"Twenty years would have been the maximum sentence. And she opens the door and goes, 'I don't know who you are,'" Shanna Nugent said. "They had a ball together. This may have appeared on older maps as Olgenowka, just east of, Ancestry.com. He had his groupies," said Davidson. The warm and affable Tiede invited her shopping and to dinner. "And what were you thinking to yourself?" She then became estranged from most people who cared about her. "We'd go up on a Friday morning then come back on a Sunday evening," Tiede said. ", "Hollywood means, you know, lack of morality," Linklater told Van Sant. Her husband, Rod Nugent Sr., made a fortune as an independent oilman, a ruthless operator. After traveling to Panola County nine months following her death, Rod declared Nugent a missing person. More from US "I don't like the things that she did. According to Rod, Tiede had alienated Nugent from her family, friends, and business associates of her late husband. The director and those who loved Bernie argued he had paid his dues with time already served. After all, everyone loved Bernie. 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. Ms . How did the Bernie Tiede case impact Carthage, Texas? "And Bernie is in charge of his funeral.". Nugent was incredibly wealthy and also a widower. Washington, Baltimore, and then took a cruise down the East coast," Tiede reminisced. Family member testifies This might be where a normal true crime story would end, but not this one. 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. "I think any of us can be difficult. Tiede had known Nugent for years and became her caretaker and travel companion after her husband died in 1990. "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. Longview Bank and Trust replaced Marjorie as trustee of her late husband's fund. "In some ways did Bernie become part of the family?" Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. "And every Sunday he'd come and sit right beside me and give me a full report on Marjorie," said Ruth Cockrell. "We'd go to the Cherokee Club, we would go to the Jalapeno Tree here in Carthage," Tiede recalled. The movie, "Bernie," also featured Matthew McConaughey as Danny Buck Davidson. Now, what's as certain as his life sentence is this: deep in the heart of Texas, Bernie Tiede is loved. [6] They married in 1957, and Bernie was born in the next year in Abilene. Marjorie Nugent filed a new will leaving everything to Tiede and nothing to her family. "As I often do with the widows, widowers, check on 'em. "He was about to be found out," said Starnes. [3] Of German descent, Tiede had immigrated in 1926 as a child with his family to the United States. "Let's move now to November 19, 1996. And the motives of her new companion deeply suspect. "I think the attraction for Marjorie was the same as it was for everyone in town. 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. 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. Van Sant asked. "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. And she said, 'Well, he's my friend,'" she continued. "I think the fatal mistake my grandmother made is she ended up buying a $30,000 headstone from Bernie Tiede, and from that moment he marked her," said Shanna Nugent. After high school, Tiede started working in a funeral home, showing a particular talent for makeup and hair. "He was definitely feeling the ecstasy of freedom," said Black. It was moved to Henderson, Texas, because Tiede still had so many friends and fans in Carthage. "And there was the top of Miss Nugent's head. A few years later, at Nugent's request, he quit his job to become her personal assistant, business. The body of Ms Nugent, who disappeared in 1996, was found in a freezer at her Carthage home, wrapped in a sheet and surrounded by packs of frozen corn and pecans. "There's members of Marjorie's family that tell a different story," said Black. "This idea that my grandmother was a monster is ludicrous," Alexandria Nugent said. "That's enough of that. "I think Danny Buck got enthralled with Hollywood," said Alexandria Nugent. to Egypt. And then I got active in the school here in the drama department," Tiede said. In 1985, the 27-year-old Tiede moved to Carthage, which had a population of just 6,500. Van Sant asked D.A. . Full Description. A dissociative episode -- the new-age term would break the case against Bernie Tiede wide open. "I know how lost and lonely you are, and I know that the one person she trusted took. He stands 5'6." Yet the word for Bernie Tiede is "hovering." He seems to hover above even those taller than him. 7:30. Cole says she and Bernie Tiede learned about the alleged scheme in a will contest filing from one of Marjorie Nugent's sisters. "And so I said, 'Let me read this thing.'". 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. "Bernie's name was top of the list," said Davidson. "Flash forward to 1994. [26], The resentencing trial began on April 6, 2016. Bernie Tiede . "Rod" Nugent, who had made his fortune in oil and banking. Less than a year after her husband's death, Tiede and Nugent started hanging out big time, trading in the backroads for Broadway. 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 felt like this big weight had been lifted off my shoulder.". Van Sant asked. At one point he imagined hitting her over the head with a baseball bat, but couldnt bear the thought of her suffering. She opened the door. I'd seen that.". 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. "My grandmother was a loving sweet woman," said Jenull. Asked how so, Davidson replied, "I think that defines everything.". Van Sant asked. [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}}. 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. The two eventually became inseparable companions, although she was more than 40 years his senior. "I thought it was greed and betrayal," Davidson said. 