And another thing, newly widowed 74-year-old Marjorie Nugent was loaded with cash as much as $6 million. "It's about abusing Marjorie Nugent financially; it's about just cold-blooded murder.". 9 of 12 10 of 12 ADVANCE FOR SUNDAY JUNE 28--FILE--This is a 1996 file photo provided by the Panola County Sheriff's Department of Marjorie Nugent, right, and her former escort Bernie Tiede. "They loved each other?" He was sentenced to life in prison, but that sentence was overturned in 2014. 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. "He was definitely feeling the ecstasy of freedom," said Black. Van Sant asked Tiede. "People get trapped," Van Sant commented. "I want the world to know that Bernie Tiede is a good person and that this outcome is unacceptable," she said. "You told one she had Alzheimer's, another she was in the hospital," Van Sant noted. [6] They married in 1957, and Bernie was born in the next year in Abilene. The majestic gates swung open to a kingdom of riches, and Bernie Tiede rolled right in. "And you know, 'Maybe she's on another trip. Primo said he worked with Nugent's husband, Rodney Nugent, on business ventures. 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. "In some ways did you feel trapped in this relationship, just as you had been trapped with your uncle?" Bernie confessed to police, was tried, and received a 50-year prison term for the murder. "In '93, we went there and she opened the door and she hugged me and kissed me like eight times," said Shanna Nugent. She recalls spending a week and a half with her grandparents on their farm every year. It was just something that doesn't happen in prison," said Tiede. While a motive remained unclear, there was zero mystery about the prime suspect. By all accounts, Marjorie Nugent was an unpleasant woman who had few friends and whose relationships with her family were strained. "we saw Broadway shows We had a lot of fun together.". "The child abuse and the abusive relationship," the D.A. "And within a few weeks she had come to see me," said Tiede. Public DomainBernie Tiede was so beloved in his Texas hometown that locals refused to believe he could have committed murder. The warm and affable Tiede invited her shopping and to dinner. "This is really eye-opening, guys, to talk to you. 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. When Shanna was 16, her grandfather died. Never. Not because Danny Buck wants 20. Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction In 'Bernie' - NPR In 1963, Tiede's father married Clara Kathryn Wiley (b. Bernie Tiede wasn't about to be turned away. [24] The Nugent family created a website to honor Nugent's memory, posting photos of her and articles relating to her murder. Gregg County marriage records, book 35, page 229; cf. "He could connect that quickly," Van Sant commented. 'You can't leave me. "It happened so often," Hollandsworth said, "he asked for a change of venue.". Locals Lisa and Susie Cockrell sum it up simply. Poor Bernie. "Personally, I think he's pure evil," said Shanna Nugent. 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. And after watching the movie she got a hunch that the trial of Bernie Tiede had been a miscarriage of justice. I won't leave. The end result, his loss of control over his emotions and behavior, is evidenced in his final actions toward Mrs. Nugent. Mortician Who Inspired 'Bernie' Movie Sent Back To Prison For Murder Van Sant asked. " On the show, CBS's 48 Hours viewers will learn how the relationship developed between Bernie Tiede and Marjorie Nugent, and how that . After going home to shower, he returned to Marjories house. He was very popular in the town. Trump motion to declare mistrial in E. 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Family member testifies Tiede visited them for days and weeks after the funeral, making sure they were all right. The curt and vindictive elderly widow with the assistant funeral director, who at 6 foot 3 and 270 pounds, wouldnt have been out of place on a football field. "When he pointed that gun at Marjorie Nugent's back, that justified the life sentence," Tanner said in her closing. [6] Tiede graduated from Cooper High School in 1976. director Richard Linklater told Van Sant. ", "Just park your car, jump over the gate, run," Linklater said. It was absolutely horrendous. "I've done a particularly horrible thing [cries] the worst thing in my life.". What You Didn't Know About Murderer Bernie Tiede - Grunge YouTubeMarjorie Nugent And Bernie Tiede were inseparable right up until her 1996 demise. Danny Buck Davidson. 