Suspect in Sievers murder appears in St. Louis court

Author: Stanley B. Chambers Jr.
Published: Updated:

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The first of two Missouri men arrested in the death of Dr. Teresa Sievers appeared in a St. Louis federal court Friday for a probation violation.

Jimmy Rodgers, 25, and Curtis Wayne Wright are both charged with second-degree murder in Sievers’ death.

Rodgers, who was on probation for possessing a handgun as a felon, was arrested Wednesday for leaving Missouri without contacting his probation officer, according to a federal arrest warrant.

In court, Rodgers and his attorney waived the detention hearing, essentially admitting to the probation violation. However, Rodgers’ attorney only admitted that his client was out of the district, not in Florida.

Rodgers will be sentenced on Sept. 2 for violating probation and will serve at least four months in federal prison in Missouri, with a maximum of 10. Any extradition proceedings will take place after he serves his time.

ARRESTS

Scott said the arrests of Rodgers and Wright are “a big deal” and described the case as “a targeted set of circumstances.”

“This is the most complicated, intricate set of circumstances that most of us have ever seen,” said Scott, who added that the case remains active.

According to a federal warrant, Rodgers was in Fort Myers on June 28 at a Walmart on 6 Mile Cypress Parkway. An investigator from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit reported the findings to the federal court, leading to Rodgers’ arrest.

According to Teresa Sievers’ sister, Annie Lisa, Rodgers’ pregnant girlfriend turned him in. She had a message for the girl, named Taylor. Lisa called Taylor “a brave smart girl who did the right thing.” She went on to say that “all of that goodness will come back to her baby.”

Rodgers and Wright are friends on Facebook. Wright is also the long time friend of Siever’s husband, Mark, who has known him since grade school. Sievers listed him as a “brother” on Facebook. Mark Sievers also knew Rodgers, according to sources.

BACKGROUND

Sievers, 46, who operated the Restorative Health and Healing Center in Estero, was found dead in her Bonita Springs home on June 29.

Following a family gathering, Teresa Sievers flew home alone from Connecticut the night before she was killed. The last she was heard from was a phone call to her husband, letting him know that she arrived safely, family members said. She was a mother of two.

Neighbors heard screams and arguing coming from the Sievers’ Jarvis Road home early the next morning. Teresa Sievers’ body was discovered a few hours later. She was beaten to death with a hammer, sources said.

Scott previously described the case as “full of intricacies, twists and turns.”

“We are vigorously, that’s an understatement, looking through a multitude of leads, and evidence,” he said in July. “A great volume and body of work at play here. One that frankly I have not seen in my time.”

Teresa Sievers was known for writing about women’s health issues and was interested in helping people avoid age-related disorders. She was board certified in internal medicine, held a medical master of science degree in metabolic and nutritional medicine, and obtained numerous private certifications in anti-aging, functional, integrative and holistic medicine, and transcutaneous acupuncture, according to the Fort Myers News-Press.

FAMILY/NEIGHBORHOOD REACTION

One neighbor actually cheered the moment the second arrest was announced.
That neighbor says they are extremely happy to hear that there will be justice for Sievers.
Her sister, Annie Lisa, says that’s all the family can hope for as well. Reacting to the news of Jimmy Rodgers, and Curtis Wayne Wrights’ arrests, Lisa said that, “we all miss Teresa every day.”

Lisa says “her grief will have to just be put on hold until this is settled.  She says there is plenty of time to fall apart later.” Lisa continued to say that “Teresa was a pillar of wisdom for our family. we all looked up to her.” She shared with us some photos of the sister, that she said represented some of their best times.

Lisa says the two were always smiling. “I called her the older sister that I never had and I was 5 1/2 years older. I’ve been relying on her to tell me what to do since she was 10 years old because that’s how wise and amazing she was.”

Neighbors say Sievers’ presence will never be forgotten here on Jarvis Road. They’re happy to finally have some answers about her death.

“I’m very pleased. It gives the neighborhood some closure. Neighborhood has been very upset the last couple months because they left us in the dark,” said Rick Mosher.

Donetta Contreras was one of the first to speak to investigators, trying to help with the case. “A lot of emotions, a lot. Just a lot.”

She had a message for the Sievers family. “My condolences. now they can start to heal.”

Her daughter Kimberly, like other neighbors is relieved, but still has questions.

“Want to know the whole story, what’s going on. the whole story. But at least they finally caught the person who did it,” said Torres.

 

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