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. He was very popular in the town. "Are you thinking to yourself, 'Well, we've parted ways, we did some business and never shall meet again'?" I'm mean as an old settin' hen sometimes," she laughed. It was absolutely horrendous. And he got one. Many believed her to be the meanest woman in Carthage, lording her wealth and status over the town. "Thoroughly confused," added Susan Jenull. No way out. We had the funeral service there. From the dusty dirt roads where Jack Paine and Ira Bounds live. Snapping. And at least according to Bernie, feeling like Marjorie Nugent's prisoner reminded him of the abuse he says he suffered as a boy. And Hollywood makes a movie out of him.. [5] In addition to his work as a university professor, the elder Tiede also served as church music director and as a vocal performer. Cf. Those are images that stay with you," said Linklater. And there it was. [12], In November 1996, Tiede killed Nugent by shooting her in the back four times with a .22 caliber rifle. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. I don't want you to talk about the shooting," said Cole. Bernie Tiede was easy to find. Van Sant asked Davidson. The premise was, The nicest guy in the world is driven to murder by a bitchy woman, says Marjories granddaughter, Shanna Nugent. Poor Bernie. "I think that he was well thought of amongst the little old ladies in town," added Bounds. And on May 6, 2014, Tiede's life sentence is thrown out. And I have to stay here unless something changes. Shortly after entering the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in 1999, Tiede was attacked by fellow inmates. And by the time I got out there she had locked the gate on me. She would eventually become a big part of Bernie Tiede's life, and how his story would be told. 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. After learning about Bernie Tiede, read up on the real-life murders that helped inspire The Amityville Horror. "And she was kind?" "And you know, 'Maybe she's on another trip. A man grabs a .22 rifle and shoots an elderly widow in the back four times, killing her. For Shanna, Alexandria and Susan, Grandma Marjorie's new behavior was disturbing. Tiede, a mortician, allegedly confessed to the 1996 shooting death of Marjorie Nugent, whose body he hid in a freezer . "I think it's the perfect example of a sweetheart scam that I have ever seen," Shanna Nugent said. Ruth Cockrell said of Tiede. 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. He did that," Tanner told the court. "She was very distraught. "Doing good, doing a lot of good in Carthage," said Ruth Cockrell. "Millions. "That morning I felt like I wasn't a part of the shooting," Tiede said. The former Carthage mortician was convicted in 1999 of killing 81-year-old Marjorie Nugent, a wealthy Carthage widow. "She would kinda be called a blue blood," said Davidson. [33] In August 2017, a Texas appeals court upheld the 99-year prison sentence. And he just kind of did this," Alexandria Nugent said, nodding. "And I think it took two days to thaw her out and for them to do an autopsy," said Davidson. My husband died this year, she says. "We had lost contact with her. He was once again found guilty and this time was sentenced to 99 years in jail. "This is really eye-opening, guys, to talk to you. also. 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. She did not deserve to die. Never. By then (according to Bernie's account), Marge had grown demanding and controlling, making him check in regularly by phone, and growing angry if he was late to their lunch meetups. . "I never thought of them as lovey-dovey's. Marjorie Nugent [ edit] Tiede met the wealthy widow, Marjorie Nugent, in March 1990 at her husband's funeral, which Tiede had helped arrange as assistant director at Hawthorn Funeral Home. 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. It just seemed like she didnt have any friends, and I just felt this compelling desire to give her some friendship he said. [17] During his imprisonment, he was described by a prison official as a model prisoner.[18] He taught health classes and participated in the prison's choir. "They went on great adventures together," Black said. [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. "Bernie Tiede is what?" And soon, Nugent and Tiede were seen on the scene -- the odd couple of Carthage. "I don't want him talking about the shooting That's enough," she said. [7] Tiedes father, who never forgave himself[clarification needed], started drinking frequently.[8]. Trapped as Nugents full time caregiver, Tiede couldnt muster the courage to leave. It's what the law says," he explained. Critics loved it. "He shot her in the back four times," said Davidson. She was alright.". And people are still mystified about what really happened on that November afternoon that led Bernie to shoot her four times," said reporter Skip Hollandsworth. 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. " On the show, CBS's 48 Hours viewers will learn how the relationship developed between Bernie Tiede and Marjorie Nugent, and how that . "I looked at my dad and I said, 'They found her.' Among the items taken from Tiedes house after his original arrest were four books on childhood sexual abuse. Plural. And the Nugent women, all busy college students at the time, admit there was a reluctance to reach out to Grandma Marjorie. It is unknown what came first, her horrible attitude or her husband dying. Tonight, CBS's 48 Hours will re-examine the case in their episode "The Mortician, The Murder, The Movie. And that's when this twisted Texas tale really got strange. 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. "Well, I felt like she felt like she could trust me, I guess,"said Tiede. "He could. