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 (http://bit.ly/RlOrPi ) reported Tuesday that attorney Jodi Callaway Cole has met with director Richard Linklater of Austin. "Bernie," starring Jack Black as Bernhardt Tiede (TEE'-dee) 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.

To read the 1998 Texas Monthly article by Skip Hollandsworth click here.

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