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. This might be where a normal true crime story would end, but not this one. Bernie movie review & film summary (2012) | Roger Ebert Bernie Tiede, a beloved funeral director in Carthage, Texas, was friendly, well-liked, considerate, and helpful. "Rick Linklater is just as conned as my grandmother was," said Shanna Nugent. For Shanna, Alexandria and Susan, Grandma Marjorie's new behavior was disturbing. Bernie Tiede: Trial Seeking New Sentence Begins In Texas - People Ms . "Mr. Linklater. "Well, we were first cousins," she told Van Sant. And Hollywood makes a movie out of him.. She then became estranged from most people who cared about her. And he stayed as long as he could and his body acted in a way to end that abuse," Cole told Van Sant. 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. Many believed her to be the meanest woman in Carthage, lording her wealth and status over the town. Her husband, Rod Nugent Sr., made a fortune as an independent oilman, a ruthless operator. When Marge's husband died, reports ID, Bernie embalmed him and even sang at his service. Instead, they eventually learned of the chilling events that led to her death. "There's this notion out there that you were attracted to Marjorie's money," Van Sant noted. "So week after week, month after month passes, Marjorie's nowhere to be seen," said Van Sant. You dont ever expect anyone in your family to be murdered, Nugent says. He did that," Tanner told the court. And then I took her back to the car," said Tiede. "And we said, 'Who is this?' 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. I think he takes it as his fate. "Sudden passion. Van Sant asked. "I was acting in the plays.". Nevertheless, when Tiede became the constant companion of the meanest woman in Carthage Marjorie Nugent, 40 years his senior it was certainly a surprise. "He was there. That's what I'm thinking," she replied. In 1999, Tiede was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Marjorie Nugent, his 81-year-old friend and companion. And I have to stay here unless something changes. It's just one of the rules of the game," said Black of the prison visit. "I had gone out to the house to make coffee. Marjorie Nugent showered him with cash, clothing, cars -- even flying lessons and planes to go with it. At one point he imagined hitting her over the head with a baseball bat, but couldnt bear the thought of her suffering. / CBS News, Produced by Jamie Stolz and Marc Goldbaum, [This story first aired on Oct. 1, 2016. Those graphic details would be missing from the movie. "My grandmother believed he loved her.". When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. When she disappeared, nobody seemed. Spreading an estimated $2 million of Nugents money around town while pretending that she was still alive, Tiede invested in a western wear shop, pledged money to the church for a new wing, and bought cars for at least 10 people. [10] He became a mortician, working in Carthage as assistant director of the Hawthorn Funeral Home. Youngest granddaughter of Bernie Tiede's murder victim speaks out Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Man convicted of murdering companion, stuffing body in freezer", 'mean-bernie-film-features-cooper-grads-unlikely', "Judge Agrees to Release Murderer "Bernie" Backed by Austin Filmmaker", "History of Bernie's secret: Facts of sexual abuse could have been key to defense". "When was the last time you saw your grandmother alive?" Teen Appeals Prison Sentence for Murdering Friend and Taking a Smiling Selfie with His Body. "That visit in 1994," Shanna Nugent replied. "So what was the attraction?" Jack Black: That period with the walls closing in. Washington, Baltimore, and then took a cruise down the East coast," Tiede reminisced. Bernie: The Truth About Bernie Tiede And Marjorie Nugent's - Grunge Marjorie Nugent's granddaughter calls Tiede "the worst kind of criminal". Tiede was taken in for questioning, and he admitted to Nugent's murder to police in August 1997. 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. "Well, I felt like she felt like she could trust me, I guess,"said Tiede. . They actually disassociate, which is to leave their body," Cole explained. "Yes, I'm aware of that. For the new sentencing trial, he was replaced by two prosecutors determined to put Bernie Tiede back behind bars. In all, he was widely regarded as the nicest man in town. I'm mean as an old settin' hen sometimes," she laughed. "He's back in prison for life. Went to the pyramids. "They are overwhelmed with stress and emotion. [3] Of German descent, Tiede had immigrated in 1926 as a child with his family to the United States. [23], Nugent's family learned about Tiede's release through media reports. "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. 