But I don't like talkin' about them either," he told Peter Van Sant. The 81-year-old widow had a reputation . "My first thought is how is this happening?" "And I think it took two days to thaw her out and for them to do an autopsy," said Davidson. She wanted him to spend money on himself as well, and Nugent was adamant that no inheritance reach her family Not one thin dime.. "Well, I enjoyed singin' in the choir. Not because Danny Buck wants 20. I dont think I really understood how vulnerable widows are until that happened to me. "As a prosecutor, you got a man who's admitted he put four bullets in the back of a little old lady," said Van Sant. "They had a ball together. "Are you thinking to yourself, 'Well, we've parted ways, we did some business and never shall meet again'?" "He came with his box of transcripts," she said. Nugent says he eventually stole $3.8 million of her money, which Marjorie was oblivious to at the time. Bernie had embalmed Marge's husband and sang at his memorial service. They made for an interesting pair and had tongues wagging throughout town. "That morning I felt like I wasn't a part of the shooting," Tiede said. "In small towns anywhere, your reputation is not often defined by who you are, it's by what people think of you," Hollandsworth explained, "and so the reputation did get around town that Mrs. Nugent could be cantankerous.". "Put her in a freezer and kept spendin' her money while she was dead," said Davidson. "He was her man servant the guy hired to take care of her every need," Black explained. 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 Tiede's body, the theory goes, killed Marjorie Nugent without his mind taking part. Marjorie Nugent was a longstanding member of the richest family in Carthage after her husband had made his fortune as an oilman. Nugent hopes beyond anything else that her familys story puts a spotlight on crimes against the elderly. And I feel pretty good about it," said Davidson. "You think, 'Gee, I'm glad this guy came here. They took lavish vacations abroad, and Tiede became known around town for the. It was in 1991," he replied. A few days later, Tiede checked in on her at her house. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. "Bernie's name was top of the list," said Davidson. Marjorie Nugent was a longstanding member of the richest family in Carthage after her husband had made his fortune as an oilman. Bernie: The Truth About Bernie Tiede And Marjorie Nugent's Relationship. "He provided money. "And the thing that disturbed me was that all of the pictures of my grandfather were gone.". "we saw Broadway shows We had a lot of fun together.". Davidson says if he had to do it all over again he would have sought a much lighter sentence. " and all I wanted at that moment was my mom.". "Rod" Nugent, who had made his fortune in oil and banking. "Well Marjorie wasn't a huggy-type person," said Ruth Cockrell, who would come to know as much as anyone in Carthage about the friendship of Bernie and Marjorie. And another thing, newly widowed 74-year-old Marjorie Nugent was loaded with cash as much as $6 million. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. "Well, we were first cousins," she told Van Sant. This might be where a normal true crime story would end, but not this one. After all, everyone loved Bernie. According to Investigation Discovery (ID), that man Bernhardt (Bernie) Tiede II, a 38-year-old local mortician then leaves to check out a rehearsal of a college theater group. pictured above left, with Jack Black) while awaiting a new trial. Those graphic details would be missing from the movie. . "She was having a great time," he replied. He placed her body in a freezer used to store food at her Carthage home. It was August 18, 1997, when the Nugent's had finally shared their concerns with the local sheriff. After the appeal was granted, they let him out on bond, and part of the ruling by the judge was that he had to live with the movie director. Nine years after he met Marjorie Nugent at her husband's funeral, Bernie Tiede was sentenced to life in prison. Early. 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. "Very much so. Snapping. [10] He became a mortician, working in Carthage as assistant director of the Hawthorn Funeral Home. "I think the attraction for Marjorie was the same as it was for everyone in town. ", Asked if they appreciated him dropping by, Tiede told Van Sant, "Oh very much so.". "I think it's the perfect example of a sweetheart scam that I have ever seen," Shanna Nugent said. And Tiede's uncle, under oath, denied ever having molested Bernie. For the new sentencing trial, he was replaced by two prosecutors determined to put Bernie Tiede back behind bars. "And what were you thinking to yourself?" "But I took that really personally, 'cause I don't live in Hollywood. The two met at her husband's funeral in 1990, and became close friends. The primary focus of the film, Bernie, revolves around the direct relationship between Bernie Tiede and Marjorie Nugent, played by Jack Black and Shirley MacLaine. "She would kinda be called a blue blood," said Davidson. Poor Bernie. ", "Just park your car, jump over the gate, run," Linklater said. Now that a second jury has also given him a life sentence, Nugent says her family feels vindicated. They traveled the world together. "He shot her in the back four times," said Davidson. In 1991, Nugent altered her will, and disinherited her only child, Rod Nugent, leaving her entire $10 million estate to Tiede. He was sentenced to life in prison, but that sentence was overturned in 2014. I don't believe