When 39 year old Bernie Tiede confessed to the murder of his friend and companion, 81 year old Marjorie Nugent in November 1996, the revelation came as a shock to the small town of Carthage, Texas. The two had been inseparable friends since the death of Nugent’s husband in 1990 and as far as anyone in Carthage could tell, Nugent couldn’t have picked a more devoted companion than Tiede. Yet as the details of the crime began to emerge, a strange story began to take shape—Tiede’s supposed motive for the murder was to gain access to Nugent’s fortune, but what he did with that money once he had access defied the logic and expectations of greed.
The story of Bernie Tiede and Marjorie Nugent should have ended with the trial and conviction of Tiede, but a few years later, Bernie’s story became the subject of a big Hollywood film, shining a spotlight on the story and raising new questions about the extent of Bernie’s responsibility for the murder. Tiede remains a rarity in the history of American crime: a sympathetic killer almost no one in town wanted to see convicted.
Thank you to the wonderful David White, of the Bring me the Axe podcast, for research assistance
References
Associated Press. 1997. "Man indicted in death of banker's widow." Austin American-Statesman, August 29: 91.
—. 1999. "Shreveport man testifies about 'inappropriate kiss' he witnessed between murder suspect and victim." Marshall News Messenger, February 3: 6.
—. 1998. "Mistrial declared in confessed widow killer case; trial moved." Odessa American, October 28: 16.
Bernhardt Tiede, II v. The State of Texas. 2002. 12-99-00182-CR (Twelfth District Court of Appeals (Tyler, Texas), November 2).
Cieply, Michael, and David Montgomery. 2014. "Murderer who inspired the film 'Berni' is released to the director's garage." New York Times, May 8.
Grissom, Brandi. 2014. "Over 15 years, a town's stance on a convict shifts." New York Times, February 9.
Halmark, Bob. 2012. Carthage residents react to Bernie movie. March 8. Accessed June 13, 2023. https://www.kltv.com/story/17106798/carthage-residents-react-to-bernie-movie/.
Hollandsworth, Skip. 1998. "Midnight in the Garden of East Texas." Texas Monthly, Janaury.
Jacobs, Janet. 1997. "Slaying, arrest stun town." Longview News-Journal , August 21: 1.
—. 1998. "Deputy testifies about Tiede's arrest, confession." Longview News-Journal, October 29: 7.
—. 1999. "Emotions run high in Tiede trial." Longview News-Journal, February 7: 1.
—. 1999. "Tiede found guilty of murder." Longview News-Journal, February 10: 1.
—. 1998. "Tiede returns to court." Longview News-Journal, October 29: 1.
—. 1999. "Tiede sentenced to life in prison." Longview News-Journal, February 12: 1.
—. 1997. "Homicide shocks Carthage residents." Marshall News Messanger, August 20: 5.
—. 1997. "Tiede's troubles mount as new charge is filed." Marshall News Messanger, August 22: 1.
—. 1997. "Officials freeze Tiede's finances as murder investigation continues ." Marshall News Messenger, August 24: 9.
Jennings, Diane. 2012. "Austin attorney takes interest in Bernie Tiede's murder case." Dallas Morning News, August 7.
Longview News-Journal. 1998. "Confession gives details into slaying." Longview News-Journal, October 29: 1.
Marshall News Messenger. 1999. "Carthage man's trial set to begin in San Augustine." Marshall News Messenger, February 1: 1999.
—. 1999. "Tiede sobs as photos shown in court." Marshall News Messenger, February 4: 3.
—. 1999. "Videotape upsets Tiede jury." Marshall News Messenger, February 5: 2.
Rhodes, Joe. 2012. "A wacky Lonestar murder mystery." New York Times, April 15: SM40.
Texas Tribune. 2016. "Bernie Tiede painted as victim, calculating killer." Texas Tribune, April 6.
—. 2016. "Jury sentences Bernie Tiede to 99 years or life." Texas Tribune, April 22.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Episode 570: The Murder Of Jack Wilson
Episode 569: “Weirdos’ Audiobook Club” presented by Audible – Desperate Deadly Widows with Special Guest, Sheena Melwani
Episode 568: Listener Tales 86
Episode 567: Fred & Rose West (Part 4)
Episode 566: Fred & Rose West (Part 3)
Episode 565: Fred & Rose West (Part 2)
Episode 564: Fred & Rose West (Part 1)
Episode 563: A Deeper Look at the Crimes of Joran van der Sloot With Christopher Cassel
Episode 562: The Murder of Natalee Holloway
Episode 561: “Jolly Jane” Toppan: Angel of Mercy (Part 2)
Episode 560: “Jolly Jane” Toppan: Angel of Mercy (Part 1)
Episode 559: The Murder of Timothy Coggins
Episode 558: Listener Tales 85
Episode 557: The Glove Guy (With Jordan Bonaparte from The Night Time Podcast)
Episode 556: The Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders
Episode 555: Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield (Part 3)
Episode 554: Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield (Part 2)
Episode 553: Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield (Part 1)
Episode 552: Marie Robards
Episode 551: Happy Land Social Club Arson
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Ghosts of Dallas
MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories
Crime Junkie
Scared To Death
Rotten Mango
True Crime Obsessed