Many believed her to be the meanest woman in Carthage, lording her wealth and status over the town. Van Sant asked. My husband died this year, she says. 1938),[9] who became his stepmother. 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. They made for an interesting pair and had tongues wagging throughout town. On April 22, 2016, following Tiedes re-sentencing trial, the jury imposed a new sentence of 99 years or life for Tiede. "I saw her to the gravesite. And Tiede's body, the theory goes, killed Marjorie Nugent without his mind taking part. Bernhardt Tiede II was born on August 2, 1958, in Abilene, Texas. In all, he was widely regarded as the nicest man in town. Van Sant asked Danny Buck Davidson. (File - The Associated Press) Bernhardt Tiede was released. 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. "Yeah. And it wasn't long before Nugent wanted more than a part-time dinner date -- and Tiede complied. 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 . I'd seen that.". "And what were you thinking to yourself?" "As they are putting together all of the assets, there's missing money," says Shanna Nugent. I think he takes it as his fate. The motion filed by Cole earlier in the week claims Marjorie Nugent's son, Rod Nugent, Jr., and an original administrator of Marjorie Nugent's estate were involved in a "scheme" to steal or embezzle money from the estate. "And Mrs. Nugent arrives," said Hollandsworth. "Could Marjorie be difficult?" Davidson says if he had to do it all over again he would have sought a much lighter sentence. "He was about to be found out," said Starnes. And in turn, Tiede gave gifts to the good people of Carthage. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Trapped as Nugents full time caregiver, Tiede couldnt muster the courage to leave. Just together, just friends," said Ruth Cockrell. In April 2012, it premiered in Linklater's hometown of Austin. [3] Of German descent, Tiede had immigrated in 1926 as a child with his family to the United States. The 81-year-old widow had a reputation . Tiede, a mortician, allegedly confessed to the 1996 shooting death of Marjorie Nugent, whose body he hid in a freezer . "And you have a community saying, 'Leave him alone,'" Van Sant noted. Tiede had known Nugent for years and became her caretaker and travel companion after her husband died in 1990. "He shot her in the back four times," said Davidson. Bernie Tiede was easy to find. 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. Now that a second jury has also given him a life sentence, Nugent says her family feels vindicated. . "We'd go up on a Friday morning then come back on a Sunday evening," Tiede said. And by the time I got out there she had locked the gate on me. Bernie Tiede, pictured with Marjorie Nugent, not long before her 1996 murder. "I think any of us can be difficult. "I had gone out to the house to make coffee. Gregg County marriage records, book 35, page 229; cf. And she goes, 'I don't know who you are and you need to leave.'". The Nugent family thought it was beyond offensive. Went to the pyramids. "Turns out he was generous with Mrs. Nugent's money," said Davidson. "He was on a lot of people's lists to literally sing them to heaven," said Linklater. Ruth Cockrell said of Tiede. In 1999, Tiede was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Marjorie Nugent, his 81-year-old friend and companion. / CBS News, Produced by Jamie Stolz and Marc Goldbaum, [This story first aired on Oct. 1, 2016. Finally, however, he steeled himself to get rid of her for good. 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. And Marjorie's family began to wonder, "What had become of grandma? "I'm thinkin' you're lying. Tiede's motive for murder came into focus. Bernie Tiede is the son of Bernhardt Tiede (19121973), a native of Olegnow, Volyn Oblast, Ukraine. "I don't know what happened that morning," Tiede told Van Sant in tears. "It was devastating to us. One on the big screen, the other in a courtroom in Henderson, Texas. said Susan Jenull. Bernie Tiede tears up as his uncle Elmer Doucet denies sexually abusing him as a child during Tiede's new sentencing trial, Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell case: A timeline of events, Chilling details revealed in JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan deaths, Chad Daybell's kids claim he was "fooled in worst, most deadly way possible", Exonerated man fulfills dream of walking daughter down the aisle, Bernie Tiede's new sentencing trial began. He said that after the murder, he had prepared the body, and placed it in a freezer. "Rick Linklater is just as conned as my grandmother was," said Shanna Nugent. And it's like, I don't know. ""That is the real story," Van Sant queried. She would eventually become a big part of Bernie Tiede's life, and how his story would be told. "There's members of Marjorie's family that tell a different story," said Black. No exit. "It's about abusing Marjorie Nugent financially; it's about just cold-blooded murder.". Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. 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. "When I heard 99 years, I mean it was devastating," said Linklater. And that's when this twisted Texas tale really got strange. That was not part of my wanting to be around Marjorie," said Tiede. A new sentencing trial is ordered, andTiede is released from prison for the time being. "I'm sorry that that happened in my life," Tiede cried. "I met with her about the arrangements," said Tiede. "And I think it took two days to thaw her out and for them to do an autopsy," said Davidson. We thought she might be in the hospital somewhere.. But it's not as simple as that," Black explained of Tiede staying. My grandmother taught me how to make cornbread, she says. Those graphic details would be missing from the movie. