I read this book in a single day on 2 airplanes several months ago. On November 6, Andrew's body was discovered in a park near his residence in Latrobe, PA. Parents Kate and David Bagby's story of identifying Andrew's body is devastating. The news that Turner was pregnant with Bagby's child turned the extradition case into one involving child custody, and subsequently led to a complicated legal saga. This is a fascinating,horrific and humbling read. In a later interview with an assessment officer at the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, the supervising physician, in hindsight, described Turner as "a manipulative, guiltless psychopath." For those who've asked how Kate & David Bagby are doing now, here's a lovely article from Diane Crocker at Newfoundland's The Western Star.. After a short stint in a women's facility during the attempted murder proceedings, Turner was released on $75,000 bail. The inquiry concluded that Zachary's death had been preventable. drowning of his grandson at the hands of the same woman isnt a If one thinks the American justice system is slow moving and against the victim most times, then one should encounter the Canadian justice system. They were somewhat successful with the passing of Bill C-464 in December 2010 with the added clause that bail could be denied if it was deemed necessary for the protection of anyone under the age of 18. However, Newfoundland Justice Gale Welsh believed Turner, then 40, wasn't a threat to society, despite the murder charges awaiting her in Pennsylvania. Andrew had metTurner, who was 12 years his senior, while they were studying medicine at Memorial University in St. Johns. In a 2006 report, Winnipeg medical examiner Peter Markesteyn after an inquiry into Zachary's death harshly criticized the Child, Youth and Family Services and the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, and concluded that Zachary should never have been in the care of his mother. It comes down to probable cause, the right to bail and the presumption of innocence. Than they are able to see a light at the end of the tunnel when she announces she is pregnant with Andrew Bagby's child, to be named Zachary. Turner's husband raised the child as a stay-at-home dad while Turner continued her studies. With Kurt Kuenne, Andrew Bagby, David Bagby, Kathleen Bagby. Subscribe here. ", Is there a greater nightmare than people hinting that your child is gone but not confirming it? This book was very well written, and straight to the point. Birthday: September 25, 1973. It has been our privilege to have the trust and support of our East Coast communities for the last 200 years. The result is one of the saddest movies of all time (even the trailer will make you weep) and one of the most disturbing documentaries ever, so grab a box of tissues and read on to relive some of themost compelling aspects of Dear Zachary. Well never understand how anybody can ignore the fact that murderers are dangerous, he said. Justice Gale Welshmaintained that "there is no indication of a psychological disorder that would give concern about potential harm to the public generally.". May give you a new appreciation for being an American. The second best result is David Warren Bagby age 60s in Hemet, CA. After the child was born the clearly mentally-ill mother wrecked havok on the grandparents lives. I had NO idea what the outcome was going to be. While out on bail and fighting extradition, Turner gave birth to Zachary. Then, in August 2003, Shirley killed herself and the one-year-old Zachary by jumping into the Atlantic Ocean. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. It's widely believed that if she hadn't been released, Zachary would probably still be alive today. On 23 October 2009, Scott Andrews, then a Liberal MP from Newfoundland and Labrador, introduced Bill C-464, or "Zachary's Bill", which would change the Criminal Code of Canada to allow the courts to justify refusing bail to those accused of serious crimes in the name of protecting their children. I truly commend the Bagby's commitment to exposing (and trying to bring about change) a corrupt judicial system, even in the midst of their tremendous loss. When another man scorns her during this time, she kills herself and the baby, all to the horror of Andrew's parents. David remembers uttering, "It's really him," and recalls how the two cried over the body, tears falling on to Andrew's face. Turner fled from America to Canada, her home country, after ending the life of her former lover, 28-year-old Andrew Bagby, but the courts repeatedly put off her extradition hearing. The documentary started out as an homage to a murdered friendbut another tragedy was not far behind. One of the best books that I have ever read. I dont understand how that can be ignored.. They began a drawn-out court battle to protect their grandson from the woman who had almost certainly murdered their son. coroners office, who informed them of their sons death. A film about both murders called "Dear Zachary A Letter To A Son About. Even asking, How are you doing now? seems to be callously stating the obvious. -Managed leading Egyptian companies' accounts with the firm, including in the oil and gas, financial, consumer goods, real estate and automotive