'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Teresa Sievers was a 46-year-old physician who was found dead at her residence in Bonita Springs, Florida, on June 28, 2015. It was her husband, Mark Sievers, who called a family friend to check on her when she did not show up for work.
Her body was discovered in the kitchen, with a hammer lying next to her. Forensic reports revealed that she was smashed 17 times with the hammer, which led to her death. Initially, authorities didn't unveil any concrete evidence, but crucial intel in August 2015 led them to the criminals.
Dateline: Secrets Uncovered, season 14, episode 20, explores the complete investigation behind Dr. Teresa Sievers's murder. The episode titled The Long Road was released on March 26, 2025, on Oxygen. The official synopsis on the episode reads,
Trending
"When Dr. Teresa Sievers is found murdered in her kitchen, detectives struggle to find leads."
What is the story of Teresa Sievers?
As per Naples Daily News, Teresa Sievers was born on November 19, 1968, in Derby, Connecticut. She was raised by a single mother and had ambitions of becoming a doctor.
She graduated from Fairfield University with a pre-med certificate and then went to complete her residency at the University of Florida. As per News Press, Teresa Sievers got married to Mark in 2003, who was the brother of one of her friends.
The couple had two children, and in 2006, they relocated to the city of Bonita Springs, in Lee County, Florida. The couple eventually opened a medical healing center in the neighborhood of Estero named Restorative Health and Healing Center.
The murder of Teresa Sievers
On June 27, 2015, the day before Teresa was murdered, Mark took a rented car and drove to Hillsboro, Missouri, to pick up a man named Jimmy Ray Rodgers.
As per CBS News, Mark went to meet his childhood friend Curtis Wayne Wright Jr. on his wedding day in Missouri. Mark revealed to Weight about his deteriorating marriage and relationship with Teresa Sievers.
Mark stated his concerns about a divorce. He feared his wife would have custody of the children, and he didn't have enough money to hire an attorney. As per News Press, Wright suggested that killing Teresa was the only option he had left.
Additionally, if Teresa were dead, Mark would inherit her life insurance policies, which were worth over $4 million. Wright suggested that Mark hire Jimmy as a paid assassin, for which Wright himself paid the money.
Hence, on the day before the murder, Mark picked up both of the men and drove them to the residence, which he and Teresa shared in the neighborhood of Bonita Springs. As per CBS News, around 6:00 am on the morning of June 28, 2015.
Teresa Sievers was out of town, on vacation in Connecticut. The three first disabled the security alarm and then drove to a local Walmart store to buy accessories needed to clean the crime scene, including gloves, black towels, wipes, garbage bags, and a lock-picking tool kit.
The culprits then waited in the residence for several hours until Teresa landed at the airport and came to her residence since she had to check patients the next morning. Right after she entered the house, Curtis Wayne Wright Jr. and Jimmy Ray Rodgers thrashed her with a hammer for seventeen times. Teresa succumbed to her injuries. The three men then left the body and drove to Missouri during the early morning of June 29, 2015.
The investigation on the murder of Teresa Sievers
Initially, the authorities failed to find any concrete leads that could lead them to the murderers. However, as per The News Press, it was in August 2015 when a crucial tip led the police to Curtis Wright and Jimmy Rodgers.
During the investigation, Rodgers' girlfriend, Taylor Shoemaker, revealed to the investigators that the culprit had admitted to having killed Teresa during one of their conversations. Additionally, she said that Mark and Wright were involved in hiring Rodgers to kill Teresa Sievers for her insurance money.
As per CBS News, a GPS log proved that three of the men had taken the route to Bonita Springs, Florida. Additionally, their faces were caught on the surveillance camera of a gas station. The faces of the culprits were also recorded in the surveillance camera of the local Walmart, where they bought accessories to clean the crime scene.
As per CBS News, a blue jumpsuit was found on the side of Highway 47 in Missouri. The fibres of the jumpsuit matched with the fibres found on Teresa Sievers’ dress. Jimmy Rodgers' girlfriend Taylor told the investigators that he drove her to route 47 and asked her to throw that jumpsuit, along with a crushed cellphone and gloves.
Both Curtis Wright and Jimmy Rodgers were arrested and charged with the murder of Teresa Sievers. As per News Press, it was February 26, 2016, when Mark Sievers was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife. On May 11, 2016, the custody of Teresa's two children was given to her mother.
Wright accepted a plea deal of proving testimony against Mark and Rodgers. He was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment. Rodgers was also found guilty of first-degree murder, which was later reduced to second-degree murder.
It was on December 12, 2019, when Jimmy Rodgers was sentenced to life in prison. As per the Associated Press, on January 3, 2020, Lee County Judge Bruce Kyle recommended a death sentence for Mark Sievers. As per The News Press, his death row appeal was denied by the Florida Supreme Court on November 17, 2022. He currently remains under law enforcement custody.
Check out our other articles to learn more details about other cases on NBC Dateline.