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Bernie Tiede's mother was his father's first wife, Lela Mae Jester (19331960). And now they worried that Bernie was well on the way to tricking Marjorie out of millions. Bernie Tiede wasn't about to. "She untaped it and raised it up," D.A. He comforted families of the deceased at funerals, staying close to grieving widows, and holding their hands to steady them. 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. "I think that he did not plan on killing her.". "Some people are sayin', 'Hey let him go.' "I've done a particularly horrible thing [cries] the worst thing in my life.". By all accounts, Marjorie Nugent was an unpleasant woman who had few friends and whose relationships with her family were strained. Bernhardt Tiede II was born on August 2, 1958, in Abilene, Texas. "Personally, I think he's pure evil," said Shanna Nugent. "It was such a difficult time," said Tiede. "I get a call from my dad he and I drive down," Alexandria Nugent said. Some people are sayin', 'No, put him away for life,'" said actor Jack Black. He placed her body in a freezer used to store food at her Carthage home. You dont ever expect anyone in your family to be murdered, Nugent says. As an assistant funeral director at Hawthorn Funeral Home, Tiede soon became a beloved pillar of the Carthage community, and according to Texas Monthly, wore colorful Tommy Hilfiger clothes, when not wearing somber funeral suits, and drove around town in his Lincoln Continental, smiling broadly at everyone. "He was a God to this town," said Susie Cockrell. So what was the real truth? Yes. "She was very mean-spirited, very abrupt with me," he said. "That is the real story," Alexandria Nugent affirmed. Nugent says he eventually stole $3.8 million of her money, which Marjorie was oblivious to at the time. "Yeah, held a special place in the hearts of many people in Carthage, Texas," said Jack Black. "I think it took them maybe 20 minutes to find him guilty," said Davidson. While articles and the movie portrayed Marjorie as a domineering, mean person, her granddaughter describes her as a really loving and touchy-feely person. [11] By 1993, Bernie left his job to work for Nugent full time as her business manager and travel companion. Taking great pride in his work, he was a consoling shoulder for the bereaved throughout the late 1980s and early 90s especially the elderly. 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. Nugent hopes beyond anything else that her familys story puts a spotlight on crimes against the elderly. She wanted him to spend money on himself as well, and Nugent was adamant that no inheritance reach her family Not one thin dime.. It's just one of the rules of the game," said Black of the prison visit. 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. Bernie Tiedes trial was moved 60 miles away because of the overwhelming support for him in Carthage. While there, he orders pizza for everybody on the widow's credit card. He was talented. "She asked me to leave the funeral home," Tiede told Van Sant. [34], Tiede resided in the Telford Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for at least 15 years. "That visit in 1994," Shanna Nugent replied. ", Days turned into months, as Bernie Tiede kept his awful secret. The end result, his loss of control over his emotions and behavior, is evidenced in his final actions toward Mrs. Nugent. "And we went in and there were pictures of Bernie everywhere," said Alexandria Nugent. . Until May 2014, he was serving a life sentence. As a freelance writer, he spends his time writing about true crime. But I don't like talkin' about them either," he told Peter Van Sant. Bernie Tiede: OK. Bernie: I love to be around people. He was the beloved husband of 33 years to Lisa (Jones) Nugent. Those graphic details would be missing from the movie. Bernie Tiede's defense was that he killed Marjorie in an act of passion that her murder was not premeditated. When Marge's husband died, reports ID, Bernie embalmed him and even sang at his service. "Twelve when my Uncle began molesting me," said Tiede. "I had gone out to the house to make coffee. "He put me up at his apartment at his home.". "It happened so often," Hollandsworth said, "he asked for a change of venue.". After going home to shower, he returned to Marjories house. Because that's what you do when you love someone and you find out that the person that they were in love with shot them four times in the back. "Was her place his gilded cage and she closed the door on that cage? ", "I started asking my dad, 'Have you heard from Nanny, I can't get her?'" He and his daughter entered his mother's house, where they found her body in the freezer.[13]. Despite the magical intervention of Hollywood and the town's alleged feelings toward Marge, many (particularly the Nugent family) still believe Bernie acted in a premeditated way when he killed Marge. And she goes, 'I don't know who you are and you need to leave.'". In 1963, Tiede's father married Clara Kathryn Wiley (b. "He's back in prison for life. He noted several acts of his aunt's abusive behavior toward him in The New York Times article titled How My Aunt Marge Ended Up in the Deep Freeze.[30], On April 22, 2016, the jury of ten women and two men issued a new sentence of 99 years to life for Tiede. He's been re-sentenced in the 1999 murder of 81-year-old Marjorie Nugent. But when Nugent was found dead in a freezer in 1997 and Tiede came under suspicion, the town had trouble believing that their favorite son had committed such a heinous crime. And Tiede's body, the theory goes, killed Marjorie Nugent without his mind taking part. Meanwhile, Marge's family began to worry when they could no longer reach her. I think he takes it as his fate. "That's what this whole case hinges on," said Jack Black. "Did Marjorie know you were gay?" 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.
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