LEE COUNTY, Fla. (Court TV) — A Florida man has been sentenced to death for the first-degree murder of his wife.
Judge Bruce Kyle agreed with the jury’s recommendation and sentenced Mark Sievers to death for the first-degree murder of Dr. Teresa Sievers and an additional 30 years for conspiracy, to be served concurrently. Mark had been jailed for 1,408 days, for which he’ll be given credit for time served.
Court TV’s Trial Archives | FL v. Mark Sievers: Hammer Killing Murder Trial
Mark and Teresa Sievers (Courtesy of Lee County Sheriff’s Office/Scripps News Fort Myers-Naples)
Mark’s trial for his wife’s murder came nearly one month after hitman Jimmy Rodgers was found guilty of second-degree murder.
There was a last-minute appeal filed by Mark’s attorney to spare him of the death penalty during the Spencer hearing. Judge Kyle rejected that request. During the hearing, Mark read a written statement in court and proclaimed his innocence of all charges:
“Although a jury found me guilty, I am innocent of all charges. I cannot feel remorse for something I had nothing to do with and will fight this wrongful conviction.”
“I judge people’s actions, not their souls. If I’m wrong, hopefully, God will have mercy on our souls,” said Judge Kyle.
Prosecutors argued Mark planned his wife’s murder for life-insurance money and custody of their two daughters, enlisting the help of Curtis Wright and Rodgers. Teresa, 46, was bludgeoned to death at their Bonita Springs home on June 28, 2015, after returning home alone from a family trip to Connecticut. Her body, which sustained over a dozen blunt force trauma blows, was found the next day.
Investigators had no suspects until they received a tip via phone call on July 9, 2015, which led to the arrests of Rodgers and Mark’s longtime friend, Curtis Wright. Despite a cloud of suspicion, Teresa’s husband lived as a free man until February 26, 2016.
Prosecutors argued Mark planned his wife’s murder with the help of Wright, who allegedly traveled to Missouri to hire Rodgers as a hitman and brought him back to Southwest Florida. Although Rodgers was convicted of second-degree murder in October 2019, Mark and Wright are accused of orchestrating the attack. Wright, who took a 25-year plea deal, testified against Rodgers.