sectors. She was raised with three siblings in Wichita, Kansas, but moved to Newfoundland with her mother after her parents separated; the parents later divorced. On August 18, 2003, 42-year-old Shirley Turner ended her life as well as the life of her infant son, 13-month-old Zachary. Kuenne, a childhood friend of Andrews, started out to make the movie as a tribute to Andrew, but it kept taking on new meanings, first with Zacharys birth and then his death. Our SaltWire team is always watching out for the place we call home. I thought it was just going to chronicle a murdered man's life, for his son to reflect back on when he was older - because his father was killed before he was born. The man then broke off the relationship after learning from a friend about Turner's connection to Bagby's murder. Andrew Bagby had no enemies or so his friends and family thought. The media interest in the story may have waned some, but their loss is never-ending. Its heartbreaking, said Kate, who recalls last seeing Zachary the evening before he was killed. A portion of the film also shows Kuenne meeting Zachary in Newfoundland in July 2003 to celebrate his first birthday, one month before his death; Shirley Turner is present during the visit, but Kuenne avoids her. This is an amazing true story that waswell, not conveyed with the same fiery delivery seen in the film "Dear Zachary". After Zachary's birth on 18 July 2002, Turner initially refused to allow David and Kathleen Bagby to see their grandson, fearing they would kidnap him. This story is about how the justice system in Canada failed the Bagby's -- not only when it comes to extraditing the murderer of their only son, but in aiding the murder of their only grandchild, Zachary -- their last living link to their son. However, in the summer of 2000, Turner confessed to a relative that she had spent the baby bonuses on her own living expenses and doctoral education. David and Kathleen Bagby, the parents of murdered Latrobe doctor Andrew Bagby, are pleased with how quickly a recent push for bail reform in Canada has gained ground since their grandson was killed in 2003. Following the end of her first marriage on 29 January 1988, Turner married her boyfriend from Corner Brook the following July. Turner mixed a sedativeinto baby Zachary's formula and staged her car to look like her then-boyfriend was responsible for her next actions: she jumped into the Atlantic Ocean - at Conception Bay South off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada - with the baby strapped to her stomach. Turnerwas returned to jail late that year awaiting a decision on extradition to the States, but was released on bail a couple of months later by an Appeal Court judge who decidedTurnerwasnt a risk to the general population. [2]:80 In 1980, Turner enrolled at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's, seeking to embark on a medical career. At the time, Bagby had just ended a relationship with Dr. Shirley Jane Turnera woman more than a dozen years his senior, and the prime suspect in his violent death. She even meant to implicate her brief lover by planting aused tampon and photos of herself and her child across his lawn in Connection Bay South before she didit. Despite the evidence gathered, Turner had fled the country by the time authorities obtained a warrant for her arrest. David Bagby wrote a book, Dance With the Devil: A Memoir of Murder and Loss, in 2007; a documentary film, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About his Father was made by Andrews longtime friend Kurt Kuenne in 2008, with the Bagbys participation. The case was closed on 11 January 1994 without an interview with Turner. Horrifying as it was, she pushed it back in herself. Dead.. Andrews later said that the law "gives [the Bagbys] some sense that someone has heard their cries so this will not happen again, to change the law to make sure something this tragic will never happen again. Turner, the daughter of a U.S. serviceman and a woman from St. Anthony, met Andrew while they were attending medical school at Memorial University in St. Johns. This is the most moving and incredibly outrageous true story I've ever heard. Age at Death: 28. David and Kate Bagby channeled their grief & anguish into changing some Canadian laws. Lying on my shoulder and looking up at me as if to say, Yes Nan, Im here.. Maybe it's being told your son was taken from you and then, with no consolation, immediately asking questions as to why he was where he was when he passed? In 2010, Bill C-464 added a clause to the Criminal Code of Canada allowing bail to be denied if deemed necessary to protect a child, a change spurred by the Bagbys. After a short stint in a womens facility during the attempted murder proceedings, Turner was released on $75,000 bail. While that change felt good, David wanted more. Written and directed by Kurt Kuenne, MSNBC Films and Oscilloscope Laboratories released Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father on 31 October 2008. Please consider joining us in this mission by becoming a member of the SaltWire Network and helping to make our communities better. More appropriately, it is written assuming we know the story and want to find out details of the why and the how. David Bagby