Associated Press
TEXARKANA, Texas — A former Texas mortician whose legal issues were the subject of the 2011 film “Bernie” is appealing his sentence of 99 years to life in prison in the killing of a wealthy widow.
Bernie Tiede was resentenced last year for his 1999 murder conviction in the fatal shooting of 81-year-old Marjorie Nugent, whose body was found in his freezer.
In a petition filed Tuesday with the Sixth Texas Court of Appeals, Tiede’s attorneys argue that his 1997 indictment was tainted by a biased grand juror and that the jury that sentenced him was “repeatedly exposed to outside influence” in the form of non-case-related publicity, including the film in which he was played by actor Jack Black.
They also say a previous plea agreement calling for a 20-year prison system was breached.
Prosecutors say Tiede stole millions of dollars from Nugent.