FORT MYERS, Fla. -- One of the witnesses expected to testify in Mark Sievers’ trial for the murder of his wife Teresa is Teresa's sister, Annie Lisa.
Fox 4 spoke with her several times throughout the course of the investigation and she told us she never thought Mark Sievers could be a suspect.
When Annie took the stand during the trial of Jimmy Rodgers last month, she remembered how much her sister meant to her. "She was my sister, and the love of my life."
Jimmy Rodgers was convicted of second degree murder for his role in killing Teresa. Now, Mark Sievers, the man investigators say hired his best friend and Rodgers to commit the crime, has his turn in court.
In the days after Teresa's murder in 2015, we sat down with Annie Lisa. "It's been horrifying, and I've tried to maintain my composure, and I have moments where I'm going to throw up and I have moments where I come close to passing out."
At that time, Mark Sievers was not named as a suspect in her murder. We asked Annie about how he was doing. "He's an absolute wreck. He's destroyed, and we're trying to help him stay focused. I feel like that's why my sister's saying you need to be there for Mark and you can cry later."
She was focused on being there for Mark and for the couple’s two daughters. She promised them “I will leave no stone unturned."
But things took a turn four months later, when Mark Sievers' best friend -- Curtis Wright -- and his accomplice, Jimmy Rodgers, were arrested and charged with murdering Teresa.
"As soon as his best friend was arrested, we were all quite concerned," said Annie at the time.
Then documents from the state painted a sinister picture of a murder for hire plot orchestrated by Mark Sievers. Investigators said Mark hired Wright and Rodgers to kill Teresa for her life insurance money, totaling more than $4 million.
Then, in February 2016 -- 8 months after Teresa Sievers’ murder -- Mark was walked out of the Lee County Sheriff's Office in handcuffs, charged with murdering his wife.
"I'll miss her for the rest of my life, and I look forward to seeing her again," says Annie.