wouldnt mind a trip back to Newfoundland, but said his wife has more emotions about the subject and they likely wont return. The third result is David Bagby age 20s in Santa Monica, CA in the Ocean Park neighborhood. When I get to heaven, I want Andrew and Zachary to say well done mum and grandmum, Kate Bagby said. The pair planned to take care of the minutiae of dealing with a lost loved one, fly back to California and kill themselves. "We just liked each other, and we liked doing a lot of the same stuff," Kuenne said recently from his Burbank, CA home. Elijah Monroe and Lula Clark Holland on March 19, 1911. The film also received the Special Jury and Audience Awards at the Cinequest Film Festival, was named an Audience Favorite at Hot Docs, received the Audience Awards at the St. Louis International Film Festival and the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, and was named Best Documentary at the Orlando Film Festival. ?I knew what Zachary's fate would be long before it was written about here but it was shattering to read of it from his grandfather's perspective. and allowed to play Russian Roulette with her baby's and other people's lives is totally ludacris. I cannot recall a trainee like Shirley Turner in that her approach lacked personal commitment and her relationships with people seemed, at least to me, to be superficial when compared to the over 400 residents I have supervised during the past 21 years. The film is partly composed of home movies Kuenne and Bagby shot together as teenagers in California, and features interviews with Bagby's parents, extended family, friends, classmates, and colleagues, both before and after Zachary's murder. David and Kate Bagby must have been saints to have had to tolerate personal dealings with their only child's murderess,and basically have to groval to her to even see their precious only-ever grandchild.Yet,they did whatever they could for the sake of Zachary.Most people (myself included) would have made away with Shirley Turner the first chance they got.Why should they have even been put in that insane situation in the first place? The Bagbys have stepped back from their involvement in organizations dealing with similar murder cases those supporting parents whose children were murdered. Its good to see him again, hear his voice, he said of the images of Andrew. The lot number on a box of condoms found in Turner's Council Bluffs apartment matched a box purchased by Bagby in Latrobe on the night of the break-up. After mixing her lorazepam into Zachary's baby formula and ingesting a toxic dosage herself, Turner strapped the infant to her chest with her sweater and jumped off a fishing wharf at Foxtrap Marina into the Atlantic Ocean. Some months ago I watched the documentary, "Dear Zachery" on Netflix. In October 2006, Winnipeg-based coroner Peter Markesteyn released the Turner Review and Investigation, which concluded that Zachary's death was preventable and criticised Newfoundland and Labrador's social services system for failing to protect the child from his mother, stating, "Nowhere did I find any ongoing assessment of the safety needs of the children." On several occasions, it was noted that Zachary had poor attachment to his mother and preferred the company of other adults, particularly his grandparents. One note had been addressed to Doucet and the other to her psychiatrist; the latter read, "I am not evil, just sick." A 2006 inquiry found serious shortcomings in how the province's social services system handled the case, suggesting that the judges, prosecutors, and child welfare agencies involved were more concerned with presuming Shirley's innocence than with protecting Zachary. The day after her flight arrived back in Iowa, Turner began a 16-hour return trip to Pennsylvania to confront Bagby, bringing a handgun with her. That is not a spoiler, as it is on the back of the book. A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son. Immortalized in the spellbinding documentary Dear Zachary, this angry, raw, and brutally honest memoir of murder and loss chronicles a systems failure to prevent the death of a child. Sep 2022 - Present6 months. Promotional still from "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father" via Oscilloscope Laboratories. Beginning in early 1999, Turner began dating Andrew David Bagby (25 September 1973 5 November 2001), an American medical student studying at Memorial University for his third year. Everyone could see how far off the deep end Shirley Turner was, including the very justice system that continued to set her free and place an innocent child in her arms. Related: Must-Read True Crime Books from #1 Bestselling Author Mark Bowden. The man contacted the RNC on three occasions to complain about Turner's harassment, which both violated the terms of her bail and was considered grounds to lose custody of Zachary. Investigators interviewed Turner's shooting instructor, who explained that her handgun ejected live rounds during lessons; this was consistent with an unspent round recovered near Bagby's body. A judge called Andrews murder a vicious crime, but did not consider Turner a risk to others. I cried all the way reading this, and also while watching the documentary. We thought of him as a hostage, said