a word that comes out of the man's mouth," said Alexandria Nugent. And the D.A. "Well, I felt like she felt like she could trust me, I guess,"said Tiede. Tiede met Nugent at her husbands funeral in 1990, Tiede sang a hymn and escorted Nugent to and from her husbands grave, offering her his coat in the chilly cemetery. [25], Between the time of his release in 2014 and his resentencing hearing in April 2016, Tiede resided in Austin, Texas, at the garage apartment of filmmaker Richard Linklater, who had offered to assist him; this was a condition of his release. In 1985, the 27-year-old Tiede moved to Carthage, which had a population of just 6,500. And by the time I got out there she had locked the gate on me. Bernie Tiede: You just have no earthly idea. While Tiede's guilt is not in doubt, his life sentence for killing 81-year-old Marjorie Nugent in 1996 has since been dismissed. Besides most of the religious and conservative locals assumed Tiede was gay, which was never a problem. Bernie Tiede learned firsthand that the wounded, lonely, and those the dead leave behind, need comforting. "But Bernie is not built for conflict. Twitter/Texas MonthlyBernie Tiede, pictured with Marjorie Nugent, not long before her 1996 murder. "And I go, 'What do you mean you don't know who we are?' ", "Was she having a good time," Van Sant asked Hollandsworth. Bernie Tiede, a beloved funeral director in Carthage, Texas, was friendly, well-liked, considerate, and helpful. Despite the new evidence, Tiede was sentenced to 99 years to life. As nine months passed, Tiede said Nugent was in Ohio visiting her sister, or in the hospital recuperating from a stroke that left her speechless. "Even today, is there a Bernie Tiede Fan Club in Carthage"" Van Sant asked Davidson. [28], Other witnesses' testimonies differed. "My grandmother was a loving sweet woman," said Jenull. I always loved her as a sister, actually, even when she did ugly things, and she did.[29] Merrel's son, Joe Rhodes, attested to the movie's accurate portrayal of his aunt. On April 2, 2016, some 26 years after he met Marjorie Nugent, the jury once again sentenced Bernie Tiede to 99 years in prison. Nugent was incredibly wealthy and also a widower. By all accounts, Marjorie Nugent was an unpleasant woman who had few friends and whose relationships with her family were strained. Everybody knew," said Shanna Nugent. Her granddaughter expressed shock that the release was granted, and claimed that Richard Linklater's 2011 film Bernie had influenced the legal system. And he was sold. "She was," Alexandria Nugent replied. And he just kind of did this," Alexandria Nugent said, nodding. "I said, 'Look at that. Tiede visited them for days and weeks after the funeral, making sure they were all right. Jane Starnes and Assistant Attorney General Lisa Tanner weren't buying it. "There wasn't a question in anybody's mind. "Did Marjorie know you were gay?" "I was so relieved when they came for me and arrested me," he sobbed. "I felt like I wasn't even there. "He was on a lot of people's lists to literally sing them to heaven," said Linklater. Van Sant asked. Bernie Tiede is the son of Bernhardt Tiede (19121973), a native of Olegnow, Volyn Oblast, Ukraine. "And Mama would tell us what he'd been saying. No one has ever left me.' He joined the gay men's choir and he became a regular at Pastor Sid Hall's church. Yeah, I'd say he served enough time," said Black. Lisa Tanner would allege Bernie Tiede regularly forged Marjorie Nugent's signature, manually manipulated her bank accounts, altered her brokerage statements. director Richard Linklater told Van Sant. Castle Rock EntertainmentJack Black as Bernie Tiede in Richard Linklaters 2011 film Bernie. A jury convicted Tiede of first-degree murder, and sentenced him to 50 years in prison. I'm an indie Texas director. And that's when this twisted Texas tale really got strange. "Yes," he replied. It was just something that doesn't happen in prison," said Tiede. That same day, Bernie Tiede confessed to Panola County Sheriff Deputies that he murdered Marjorie Nugent back in November of 1996. She then became estranged from most people who cared about her. I think he has no remorse. [26], The resentencing trial began on April 6, 2016. As a freelance writer, he spends his time writing about true crime. He comforted families of the deceased at funerals, staying close to grieving widows, and holding their hands to steady them. She was just so controlling, she felt like she could own me, and I guess to some degree, she did, Tiede said. Marjorie Nugent's granddaughter calls Tiede "the worst kind of criminal". Teen Is Stabbed 32 Times By Ex After She Started Dating Someone Else: 'He Wanted Her Dead', Pa. Prosecutors began the day presenting evidence and calling witnesses. He was the beloved husband of 33 years to Lisa (Jones) Nugent. We thought she might be in the hospital somewhere.. "The first bullet in her back makes her paralyzed, so she falls straight down onto the concrete. "How long did it take this jury to make its decision?" "I had gone out to the house to make coffee. So I backed my car out of the garage. Bernie Tiede, a former mortician, killed rich Texas millionairess, Marjorie Nugent, and buried her body in her deep freezer 20 years ago. "Helping her with anything that she needed help with," he told Van Sant. "You're playing a person, you have access to them, you gotta go see them. [22] .mw-parser-output .quotebox{background-color:#F9F9F9;border:1px solid #aaa;box-sizing:border-box;padding:10px;font-size:88%;max-width:100%}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatleft{margin:.5em 1.4em .8em 0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatright{margin:.5em 0 .8em 1.4em}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.centered{overflow:hidden;position:relative;margin:.5em auto .8em auto}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatleft span,.