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. "Sixteen years. Got her up " Tiede replied, as his attorney, Jodi Cole, interrupted the interview. While Tiede's guilt is not in doubt, his life sentence for killing 81-year-old Marjorie Nugent in 1996 has since been dismissed. ", Asked if they appreciated him dropping by, Tiede told Van Sant, "Oh very much so.". Bernie Tiedes trial was moved 60 miles away because of the overwhelming support for him in Carthage. "Our folks surrounded him like mother hens. When he was just three years old, his mother died in a car accident, with his father unharmed as driver of the vehicle. It's a murder story based on what happened in the small town of Carthage in East Texas in 1997. 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. Taking great pride in his work, he was a consoling shoulder for the bereaved throughout the late 1980s and early 90s especially the elderly. That is what the original state's witness told us occurred in this case," Jodi Cole addressed the court in her closing statement. 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. Tiede shot Nugent in the back four times with a rifle on Nov. 19, 1996, and then stored her body in the deep freezer of her home until her . The director and those who loved Bernie argued he had paid his dues with time already served. As years passed though, Nugent became more and more possessive, expecting 24-hour obedience, paging Tiede constantly. And that's when this twisted Texas tale really got strange. This is the worst kind of criminal, she says of Tiede. Danny Buck Davidson would charge Bernie with first-degree premeditated murder and seek the ultimate penalty: life in prison. His father died in Abilene when Tiede was fifteen. While articles and the movie portrayed Marjorie as a domineering, mean person, her granddaughter describes her as a really loving and touchy-feely person. And in turn, Tiede gave gifts to the good people of Carthage. "But I took that really personally, 'cause I don't live in Hollywood. "It was such a difficult time," said Tiede. "Could Marjorie be difficult?" 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. Bernie Tiede's defense was that he killed Marjorie in an act of passion that her murder was not premeditated. They made for an interesting pair and had tongues wagging throughout town. "The jury did not relate to him. So what was the real truth? "I felt sorry for Marjorie, I really did," he said. But he did admit to writing Bernie a letter, sexual in nature. Despite town gossip, there was nothing sexual about it, Tiede said, thinking of Nugent more as a mother figure and a friend. "She untaped it and raised it up," D.A. "You just have never seen a story like this come across your desk ever. Tiede's attorney is appealing his sentence. No exit. Tiede had known Nugent for years and became her caretaker and travel companion after her husband died in 1990. Make sure they're alright. 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. Davidson. The two eventually became inseparable companions, although she was more than 40 years his senior. 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. Nugent says he eventually stole $3.8 million of her money, which Marjorie was oblivious to at the time. 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. "And when you spend time with him you want to hang out with him.". replied. In a blog on his law firm's site, Chad Baruch, an attorney who'd been hired by Marge's family,disputes much of Bernie's story. "Bernie" Back in Court Tuesday for Murder - The Texas Tribune 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. In 2014, Bernie filed a writ with the court alleging that his rights had been violated, that police had shamed him into confessing, and most shockingly, that Marge's abusive behavior toward him resurfaced trauma he'd experienced as a childhood victim of sexual abuse. He further alleged in the writ that the 81-year-old Nugent was controlling and emotionally abusive toward him, and that he had murdered her in a dissociative state resulting from years of sexual abuse as a child by an uncle. 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. "He put me up at his apartment at his home.". People Are Still Willing to Believe the Con, Young Nev. Man Found Guilty of Raping, Murdering Teen Family Friend: 'She Called Him Her Big Brother', 'Truly Evil': Mich. Man Convicted of Murdering 3, Including Boy, 6, Who Was Excited to Lose First Tooth, 5 Years After Wash. The question now is who will the jurors believe? [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. Many believed her to be the meanest woman in Carthage, lording her wealth and status over the town. "You know, all you can do is pray," Alexandria Nugent replied. "It was a complete lie.". "When I heard 99 years, I mean it was devastating," said Linklater. We go to see her. Bernie Tiede's mother was his father's first wife, Lela Mae Jester (19331960). "I thought it was greed and betrayal," Davidson said.