David. While keeping a matter-of-fact tone throughout the book, bursts of emotion break through and you can really feel the pain that the Bagby's went through. Kuenne finished his documentary and dedicated it to the memories of both Bagby and Zachary. One of the most heart-wrenching books I have ever read. Submit an Obituary, SPONSORED LINKS And this book was okay. During her remedial second residency period in early 2000, Turner missed nine days of her three-month rotation and falsified clinical reports. Someone once said, "You can't take life too serious, you'll never get out alive!" Having a . The Dear Zachary Story, "After Canadian mother killed herself and their only grandchild, U.S. couple started 10-year fight to change Canada's bail laws", "I had the moral right to kill Shirley Turner", "Shirley Turner, son found dead | CBC News", "Turner psychiatrist ordered to pay $10,000", "Ask the filmmaker a question about 'Dear Zachary', No need for Zachary Turner to die: death review, "Top 5 Good Movies You Never Want To See Again", "Nearly 2 decades after the murder of a physician and his son a legacy of love survives", "Dear Zachary: Donations in Andrew's Memory", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murders_of_Andrew_Bagby_and_Zachary_Turner&oldid=1137739500, History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, November 2001 events in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox person with multiple parents, Pages using infobox criminal with known for parameter, Articles needing additional references from June 2021, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Archived Obituaries Yes,they were innocent as well, but I feel it takes a big person to rise abouve it all and not harbour animosity towards those people. [14] According to filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, Doucet later left Newfoundland and relocated elsewhere in Canada.[15]. If such laws had been in place, Zachary Turner would be 6 years old and wrapping up first grade. [4] The case led to the passage of Bill C-464, or Zachary's Bill, strengthening the conditions for bail in Canadian courts in cases involving the well-being of children. There's no shortage of harrowing documentaries, but Dear Zachary:A Letter to a Son About His Fatheris one of the most intense. As the two got older, Bagby helped to fund Kuennes film projects with money that he was saving for medical school. As her extradition hearings began, Turner was allowed to make bail, which she paid for with the help of her psychiatrist. He was a man whose smiling eyes and kind heart put friends, colleagues and strangers at ease. Andrew Bagby was a childhood friend of filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, and Kuenne's project began as a "cinematic scrapbook" for Zachary. Most people do figure out how to at least keep on how to eat and breathe, at least. Please consider joining us in this mission by becoming a member of the SaltWire Network and helping to make our communities better. Mrs. Bagby and her husband were. They keep busy with friends, but when the thoughts come back, it weighs on them. Andrew was 28 years old at the time of death. Turner received her undergraduate degree from Memorial University in May 1994; four years later, she earned her medical degree. [11] She then drove with Zachary to nearby Conception Bay South, where the man she had met at the bar lived. They do still attend occasional meetings for a group supporting parents whove lost children, not necessarily through crime. Bagbys co-workers described him as agitated that day, and his supervising physician advised him not to meet with Turner alone. Condensing the saga into a neat, 90-minute package and parting with footage of Andrews friends and family that he had become so attached to was the most difficult part of the project, Kuenne said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS. INFORMATION Contact Us Letter to the Editor Press Release Privacy Policy Terms of Service, NEWSLocal NewsBusinessCrimeSchoolsPolitics, SPORTS Sports News High School Sports Gavilan College, CALENDAR All Upcoming EventsToday's EventsSubmit an EventPromote Your Event, OBITUARIES In one of the film's many shocking turns,it's revealed Turner was pregnant with Andrew's child when she took his life, and much of the film follows the efforts of Andrew's parents, Kate and David Bagby, to gain custody of the young child, Zachary. On a shelf in the California home of David and Kate Bagby, sitting inconspicuously among some lovely china, are two urns. Our 100 journalists strive to inform and improve our East Coast communities by delivering impartial, high-impact, local journalism that provokes thought and action. When the child washed ashore, the man who found them wrapped Zachary in a blanket, forgoing the usual plastic bag, to keep him as far as possible from the unstable, albeit deceased, woman who took his life. On 18 August 2003, Zachary was scheduled to be in his mother's custody. Along the way, he learned how vast the reaches of his friends influence were. There are so many questions raised:why was there no psychological profile done on Turner as she awaited trial?Why did child protection services not do their job and protect ( or even follow