davidson. And the D.A. More from US Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Man convicted of murdering companion, stuffing body in freezer", 'mean-bernie-film-features-cooper-grads-unlikely', "Judge Agrees to Release Murderer "Bernie" Backed by Austin Filmmaker", "History of Bernie's secret: Facts of sexual abuse could have been key to defense". "My grandmother was a loving sweet woman," said Jenull. For a time, he was able to fend off those curious about Marge by lying about her travel plans or health, but a search of her home by her son revealed Marge's fate. And that's when this twisted Texas tale really got strange. Early. Almost immediately, Tiede admitted to murdering Nugent but the locals in Carthage didnt seem to hold it against him. Public DomainBernie Tiede was so beloved in his Texas hometown that locals refused to believe he could have committed murder. [19][20] Cole theorized that Tiede shot Nugent while in a brief dissociative episode brought on by her abusive treatment of him,[21] a theory backed by forensic psychiatrist Richard Pesikoff. "That visit in 1994," Shanna Nugent replied. "He was on a lot of people's lists to literally sing them to heaven," said Linklater. Black became so intrigued, he agreed to play the lead role -- but not before he and Linklater paid a visit to a Texas maximum security prison to try and understand just who Bernie Tiede really was. I won't leave. When the family got suspicious and told her he was scamming her, "she got really angry. And she was an amazing seamstress; she could make you a whole wardrobe.. And then I got active in the school here in the drama department," Tiede said. "I think that he did not plan on killing her.". Marjorie Nugent filed a new will leaving everything to Tiede and nothing to her family. In 1990 Tiede befriended Nugent at the funeral of her husband, a wealthy oilman and banker. Mr. Tiedes ability to repress and compartmentalize the abusive events from childhood and adolescence was ultimately overwhelmed by the repeated and extensive psychological abuse he suffered from Mrs. Nugent. But whatever Marjorie's affection for her granddaughters, the stakes were about to change. In April 2016, after two years of freedom, Bernie Tiede's new sentencing trial began. "Could Marjorie be mean?" "I think any of us can be difficult. Got her up " Tiede replied, as his attorney, Jodi Cole, interrupted the interview. And now they worried that Bernie was well on the way to tricking Marjorie out of millions. After three weeks of testimony, they had deliberated for just over four hours.[31]. The trial of Bernie Tiede for murdering Marjorie Nugent was moved 50 miles away. Bernie Tiede's mother was his father's first wife, Lela Mae Jester (19331960). But in 2014, defense lawyer Jodi Cole, inspired by the 2011 film about his case, Bernie, discovered new evidence. When she disappeared, nobody seemed. "And within a few weeks she had come to see me," said Tiede. He stands 5'6." Yet the word for Bernie Tiede is "hovering." He seems to hover above even those taller than him. Rod filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tiede, claiming he had embezzled more than $3 million from his mother.[16]. "Nine months. Youngest granddaughter of Bernie Tiede's murder victim speaks out "A little feisty lady comes up to me and she says, 'I bet there was some crazy stuff going on at that trial,'" said Linklater. And it's hard to be a gay man and being out in a small town," said Tiede. " On the show, CBS's 48 Hours viewers will learn how the relationship developed between Bernie Tiede and Marjorie Nugent, and how that . And he was sold. And for Tiede, the perks kept piling up. Nugent was incredibly wealthy and also a widower. "we saw Broadway shows We had a lot of fun together.". It would just be part of what inspired director Richard Linklater and actor Jack Black to collaborate on the darkly comic movie, "Bernie.". This is a bizarre case where truth really is stranger than fiction. Even down at the court house, where local legend District Attorney Danny Buck Davidson ruled back then and still rules today everyone sensed something good had come to town. "Yeah, held a special place in the hearts of many people in Carthage, Texas," said Jack Black. "He was about to be found out," said Starnes. And I have to stay here unless something changes. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. "He's back in prison for life. "They are overwhelmed with stress and emotion. "And when you spend time with him you want to hang out with him.". I dont think I really understood how vulnerable widows are until that happened to me. Tiede had met Nugent in 1990 at the funeral of her husband R.L. "And there was the top of Miss Nugent's head. "And so I thought, 'Why did he get a life sentence?'". "We went to Germany England Scotland and Wales. Bernie killed Marge in November of 1996 and spent the next few months on a spending bender, says ID, investing in businesses, buying cars and even planes for people. A new sentencing trial is ordered, andTiede is released from prison for the time being. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. And in February of 1999, Danny Buck Davidson told his tale to a jury who had never heard about Tiede. Kind, gentle Bernie Tiede (who has a beautiful singing voice and is beloved by many in the community) befriended her after her wealthy husband passed on. It was August 18, 1997, when the Nugent's had finally shared their concerns with the local sheriff. Just two hours up the road in Dallas, three proud granddaughters have a very different take on just why Bernie Tiede was befriending Marjorie Nugent. Her granddaughter expressed shock that the release was granted, and claimed that Richard Linklater's 2011 film Bernie had influenced the legal system. The movie, "Bernie," also featured Matthew McConaughey as Danny Buck Davidson. Mom Drove Wife and Kids Off Cliff, the 'Hart Family Murders' Remain Chilling, Pa. Man Sentenced to Life for Bludgeoning Woman with Hammer, Then Strangling and Burning Her in Robbery Plot, 'True Crime Fan' Rene Zellweger on Playing Killer Pam Hupp: 'You Think You Know Her', Robert Durst's Murder Conviction Will Be Vacated on Legal Technicality, L.A. "And you have a community saying, 'Leave him alone,'" Van Sant noted. This is really eye-opening, Van Sant remarked. "Make her coffee. We go to see her. They took longer trips together, to Dallas, New York, and elsewhere along the East Coast, and before long it seemed, they were going everywhere together. [33] In August 2017, a Texas appeals court upheld the 99-year prison sentence. I'd seen that.". And now, the Bernie Tiede story was about to take yet another bizarre twist that began right at the movie premiere. Tiede also confided in Cole, what he says is his darkest secret -- about that childhood sexual abuse he claims he suffered at the hands of an uncle. Never. "I was acting in the plays.". Shot Marjorie Nugent dead with a .22 caliber rifle. Meanwhile, Marge's family began to worry when they could no longer reach her. "He stole her money when he was about to be found out, he shot her and killed her. Tiede attended a college musical rehearsal that day and reportedly seemed like regular old Bernie over the following weeks, until he started becoming unprecedentedly generous. Cole asked Richard Linklater if he had the transcripts from Tiede's 1999 murder trial. Prosecutors show video of victim's frozen body being removed - KLTV "I saw her to the gravesite. . The former Carthage mortician was convicted in 1999 of killing 81-year-old Marjorie Nugent, a wealthy Carthage widow. Bernie Tiede will be eligible for parole in 2029; he will be 70 years old. Nugent says he eventually stole $3.8 million of her money, which Marjorie was oblivious to at the time. Among the items taken from Tiedes house after his original arrest were four books on childhood sexual abuse. Tiede was the subject of the 48 Hours episode titled The Mortician, the Murder, the Movie, which discussed his crime, as well as his brief re-entry to society and subsequent resentencing. Marge was born on June 14, 1925 in. Obituary Marjorie M. Nugent Resident of Morristown, New Jersey and Watch Hill, Rhode Island June 14, 1925June 7, 2016 Marge Nugent, loving mother, devoted wife, and adored grandmother passed away June 7, 2016 surrounded by her family in her Morristown, New Jersey home. Bernie Tiede always had that human touch. Bernie Tiede: You just have no earthly idea. After learning about Bernie Tiede, read up on the real-life murders that helped inspire The Amityville Horror. While Tiede's guilt is not in doubt, his life sentence for killing 81-year-old Marjorie Nugent in 1996 has since been dismissed. Bernie Tiede case: The Mortician, The Murder The Movie - CBS News Bernie & Marge: The Mysterious Case Of The Murderous Mortician & The In 1985, the 27-year-old Tiede moved to Carthage, which had a population of just 6,500. What made this God-fearing, likable man, take the life of an 81-year old widow that he befriended at her husband's funeral. Everybody knew," said Shanna Nugent. His mother dead, his father started drinking hard and died when Tiede was just 15. It was there that the two met and forged their unusual bond. But I don't like talkin' about them either," he told Peter Van Sant. Bernie Tiede, The Mortician Who Murdered Marjorie Nugent She knew that if her grandmother had left the house, she would have put everything she kept in the refrigerator in her freezer, located inside the pantry. While she was outside, petting her dog, he shot her four times in the back. The 81-year-old widow had a reputation . And the Nugent women, all busy college students at the time, admit there was a reluctance to reach out to Grandma Marjorie. Tell me about that day and what from your perspective led to the tragedy?" "And I think it took two days to thaw her out and for them to do an autopsy," said Davidson. In March of 1990, while working at the funeral of a man who had passed on, 32-year-old Bernie met the deceased's 81-year-old widow, Marjorie "Marge" Nugent. Van Sant asked Tiede. The end result, his loss of control over his emotions and behavior, is evidenced in his final actions toward Mrs. Nugent. Everybody loved Bernie," said Davidson. "It was so quick. It's just one of the rules of the game," said Black of the prison visit. And then I took her back to the car," said Tiede. Asked how so, Davidson replied, "I think that defines everything.". 