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. And the motives of her new companion deeply suspect. ", "I started asking my dad, 'Have you heard from Nanny, I can't get her?'" "I was acting in the plays.". [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. And I feel pretty good about it," said Davidson. [10] He became a mortician, working in Carthage as assistant director of the Hawthorn Funeral Home. Nine years after he met Marjorie Nugent at her husband's funeral, Bernie Tiede was sentenced to life in prison. So what was the real truth? "And she was kind?" Shortly after entering the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in 1999, Tiede was attacked by fellow inmates. They took lavish vacations abroad, and Tiede became known around town for the. I don't believe a word that comes out of the man's mouth," said Alexandria Nugent. For the court, it was enough to free Bernie from jail for two years (during which he actually lived with Linklater! Jack Black as Bernie Tiede in Richard Linklaters 2011 film. "I embalmed his body and got him ready for the funeral," Tiede explained. That was not part of the deal. Two dramatic versions of Marjorie Nugent's murder have now been told. "Nine months. CARTHAGE, Texas | One way or another, Bernie Tiede, has been dealing with death and darkness since he was 3 years old. "That's what I sold to the jury.". We had the funeral service there. "My grandmother believed he loved her.". "In some ways did Bernie become part of the family?" Bernie Tiede was so beloved in his Texas hometown that locals refused to believe he could have committed murder. "That's enough of that. When Marge's husband died, reports ID, Bernie embalmed him and even sang at his service. Mortician Who Inspired 'Bernie' Movie Sent Back To Prison For Widow's Murder. "This idea that my grandmother was a monster is ludicrous," Alexandria Nugent said. "Very much so. As years passed though, Nugent became more and more possessive, expecting 24-hour obedience, paging Tiede constantly. "Rod" Nugent, who had made his fortune in oil and banking. He snaps,' Cole said of the scene in the movie where Tiede shoots Marjorie. Do I regret the fact that I didn't rush down there to stop him from doing this? You dont ever expect anyone in your family to be murdered, Nugent says. Davidson then went to bat for the killer he had once helped convict. He was just a loveable guy," Black said. "There's this notion out there that you were attracted to Marjorie's money," Van Sant noted. [36] He currently resides at the Estelle Unit. "They had a ball together. "She was," Alexandria Nugent replied. "When was the last time you saw your grandmother alive?" director Richard Linklater told Van Sant. [34], Tiede resided in the Telford Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for at least 15 years. "I had caused the death of somebody that I loved. Bernie Tiede had preached and comforted and sang his way into this proud small town's everyday life. "And he said, 'Hey I never told you about this thing that I've been obsessed with, this story about this fellow Bernie Tiede," Black said. And it's hard to be a gay man and being out in a small town," said Tiede. "That is the real story," Alexandria Nugent affirmed. "I'm just very appreciative of them coming to meet me. Van Sant asked. Those are images that stay with you," said Linklater. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? After three weeks of testimony, they had deliberated for just over four hours.[31]. 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. "She was very distraught. And he was sold. "And I ended up attending the trial and started thinkin' maybe there's a movie here," he told Van Sant. Bernie Tiede: You just have no earthly idea. But Tiede tells a different story, claiming that after five years attending to Marjorie Nugent, the relationship had soured. He's either got her locked up in the house poisonin' her, or he's already killed her,'" said Susie Cockrell. to Egypt. 'I can't get away from this woman.'". Tiede shot Nugent four times in the back and placed her body in a freezer,. And on May 6, 2014, Tiede's life sentence is thrown out. And then I got active in the school here in the drama department," Tiede said. "The jury goes out to deliberate, Alexandria. The trial of Bernie Tiede for murdering Marjorie Nugent was moved 50 miles away. In 1991, Nugent altered her will, and disinherited her only child, Rod Nugent, leaving her entire $10 million estate to Tiede. It's what the law says," he explained. Yes. Dissociative episode. He and his daughter entered his mother's house, where they found her body in the freezer.[13]. Van Sant asked Davidson. Cf. 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. Everybody knew," said Shanna Nugent. Van Sant asked. "And every Sunday he'd come and sit right beside me and give me a full report on Marjorie," said Ruth Cockrell. "I think it's the classic case of a kind of disassociated moment," said Richard Linklater. Van Sant asked. "I wanted to check the freezer. The main characters are Marjorie Nugent, a rich and notoriously mean widow, and her young companion . "He was there. "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.