At some point, they started dating., Nugent says he eventually stole $3.8 million of her money, which Marjorie was oblivious to at the time. [4] The elder Tiede had served as a professor of music and choral director at Our Lady of the Lake College in San Antonio, Texas (19461948), at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas (19481957), at Kilgore College in Kilgore (19571968), and then McMurry College in Abilene, where he served as director of the McMurry Chanters until his death. Some people are sayin', 'No, put him away for life,'" said actor Jack Black. 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. Frank Rosenthal And The Real Story Of Sam Rothstein From 'Casino', Archaeologists Uncover Animal Bones And Ancient Roman Snack Foods Beneath The Colosseum, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Jack Black: That period with the walls closing in. 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. And then I took her back to the car," said Tiede. Davidson then went to bat for the killer he had once helped convict. Bernie loves everybody. Bernie Tiede had preached and comforted and sang his way into this proud small town's everyday life. According to Rod, Tiede had alienated Nugent from her family, friends, and business associates of her late husband. [14][15] The Texas Criminal Courts of Appeal approved the writ. "I thought it was greed and betrayal," Davidson said. Marjorie Nugent met Bernie Tiede when her husband died in 1990. DALLAS (Reuters) - A jury on Friday sentenced a former mortician to return to prison for 99 years to life for murdering a wealthy East Texas widow and hiding her body in a freezer in a case that . It was on one of the next family visits to Carthage that the Nugent women got a hint of how deeply Tiede had moved into their grandmother's life. "We got pretty close," Ruth Cockrell replied. Early. While the facts of the case have not been in dispute, Bernie's motivation for murdering Marge (and his subsequent behavior in the months after the crime) has been debated for years. "But Bernie is not built for conflict. She opened the door. It was updated on July 22, 2017.]. probably never would, because there was something about Bernie that made folks wonder back then. Van Sant asked the women. [36] He currently resides at the Estelle Unit. But in 2014, defense lawyer Jodi Cole, inspired by the 2011 film about his case, Bernie, discovered new evidence. "Is there a miracle about to occur?" [10] He became a mortician, working in Carthage as assistant director of the Hawthorn Funeral Home. "I get a call from my dad he and I drive down," Alexandria Nugent said. CARTHAGE, Texas | One way or another, Bernie Tiede, has been dealing with death and darkness since he was 3 years old. [34], Tiede resided in the Telford Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for at least 15 years. [28], Other witnesses' testimonies differed. Until May 2014, he was serving a life sentence. Despite town gossip, there was nothing sexual about it, Tiede said, thinking of Nugent more as a mother figure and a friend. Washington, Baltimore, and then took a cruise down the East coast," Tiede reminisced. "I think it took them maybe 20 minutes to find him guilty," said Davidson. His father died in Abilene when Tiede was fifteen. "So a lot of death had occurred in our family," he said. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Its scary when a known con man is proven to have done all of this, and people are still willing to believe the con. Nine months," said Ruth Cockrell. It's very discouraging," said Black. I'm just a people person. Marjorie Nugent would one day be portrayed by Oscar-winning actress Shirley MacLaine. Neil Patmore is a former police officer, and private investigator. And it's like, I don't know. And she goes, 'I don't know who you are and you need to leave.'". 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. In 1997, after the family filed a missing-persons report on Marjorie, her son broke into her house and found her body. Many believed her to be the meanest woman in Carthage, lording her wealth and status over the town. My husband died this year, she says. "Lots of miracles have happened in my life," said Tiede. "He was there. I mean they took the most awful part of our lives and just laughed about it and joked about it," said Susan Jenull. And the D.A. "And so I thought, 'Why did he get a life sentence?'". We thought she might be in the hospital somewhere.. "And I go, 'What do you mean you don't know who we are?' First published on July 22, 2017 / 11:09 PM. The two eventually became inseparable companions, although she was more than 40 years his senior. "It's about abusing Marjorie Nugent financially; it's about just cold-blooded murder.". 