'You can't leave me. "Yes, I'm aware of that. "She's 42 years older than you.". "I remember right before we shot that scene I went up to Jack Black and I said, 'Have you ever killed anyone in a movie?'" Bernie Tiede, pictured with Marjorie Nugent, not long before her 1996 murder. This might be where a normal true crime story would end, but not this one. Marjorie Nugent was a longstanding member of the richest family in Carthage after her husband had made his fortune as an oilman. Tiede, 57, was a mortician at the Hawthorn Funeral Home in Carthage, Texas, a town of about 7,000 about 150 miles east of Dallas, when he met Nugent at her husband's funeral in 1990. "Turns out he was generous with Mrs. Nugent's money," said Davidson. "They loved each other?" "Well, we were first cousins," she told Van Sant. The warm and affable Tiede invited her shopping and to dinner. Van Sant asked Linklater. Primo said he worked with Nugent's husband, Rodney Nugent, on business ventures. "You think, 'Gee, I'm glad this guy came here. And she goes, 'I don't know who you are and you need to leave.'". It has also been suggested that Tiede's handwritten confession (a major factor in the murder being considered first-degree) was strongly influenced by the prosecution's threats of leaking private videotapes of Tiede. The motion filed by Cole earlier in the week claims Marjorie Nugent's son, Rod Nugent, Jr., and an original administrator of Marjorie Nugent's estate were involved in a "scheme" to steal or embezzle money from the estate. Case closed. In 1993, Nugent convinced Tiede to work for her full-time, as her business manager. "I think it's the classic case of a kind of disassociated moment," said Richard Linklater. Van Sant asked the women. Man who killed 81-year-old widow is released from prison Ms . Full Description. They traveled the world together. On April 22, 2016, following Tiedes re-sentencing trial, the jury imposed a new sentence of 99 years or life for Tiede. Bernie Tiedes trial was moved 60 miles away because of the overwhelming support for him in Carthage. And Marjorie's family began to wonder, "What had become of grandma? Margie married Roderick Mathew Nugent in 1937. Danny Buck Davidson would charge Bernie with first-degree premeditated murder and seek the ultimate penalty: life in prison. "Bernie Tiede is what?" His Case is also featured on the Season 3, Episode 7, titled "Millionairess Mortician", from the Show, Deadly Sins. "Twenty years would have been the maximum sentence. Marjorie Nugent Obituary (1925 - 2016) - Watch Hill, RI - The Westerly Sun July 22, 2017 / 11:09 PM He points out that the gun Bernie claims to have just happened to have picked up in the garage (the site of the murder) had actually been moved from a closet. "The jury did not relate to him. Went to the pyramids. And he just kind of did this," Alexandria Nugent said, nodding. Despite locals shock, Tiede and Nugent became inseparable and may have even shared a romantic relationship. "I had caused the death of somebody that I loved. At some point, Marge changed her will to make Bernie the beneficiary of her $5 million estate, leaving her estranged son out in the cold. She could be very vindictive. After this, Tiede acknowledged using Nugent's money for civic activities, gifts to academic and civic groups, and to friends. "He was definitely feeling the ecstasy of freedom," said Black. When presented with the new evidence, Davidson agreed that, had he known this information in the original trial, he would have sought a lighter sentence. I'm an indie Texas director. They took lavish vacations abroad, and Tiede became known around town for the. You know, 'Nanny, who is this?' [7] Tiedes father, who never forgave himself[clarification needed], started drinking frequently.[8]. "The jury goes out to deliberate, Alexandria. Marjorie Nugent had earned a reputation of being a cold, vile and antisocial woman whom not one person enjoyed being around. The family of murder victim Marjorie Nugent, whose killer, Bernie Tiede, was the subject of a 2011 Hollywood movie, is glad that Tiede is back in prison for life. [10] He became a mortician, working in Carthage as assistant director of the Hawthorn Funeral Home. Davidson then went to bat for the killer he had once helped convict. "Bernie" Back in Court Tuesday for Murder - The Texas Tribune "They had a ball together. Some folks even suggested Tiede was next door to the angels. ", "Was she having a good time," Van Sant asked Hollandsworth. "That's what this whole case hinges on," said Jack Black. "She was," Alexandria Nugent replied. "My daddy and my mother they had a car accident, and my mother was riding in the passenger's side of the car and daddy never forgave himself for that, he never forgave himself for that," Tiede tearfully told "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant. Now that a second jury has also given him a life sentence, Nugent says her family feels vindicated. He and his daughter accompanied police to Nugents house on August 18, 1997, and found her neatly wrapped in the freezer. Her husband, Rod Nugent Sr., made a fortune as an independent oilman, a ruthless operator. Bernie in Hell - Texas Monthly And that even though he had his own modest home, he felt trapped by Nugent and wanted out. HENDERSON Convicted murderer Bernie Tiede is a calculating, money-hungry, cold-blooded killer who set his sights on elderly women, including Marjorie Nugent who he killed in 1996. What You Didn't Know About Murderer Bernie Tiede - Grunge "As I often do with the widows, widowers, check on 'em. On April 2, 2016, some 26 years after he met Marjorie Nugent, the jury once again sentenced Bernie Tiede to 99 years in prison. It is unknown what came first, her horrible attitude or her husband dying. While a motive remained unclear, there was zero mystery about the prime suspect. During the resentencing trial, Marjorie's granddaughter, Shanna Nugent, spoke directly to Bernie, and stated, You are nothing to me.[27] Shanna and her father, Rod Nugent, both asserted that Marjorie was a kind woman on good terms with her family (in contrast to the portrayal in the film), whom Tiede conned in order to spend her fortune without her knowledge. Those graphic details would be missing from the movie. And the motives of her new companion deeply suspect.
