Austin Lawyer Considers Appeal for “Bernie” Inmate

DALLAS (AP) � An Austin lawyer has taken up the case of an ex-funeral home director convicted in a 1996 killing featured in the movie �Bernie.� The Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday that attorney Jodi Callaway Cole, shown here, has met with director Richard Linklater of Austin. �Bernie,� starring Jack Black as Bernhardt Tiede II, was released this year. Tiede is serving life in prison for the fatal shooting of 81-year-old Marjorie Nugent of Carthage. The wealthy widow, portrayed by Shirley MacLaine, was found dead in a freezer at her home. Cole says she told Linklater that the movie raised issues for a possible appeal. Cole, who�s met with Tiede, declined to elaborate or say who hired her. Tiede on Wednesday was in the Telford Unit. He�s not eligible for parole until 2027.