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. That's what I'm thinking," she replied. Marjorie Nugent was the richest widow in an eccentric town full of rich widows. It doesn't hurt that the story got the Hollywood treatment when Dazed and Confused director Richard Linklater made a soapy film (starring Jack Black as Bernie) based on Bernie's version of events in which he, not Margie, was the real victim. And she opens the door and goes, 'I don't know who you are,'" Shanna Nugent said. "I think Danny Buck got enthralled with Hollywood," said Alexandria Nugent. "I was acting in the plays.". He could sing he could preach. Nugent hadnt seen her only son in years, or her grandchildren who had sued her over trust money. 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. After high school, Tiede started working in a funeral home, showing a particular talent for makeup and hair. Marjorie Nugent had earned a reputation of being a cold, vile and antisocial woman whom not one person enjoyed being around. Ms . The two met at her husband's funeral in 1990, and became close friends. Rod filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tiede, claiming he had embezzled more than $3 million from his mother.[16]. "She's 42 years older than you.". He snaps,' Cole said of the scene in the movie where Tiede shoots Marjorie. Bernie Tiede learned firsthand that the wounded, lonely, and those the dead leave behind, need comforting. Primo said he worked with Nugent's husband, Rodney Nugent, on business ventures. 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. "And you have a community saying, 'Leave him alone,'" Van Sant noted. "Turns out he was generous with Mrs. Nugent's money," said Davidson. The 81-year-old widow had a reputation . Danny Buck Davidson recused himself. "Doing good, doing a lot of good in Carthage," said Ruth Cockrell. "My grandmother believed he loved her.". I think as a society, we should protect the weak.. It was August 18, 1997, when the Nugent's had finally shared their concerns with the local sheriff. "My first thought is how is this happening?" "He provided money. No one has ever left me.' "As they are putting together all of the assets, there's missing money," says Shanna Nugent. He was once again found guilty and this time was sentenced to 99 years in jail. "Yeah. On April 2, 2016, some 26 years after he met Marjorie Nugent, the jury once again sentenced Bernie Tiede to 99 years in prison. Van Sant asked. According to the Amarillo Globe-News, Nugent's estranged son, Rod, an Amarillo pathologist, had grown concerned about not being able to reach his mother. Finally, however, he steeled himself to get rid of her for good. And you think how could I have saved them," said Shanna Nugent. "In 1990, the town's leading banker and oilman, Rod Nugent, hard-nosed, tough, but fair businessman dies," said Skip Hollandsworth, who covered the case for Texas Monthly magazine. "And I ended up attending the trial and started thinkin' maybe there's a movie here," he told Van Sant. And another thing, newly widowed 74-year-old Marjorie Nugent was loaded with cash as much as $6 million. 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. And in February of 1999, Danny Buck Davidson told his tale to a jury who had never heard about Tiede. "We'd go to the Cherokee Club, we would go to the Jalapeno Tree here in Carthage," Tiede recalled. "We were in a heated discussion, I told her, 'I can't do this anymore' 'I can't be your friend anymore. Van Sant asked. Tiede, a mortician, allegedly confessed to the 1996 shooting death of Marjorie Nugent, whose body he hid in a freezer . HENDERSON A surprise witness told Bernie Tiede's jury on Wednesday that Marjorie Nugent had been clear with him that she intended to spend her oil wealth while enjoying the rest of her life . 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. And he just kind of did this," Alexandria Nugent said, nodding. "People get trapped," Van Sant commented. Bernie Tiede: OK. Bernie: I love to be around people. It was moved to Henderson, Texas, because Tiede still had so many friends and fans in Carthage. No one had anything bad to say about Bernie. "And we went in and there were pictures of Bernie everywhere," said Alexandria Nugent. The visit was videotaped: Jack Black: I wanted to come and meet you. 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 trial of Bernie Tiede for murdering Marjorie Nugent was moved 50 miles away. [35] As of 2021[update], Tiede was incarcerated at the John B. Connally Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Kenedy, Texas, for several years. And he got one. No exit. A man grabs a .22 rifle and shoots an elderly widow in the back four times, killing her. And it's like, 'Mama, are you crazy?! Tiede claims her 24/7 demands had turned into an abusive relationship. The two eventually became inseparable companions, although she was more than 40 years his senior. "Yes, I'm aware of that. "That morning I felt like I wasn't a part of the shooting," Tiede said. 