Two days later, some of Wright’s personal belongings were found in a creek in Mississippi. Later, his burned-out truck was discovered in a wheat field in Mississippi. His wallet and ID were near the truck, but Wright was gone.

Police investigated and found a witness who saw a middle-aged, large, tan-skinned man with salt-and-pepper hair sitting in Wright’s truck. There was a large bundle in the truck that looked like a body wrapped in blankets.

Wright’s family believed he was murdered because he often received threats from people he cited for code violations. They had him declared legally dead in 2004.

In 2004, Dale Mardis was arrested for Wright’s murder. Mardis owned property where Wright had been working that day, and they had a history of conflict. Mardis had unexplained injuries after Wright’s disappearance, and several witnesses said he confessed to the killing (claiming self-defense).

Mardis initially pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, receiving a 15-year sentence. This was considered too light by Wright’s family. As part of the plea deal, Mardis revealed he dismembered Wright’s body, burned it, and disposed of the remains in crushed cars.

The case was then moved to federal court because of the potential racial motivation. In 2011, Mardis was given a life sentence for Wright’s murder. A week later, it was discovered he also murdered his friend Henry Ackerman in 1998, using the same disposal method. He received another life sentence for that crime.

Wright’s remains have never been found, but all evidence points to a murder committed by Dale Mardis.