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatright span{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .quotebox>blockquote{margin:0;padding:0;border-left:0;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-title{background-color:#F9F9F9;text-align:center;font-size:110%;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote>:first-child{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote:last-child>:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote.quoted:before{font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-weight:bold;font-size:large;color:gray;content:" ";vertical-align:-45%;line-height:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote.quoted:after{font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-weight:bold;font-size:large;color:gray;content:" ";line-height:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .left-aligned{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .right-aligned{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .center-aligned{text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .quote-title,.mw-parser-output .quotebox .quotebox-quote{display:block}.mw-parser-output .quotebox cite{display:block;font-style:normal}@media screen and (max-width:640px){.mw-parser-output .quotebox{width:100%!important;margin:0 0 .8em!important;float:none!important}}. Locals Lisa and Susie Cockrell sum it up simply. "Almost, people really saw him like that," added Lisa Cockrell. "Yeah, held a special place in the hearts of many people in Carthage, Texas," said Jack Black. Many believed her to be the meanest woman in Carthage, lording her wealth and status over the town. "Some people are sayin', 'Hey let him go.' Make sure they're alright. "He's got a warmth. "As I often do with the widows, widowers, check on 'em. Despite town gossip, there was nothing sexual about it, Tiede said, thinking of Nugent more as a mother figure and a friend. 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. Tiede reluctantly admitted to Cole that he had endured molestation by an uncle from the age of 12, with psychiatrists saying he experienced a dissociative episode during which he killed Nugent. In 1997, after the family filed a missing-persons report on Marjorie, her son broke into her house and found her body. He essentially claimed he'd been dissociating when he'd murdered Marge, and a psychiatrist agreed. "I wanted to check the freezer. Linklater and Skip Hollandsworth wrote the "Bernie" screenplay and brought it to Jack Black. Tell me about that day and what from your perspective led to the tragedy?" [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. But the Nugent's say their grandma never needed Bernie, or anyone, to teach her kindness. 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'd seen that.". 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"If I had gone to the police and then been proven wrong, I would have been laughed out of Carthage because people thought so much of Bernie," said Ruth Cockrell. Bernie Tiede had preached and comforted and sang his way into this proud small town's everyday life. "He was kind of the conduit to her generosity, to her better angel," said Linklater. "I know how lost and lonely you are, and I know that the one person she trusted took. When Shanna was 16, her grandfather died. "And you have a community saying, 'Leave him alone,'" Van Sant noted. We just went everywhere. Those are images that stay with you," said Linklater. Giving him access to her checking accounts so he could pay her bills, she rewrote her will making Tiede her sole beneficiary. However, to say that Nugent was not well liked was a gross understatement. "I'm a gay man. A man grabs a .22 rifle and shoots an elderly widow in the back four times, killing her. "And I said, 'He's an angel all right, he's an angel of death," said D.A. Van Sant asked the director. 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. 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. "We got pretty close," Ruth Cockrell replied. "When he pointed that gun at Marjorie Nugent's back, that justified the life sentence," Tanner said in her closing. Until May 2014, he was serving a life sentence. "And we said, 'Who is this?' Danny Buck Davidson. Afterward, he hides her body in a freezer to cover up the crime. After high school, Tiede started working in a funeral home, showing a particular talent for makeup and hair. And he stayed as long as he could and his body acted in a way to end that abuse," Cole told Van Sant. . Carlton Shamburger is the owner of Hawthorn Funeral Home, where Tiede worked for nine years. According to Rod, Tiede had alienated Nugent from her family, friends, and business associates of her late husband. "It felt like this big weight had been lifted off my shoulder.". Lisa Tanner took aim at Tiede and Hollywood. ", "We went to . "He's just a super generous sensitive guy, and is everybody's best friend and just very helpful," said Linklater. And another thing, newly widowed 74-year-old Marjorie Nugent was loaded with cash - as much as $6 million. Marjorie Nugent would one day be portrayed by Oscar-winning actress Shirley MacLaine. "Yes, I'm aware of that. Tiede claims her 24/7 demands had turned into an abusive relationship. Neil Patmore is a former police officer, and private investigator. At first glance, the tale appears to be one of a cold-blooded killer and a helpless victim, but the real story of Bernie and Marjorie (Marge) Nugent is much more complicated. He and his daughter entered his mother's house, where they found her body in the freezer.