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. ", "Just park your car, jump over the gate, run," Linklater said. My grandmother was a child of The Depression so you didn't waste food," Alexandria Nugent explained. "He was a God to this town," said Susie Cockrell. "And you know, 'Maybe she's on another trip. Van Sant asked Tiede. In 1999, Tiede was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Marjorie Nugent, his 81-year-old friend and companion. "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. Then, learn about Dean Corll, the killer who terrorized Texas in the early 1970s. So what was the real truth? When she disappeared, nobody seemed. He was sentenced to life in prison, but that sentence was overturned in 2014. 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. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Marge was born on June 14, 1925 in. These days Bernie is biding his time in a Kenedy, Texas prison until at least 2029, when he first becomes eligible for parole. Cf. He told the Globe-News: It appears this Bernie Tiede kind of systematically estranged my mother from all these people one at a time At some point, they became angry with my mother.[11], When interviewed, Panola County District Attorney Danny "Buck" Davidson said that the town of Carthage was split up in regards to their opinion of Tiede. "Rod" Nugent, who had made his fortune in oil and banking. And he stayed as long as he could and his body acted in a way to end that abuse," Cole told Van Sant. Van Sant asked Linklater. And in turn, Tiede gave gifts to the good people of Carthage. Never. "Sudden passion. Nugent was more than 40 years his senior. Van Sant asked. "And Bernie is in charge of his funeral.". "People in the community were comin' in and sayin' Bernie was a really good guy, if he killed her he had a reason for doin' it. director Richard Linklater told Van Sant. 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. And by the time I got out there she had locked the gate on me. The young, portly mortician was so beloved in Carthage, however, that when he murdered 81-year-old Marjorie Nugent, a rich widow he had befriended after overseeing her husband's funeral, people didn't hold it against him. "It was a complete lie.". Now, what's as certain as his life sentence is this: deep in the heart of Texas, Bernie Tiede is loved. Tiede met Nugent at the Hawthorne Funeral Home while preparing her husband . "When he pointed that gun at Marjorie Nugent's back, that justified the life sentence," Tanner said in her closing. "This is a real case, with a real murderer. Trapped as Nugents full time caregiver, Tiede couldnt muster the courage to leave. "She was very mean-spirited, very abrupt with me," he said. Tell me about that day and what from your perspective led to the tragedy?" [33] In August 2017, a Texas appeals court upheld the 99-year prison sentence. 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. I dont think I really understood how vulnerable widows are until that happened to me. bernie-tiedes-freedom-was-more-than-a-feel-good-se "Man gets life sentence for killing Nugent", "Witness says sexual abuse triggered Tiede's "dissociative episode", "Ex-Mortician Whose Killing of Widow Inspired Movie Freed Early", ex-texas-mortician-being-freed-from-prison-early, "As 'Bernie' Goes Free, Victim's Granddaughter Says Hollywood Has Wrought an Injustice", "Richard Linklater on Living With Bernie Tiede", Shanna Nugent Delivers the Victim Impact Statement at Bernie Tiede Resentencing, "New Sentencing Trial for Bernie Starts Wednesday", "Bernie Tiede trial: Victim's sister says she was afraid of Marjorie", "How My Aunt Marge Ended Up in the Deep Freeze . "I felt sorry for Marjorie, I really did," he said. What's going through your mind?" ", Linklater was called to the stand to defend his friend. "Flash forward to 1994. ", "Hollywood means, you know, lack of morality," Linklater told Van Sant. "We went to Germany England Scotland and Wales. "He was about to be found out," said Starnes. When the family got suspicious and told her he was scamming her, she got really angry and threw them out, Nugent says. And another thing, newly widowed 74-year-old Marjorie Nugent was loaded with cash - as much as $6 million. After three weeks of testimony, they had deliberated for just over four hours.