closely) Zachary? The world is a better place because David and Kate are in it! She was born to the late Rev. Your access to this service has been limited. Published by Statesville Record & Landmark . Turner claimed that she was pregnant by the man, but no evidence was found showing this to be the case. "We had to do something.. As it happened, Turner had a history of unusual behavior. The couple was also involved in a support group for parents of murdered children and sat through three murder trials to try and help other surviving parents deal with their incredible grief. (HTTP response code 503). It has been our privilege to have the trust and support of our East Coast communities for the last 200 years. You will then receive an email that helps you regain access. We cant do that anymore, David Bagby said, explaining in part its because of their age. While she was serving her medical residency, her supervising physician, who would later describe her as a manipulative, guiltless psychopath, said that she frequently became hostile, yelling, crying, and accusing me of treating her unfairly.. Join Facebook to connect with David Bagby and others you may know. The Bagbys still hold a bitterness when they talk about how they were failed by a legal system that let Turner out on bail and allowed her to retain custody of Zachary. You just carry it.. Bagbys family and friends later said that they were uncomfortable with the relationship, not merely due to the age difference and to Turners two prior divorces, from which she had three children, but because of Turners off-putting behavior. In 2009, MP Scott Andrews introduced Bill C-464, commonly known as Zacharys Bill, which obligates members of the judiciary to take the safety of children into account in bail hearings. Bagby agreed to talk with her about the pregnancy during a wedding that Bagby was scheduled to attend. Its hard carrying this big boulder on your back the rest of your life. If you're looking for an extremely disturbing documentary film, you'll find it on these lists! [2]:494 Turner drowned. She went so far as to discharge her family law lawyer because of his positive attitude towards the Bagbys. Since 1982, Turner had taken out baby bonuses for her children from a scholarship fund with the expectation of sending them to university. These events fuel the Bagbys crusade to reform Canadian bail laws to deny bail to accused murderers awaiting trial. On 13 October, Turner told Bagby that she was three months pregnant. We need each other, have each other to get through this.". Others included falsely taking the child and moving around the USunder assumed identities. By the time investigators issued a warrant for Turners arrest, she had fled the country and returned to her home province of Newfoundland. David Bagby The Bagbys still hold a bitterness when they talk about how they were failed by a legal system that let Turner out on bail and allowed her to retain custody of Zachary. The following morning, Bagby's body was found in a day-use parking lot at Keystone State Park in Derry Township, Pennsylvania. He laughs as he recalls images of Zachary running up and down a hall, saying that is a joy. "There's no point in going on," David saidof their logic at the time. Despite the distance between states, Turner and Bagby initially tried to maintain a long-distance relationship. On several occasions, he had summoned state troopers to order her to leave. The apparent murder-suicide ended the life of 13-month-old Zachary Turner, the only remaining piece of Andrew Bagby and the love of Kate and David Bagbys lives. This raw, gut-wrenching book also walks the reader back to the start of the action, when the ill-fated chain of events first began to unfold. Turners work took her to Iowa, while Bagby served out medical residencies in New York and Pennsylvania. ItsaCheckmate allows restaurateurs to focus on what matters: serving up delicious food and delightful dining experiences. [8] Turner was released from Her Majesty's Penitentiary's Clarenville Correctional Centre for Women, and was required to post CAD$75,000 bail, turn in her passports, pay weekly visits to the RNC, promise not to leave the area, and make no attempt to contact Bagby's family. Dance with the Devil is David Bagby's . We were just words dont quite do it, said David Bagby, he and his wife sitting opposite each other on the couch in their newly unpacked living room in northwest Gilroy. After seeing the documentary about this case, "Dear Zachary," I was itching to get my hands on this book. Yes,Shirley Turner should have been innocent until proven guilty, but to be out on parole( with her sureties only needing to provide their signatures and not a red cent,another crime towards the innocent!!) Those who have worked through some of the grief try to instil in them there is some kind of life after loss. The staff became "so concerned about Shirley Turner's approach to confrontation and the truth that we would never give her feedback or hold any major discussion [with her] alone." But what, exactly, were the tragic events that led to the passage of Zacharys Bill? However, because the man did not identify himself and declined to file any criminal complaint against Turner, no investigation was launched by the RNC.