[13]. 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. Asked if he is a danger to society, Tiede told Van Sant, "No sir, not at all.". "This is a real case, with a real murderer. Tiede's motive for murder came into focus. The Bizarre Story Of Bernie Tiede And The Real Murder Case That Inspired The Movie Bernie. And the Nugent women, all busy college students at the time, admit there was a reluctance to reach out to Grandma Marjorie. They actually disassociate, which is to leave their body," Cole explained. The two eventually became inseparable companions, although she was more than 40 years his senior. "I think I'm pretty unconnable," Linklater told Van Sant. He's an asset to the community.' A new sentencing trial is ordered, andTiede is released from prison for the time being. "There's this notion out there that you were attracted to Marjorie's money," Van Sant noted. I'm mean as an old settin' hen sometimes," she laughed. Bernhardt Tiede II (/tid/; born August 2, 1958) is an American mortician who was convicted of the November 19, 1996 murder of his companion, wealthy 81-year-old widow Marjorie "Marge" Nugent, in Carthage, Texas. Danny Buck Davidson said. The Nugent family thought it was beyond offensive. Van Sant asked. Trapped as Nugents full time caregiver, Tiede couldnt muster the courage to leave. "He was targeting wealthy women," said Susan Jenull, one of Nugent's granddaughters. The town of Carthage, where Marge lived and where Bernie worked at the local funeral home, is in deep East Texas, more than a two-hour drive from Dallas. They traveled the world. Mike DeGeurin, Tiedes attorney, tells PEOPLE that the next step is a motion for a new trial and then an appeal. Van Sant asked Tiede. The premise was, The nicest guy in the world is driven to murder by a bitchy woman, says Marjories granddaughter, Shanna Nugent. Tiede, a mortician, allegedly confessed to the 1996 shooting death of Marjorie Nugent, whose body he hid in a freezer . He was very popular in the town. According to his confession, he then dragged her lifeless body into the house, put her in the freezer, placed frozen food on top of her and taped the freezer shut. He had his groupies," said Davidson. In Austin, Bernie Tiede went about creating a new life -- all on borrowed time. After the film Bernie (2011) was released, attorney Jodi Cole became interested in Tiede's case and met with him, filing a post-conviction writ of habeas corpus, in which Tiede alleged that his constitutional rights were violated in the first trial because of newly discovered evidence. The director and those who loved Bernie argued he had paid his dues with time already served. The now-55-year-old Tiede, who was well liked in the close-knit community of Carthage, was convicted in the death of his longtime companion, Marjorie Nugent. Trump motion to declare mistrial in E. 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John served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves from 1973 - 1978. "This was just a straight up execution," said Tanner. "I think any of us can be difficult. And though this case is the true story behind the 2011 movie Bernie, the real events are more astounding than anything Hollywood could have dreamt up. "And you know, 'Maybe she's on another trip. Teen Appeals Prison Sentence for Murdering Friend and Taking a Smiling Selfie with His Body. I think as a society, we should protect the weak.. Now, what's as certain as his life sentence is this: deep in the heart of Texas, Bernie Tiede is loved. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. "Sudden passion. "I think Danny Buck got enthralled with Hollywood," said Alexandria Nugent. In all, he was widely regarded as the nicest man in town. When Marjorie Nugent's husband dies, he is the angel at her shoulder, creating the impression that no client has ever touched him quite so much as she has. 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. The movie, "Bernie," also featured Matthew McConaughey as Danny Buck Davidson. "In some ways did Bernie become part of the family?" Make sure she was up. In the chill at the cemetery, Tiede offered her his jacket. It was there that the two met and forged their unusual bond. Some people are sayin', 'No, put him away for life,'" said actor Jack Black. "I'm just very appreciative of them coming to meet me. Less than a year after her husband's death, Tiede and Nugent started hanging out big time, trading in the backroads for Broadway. "My grandmother believed he loved her.". "Personally, I think he's pure evil," said Shanna Nugent. Bernie Tiede: OK. Bernie: I love to be around people. Tiede had known Nugent for years and became her caretaker and travel companion after her husband died in 1990. "It happened so often," Hollandsworth said, "he asked for a change of venue.". I'm just a people person. Jack Black: That period with the walls closing in. Ruth Cockrell said of Tiede. "Which is the top max sentence. Van Sant asked. Margie was a daughter of Spence Midyett. He shoots her again. "We believe my grandmother was in love with Bernie and believed that he was in love with her," said Alexandria Nugent. "She was very mean-spirited, very abrupt with me," he said. 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.
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