[31]. I think he takes it as his fate. The film attracted attention to Tiede's case, and new evidence was discovered. "The jury goes out to deliberate, Alexandria. Longview Bank and Trust replaced Marjorie as trustee of her late husband's fund. You dont ever expect anyone in your family to be murdered, Nugent says. Sixteen years after he shot Marjorie Nugent dead, Bernie Tiede painted a picture for defense attorney Jodi Cole about how he felt that awful morning. "One of his excellent qualities was he was a gourmet cook," said Paine. "Bernie's name was top of the list," said Davidson. [23], Nugent's family learned about Tiede's release through media reports. "How long did it take this jury to make its decision?" Twitter/Texas MonthlyBernie Tiede, pictured with Marjorie Nugent, not long before her 1996 murder. "I saw her to the gravesite. I think he has no remorse. "Rick Linklater is just as conned as my grandmother was," said Shanna Nugent. He claims he was molested by his own uncle, Elmer Doucet. For the court, it was enough to free Bernie from jail for two years (during which he actually lived with Linklater! "I said, 'Look at that. "Put it on her desk. Full Description. But the Nugent's say their grandma never needed Bernie, or anyone, to teach her kindness. Jester was killed in an automobile accident when the boy was two years old. This is a bizarre case where truth really is stranger than fiction. Marjorie Nugent was a longstanding member of the richest family in Carthage after her husband had made his fortune as an oilman. Tiede's motive for murder came into focus. In the following few years, Bernie quit the funeral business and went into the Marge business, serving as both a traveling companion on cruises or jaunts to Thailand and Egypt, as well as a caretaker of sorts, tweezing stray chin hairs and clipping Marge's nails, says ID. This might be where a normal true crime story would end, but not this one. And she was an amazing seamstress; she could make you a whole wardrobe.. Family member testifies Baruch also touches on possible motive beyond the money Bernie would get after Marge's death, alleging the murder was committed at least ion part because Bernie was trying to cover up money he'd allegedly stolen from Marge throughout their friendship a direction the previous trial had been unable to explore and which might have influenced the conviction. Tiede was taken in for questioning, and he admitted to Nugent's murder to police in August 1997. He also points to accounts that Bernie's behavior in town after the murder didn't change, and that Bernie declined to call Marge's disposition toward him as "mean" at trial. "It's grim when, you know, you see an old lady on video being pulled out of her freezer. They traveled the world together. And then, there's a group that wants no mercy.[11], At the resentencing trial, Tiede was sentenced to life in prison. "This idea that my grandmother was a monster is ludicrous," Alexandria Nugent said. Marjorie Nugent's granddaughter calls Tiede "the worst kind of criminal". "Some people are sayin', 'Hey let him go.' That was not part of the deal. "He could do everything?" "I think he is an incredibly nice generous man who did a horrible thing," he testified. She would eventually become a big part of Bernie Tiede's life, and how his story would be told. He did that," Tanner told the court. Bernie Tiede was an assistant funeral home director who became her companion. And now, the Bernie Tiede story was about to take yet another bizarre twist that began right at the movie premiere. "Did Marjorie know you were gay?" "I just made up one thing or another," said Tiede. In 1990 Tiede befriended Nugent at the funeral of her husband, a wealthy oilman and banker. In May 2014, Davidson and a visiting Judge Diane DeVasto of Tyler allowed Tiede to be released from prison that month on $10,000 bail, after his attorney, Jodi Cole, had learned that Tiede had been sexually abused as a child for multiple years by an uncle. Thats when Marjorie met Tiede, who was working at the funeral home which made the arrangements. Bernie Tiede wasn't about to be turned away. "That's what this whole case hinges on," said Jack Black. Got a magnetism," said Black. Danny Buck Davidson said. "And I think it took two days to thaw her out and for them to do an autopsy," said Davidson. It was like I walked in and I said, 'There's tape on the freezer," Alexandria Nugent continued." 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. It was just something that doesn't happen in prison," said Tiede. "She was like a schoolgirl in love," said Shanna Nugent. Black wanted to know what made Tiede tick, right down to what he felt in the days after he murdered Marjorie: Jack Black: That must have been incredibly stressful. If anyone asked, Tiede told them theyd just missed Nugent, or that she was taking a nap. Tiede shot Nugent four times in the back and placed her body in a freezer,. But Tiede tells a different story, claiming that after five years attending to Marjorie Nugent, the relationship had soured. "Thoroughly confused," added Susan Jenull. "Our folks surrounded him like mother hens. Just together, just friends," said Ruth Cockrell. 