Police Investigate Possible Murder of Former NBA Draft Pick from Closter, New Jersey
A former NBA draft pick and college basketball star player who lived in Closter NJ has been identified as the man found deceased in Brooklyn, New York.
A family friend had reported Michael Wright, a 35-year-old from Closter New Jersey, as missing four days earlier.
Although Closter police searched for the victim for several days, they were unable to find him. In addition to looking for the victim, the Closter Police Department entered the victim’s name into a nationwide missing persons database.
New York City police were able to find Wright’s body in the back of the victim’s Lexus SUV. The luxury vehicle had been parked on East 16th Street in the Midwood area of Brooklyn, NY. According to authorities, the victim’s body was hidden under several garbage bags.
When NYPD came across the victim, he was unresponsive. Moreover, he had suffered a severe wound to the back of his head.
Investigators have said that they believe the death was probably a homicide.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. Police have yet to identity a suspect for the killing.
Wright was born in Chicago, Illinois. He later went on to play college basketball for the University of Arizona. In 2001, the New York Knicks drafted Wright to play basketball in the NBA. However, he never played in the NBA; instead, he traveled around Europe playing for various European teams.
If investigators can eventually identify a suspect in the killing, it is likely that criminal charges for murder would follow. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3, murder is the most serious crime in the NJ Criminal Code and is classified as a first degree felony. A conviction on first degree murder charges could lead to life imprisonment in New Jersey State Prison.
For further information about this case, read the NJ.com article entitled “N.J. Man Found Dead ID’ed as Former Knicks Draft Pick, Report Says.”