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. "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. Van Sant asked Linklater. She was just so controlling, she felt like she could own me, and I guess to some degree, she did, Tiede said. And at least according to Bernie, feeling like Marjorie Nugent's prisoner reminded him of the abuse he says he suffered as a boy. He preached a funeral for us," a customer said. "And Mama would tell us what he'd been saying. "Well, I felt like she felt like she could trust me, I guess,"said Tiede. Tiede and Nugent visited several countries together, cruising the Nile and the Rhine with Nugent, of course, picking up the tab. "Could Marjorie be mean?" And now they worried that Bernie was well on the way to tricking Marjorie out of millions. "That visit in 1994," Shanna Nugent replied. Bernie Tiede . How did the Bernie Tiede case impact Carthage, Texas? Two dramatic versions of Marjorie Nugent's murder have now been told. Ruth Cockrell said of Tiede. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. " On the show, CBS's 48 Hours viewers will learn how the relationship developed between Bernie Tiede and Marjorie Nugent, and how that . And soon, Nugent and Tiede were seen on the scene -- the odd couple of Carthage. Marjorie Nugent showered him with cash, clothing, cars -- even flying lessons and planes to go with it. 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. Bernie: The Truth About Bernie Tiede And Marjorie Nugent's Relationship. For Shanna, Alexandria and Susan, Grandma Marjorie's new behavior was disturbing. "Could Marjorie be difficult?" The case became famous thanks to a 2011 movie, Bernie, directed by Richard Linklater. I don't believe a word that comes out of the man's mouth," said Alexandria Nugent. "Everything that has been said about her is not her," said Alexandria Nugent. Tiede became a preacher and featured soloist in the choir at the First United Methodist Church and worked with the music and theater departments of the local college, often taking on starring roles himself. 'I can't get away from this woman.'". "He was definitely feeling the ecstasy of freedom," said Black. "It happened so often," Hollandsworth said, "he asked for a change of venue.". "And you were often times the star?" 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. Nine years after he met Marjorie Nugent at her husband's funeral, Bernie Tiede was sentenced to life in prison. "I deserved time," Tiede said. "He shot her in the back four times," said Davidson. And I have learned that is called a dissociative episode.". "She was very distraught. "It was so quick. We go to see her. "He put me up at his apartment at his home.". New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. "Is this case about money?" In all, he was widely regarded as the nicest man in town. "I mean, did he ever babysit your kids?" 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. "I had caused the death of somebody that I loved. Marjorie Nugent met Bernhardt Tiede when her husband died in March 1990. He comforted families of the deceased at funerals, staying close to grieving widows, and holding their hands to steady them. She wanted him to spend money on himself as well, and Nugent was adamant that no inheritance reach her family Not one thin dime.. What happens to First Republic Bank's stock and deposits now? 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. Marge, meanwhile, was often perceived as haughty and crotchety, per Texas Monthly, so the friendship that sprung up between the two may have been a surprise to some. Davidson recounted to the Longview News-Journal, People remember [Tiede] as being real nice and doing nice things, and they'd like my office to go real easy on him. She says more than $3 million disappeared and Marjorie cut off communication with her family. After learning about Bernie Tiede, read up on the real-life murders that helped inspire The Amityville Horror. They moved back to Carthage in 1989 (just a year before my uncle died), buying a controlling interest. Her husband, Rod Nugent Sr., made a fortune as an independent oilman, a ruthless operator. Mortician Who Inspired 'Bernie' Movie Sent Back To Prison For Widow's Murder. "It felt like this big weight had been lifted off my shoulder.". He was very popular in the town. He and his daughter accompanied police to Nugents house on August 18, 1997, and found her neatly wrapped in the freezer. Castle Rock EntertainmentJack Black as Bernie Tiede in Richard Linklaters 2011 film Bernie. Make sure she was up. Cole asked Richard Linklater if he had the transcripts from Tiede's 1999 murder trial.
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