If you're unfamiliar with Dear Zachary, it tells the story of Andrew Bagby, a 28-year-old doctor whose life was ended by his ex-loverShirleyJane Turner. But the fact that theyre probably killers means they are much more dangerous than the rest of us, probably. Related: 11 True Crime YouTube Channels Every True Crime Aficionado Needs to Watch. He had been shot five times and the No. The Gilroy City Council agreed to declare the property A change in the citys fireworks ordinance helped uphold Sunshine Bicycles closing up shop after nearly five decades, Surplus designation sets stage for future Gilroy Gardens development, Gilroy council agrees to strengthen fireworks ordinance, Guest View: Valley Water chair highlights boards goals for 2023, Christopher High basketball teams see tremendous seasons end in NorCals. The film went on to win jury and audience awards at numerous film festivals and was named one of the best films of the year by Slant Magazine, The Oregonian, Time Out Chicago, and the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. The film ends with the Bagbys and their relatives, friends, and colleagues reflecting on the father and son, as well as the . Coverage from the 2023 Canada Winter Games, VIDEO: Your daily elite-sports highlight package, Making Canada Better: Atlantic Canadians striving for change, 2023 SaltWire Network. On 13 October, Turner told Bagby that she was three months pregnant. Andrew Bagby was found dead in a state park just outside Latrobe, Pa., where he was a resident in the local hospital's family medicine program. Two years later, she gave birth to a daughter. Being from Newfoundland,I was well aware of the happenings in this book as they were happening. The book is not written as a narrative, with suspense building until we find out what eventually takes place. On several occasions, he had summoned state troopers to order her to leave. The child, a boy, was born on 9 July 1982. The prime suspect: Dr. Shirley Turner, a twice-divorced and considerably older mother of three Andrew Bagby casually dated while attending medical school in Newfoundland, Canada. Others included falsely taking the child and moving around the USunder assumed identities. His wife and himself also were quick to not harvest bitterness towards Turner's children,relatives,etc. They should have been given custody of Zachary to begin with. The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site. [16] The provincial Government of Newfoundland and Labrador accepted the report's conclusions and its 29 recommendations. As the two got older, Bagby helped to fund Kuennes film projects with money that he was saving for medical school. In October 1993, a man boarding with Turner confided to his therapist that he had witnessed Turner physically and emotionally abusing two of her children. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Curated newsletters for curious minds. During one of these visits, Turner is believed to have burglarized Bagby's apartment. With its intended recipient now gone, Dear Zachary simultaneously became a memorial and a cry for justice, with the critics consensus at Rotten Tomatoes calling it both a touching tribute to a fallen friend and a heart-wrenching account of justice gone astray, skillfully put to film with no emotion spared.. Well never understand how anybody can ignore the fact that murderers are dangerous, he said. 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. During a 1999 residency at a family practice in St. John's, Turner's professionalism drew harsh criticism by her supervising physician, who stated she would become "quite hostile, yelling, crying, and accusing me of treating her unfairly." Watsonville Rental It has been our privilege to have the trust and support of our East Coast communities for the last 200 years. On Aug. 18, 2003, while awaiting extradition to the U.S. on a charge of murdering Andrew, Turner jumped into the waters of Conception Bay South with her 13-month-old son strapped to her in a murder-suicide. Most people do figure out how to at least keep on how to eat and breathe, at least. Our 100 journalists strive to inform and improve our East Coast communities by delivering impartial, high-impact, local journalism that provokes thought and action. Creating stronger communities. By the summer of 2000, Turner had completed the requirements of her residency training and was qualified to practice medicine. Shortly after his death, she fled to Canada and settled back in St. Johns. She showed up at his house, across the street from the practice where he was serving his residency. However, after Turner took her own life as well as the life of1-year-old Zachary in 2003, Kuenne's focus broadened to tell a largerstory of legal injustice, parenting, and(in the case of Kate and David)activism as a form of grief. Zachary Andrew Turner (18 July 2002 18 August 2003)[2]:78 was a Canadian child from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, who was killed by his mother, Shirley Jane Turner, in a murdersuicide. 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. We have nothing to lose anymore., Visit www.dearzachary.com and click on support bail reform to find addresses for Canadian Members of Parliament and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General. On 4 November 2001, Turner made a total of three phone calls to Bagby's residence in Latrobe. It didnt take long before the relationship began to sour, and the couple appeared to be drifting apart. There's no shortage of harrowing documentaries, but Dear Zachary:A Letter to a Son About His Fatheris one of the most intense. However, he never came back from his meeting alive. The birth of Zachary didn'tend David's dark thoughts, however. David is related to Sharon Lynn Johnson and Sherree Ann Bagby as well as 3 additional people. What's doubly upsetting about this is the way director KurtKuenne sets their story to home movies of Andrew as a young boy. 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. Birthday: September 25, 1973. That woman then escapes to Canada while evidence against her is gathering, and then she has his baby while the extradition process drags on. The bill received unanimous support in the Canadian House of Commons, and received support from Liberal Senator Tommy Banks. This is the most moving and incredibly outrageous true story I've ever heard. As they were growing up in their home state of California, Kuenne and Bagby often made home movies together, clips of which eventually found their way into Dear Zachary. DAVID BAGBY OBITUARY. His arguments towards the refusal of parole for alleged murderers is superb and really shows how idiotic the laws can be. A judge released her using the logicthat "[h]er crime, while violent, was specific in nature," implying that she was not likely to harm anyone else. Ensure local journalism stays in your community by purchasing a membership today. 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. CONTRIBUTED BY DAVID BAGBY Kurt Kuenne met Andrew Bagby in first grade and instantly the two formed a special bond that has never wavered in the 18 years since Bagby's death. Turner, reportedly mentally unstable, decided to endherself and the life of her baby over a man she had gone out with twice, after meeting him at a bar in St. John's. The Bagbys, who recently marked their 50th wedding anniversary, say it sustained them for nearly a decade as they struggled to come to terms first with the 2001 slaying of their 28-year-old son,. Zachary would be 15 now, the same age as their godson. David and Kate moved to St. Johns to try to get custody of Zachary and were forced to be friendly withTurner. Andrew had metTurner, who was 12 years his senior, while they were studying medicine at Memorial University in St. Johns. Bagby agreed to talk with her about the pregnancy during a wedding that Bagby was scheduled to attend. [11] She then drove with Zachary to nearby Conception Bay South, where the man she had met at the bar lived. One of the most heart-wrenching books I have ever read. Meanwhile, Turner exhibited possessive behavior towards Bagby and harassed him over the phone. They also have Andrews friends, like Kuenne, who remain in their current lives and with whom they can talk about Andrew. Subscribe here. 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." One note had been addressed to Doucet and the other to her psychiatrist; the latter read, "I am not evil, just sick." Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father: Directed by Kurt Kuenne. I can only imagine this book to be heartbreaking. On a shelf in the California home of David and Kate Bagby, sitting inconspicuously among some lovely china, are two urns. But the story of his sons brutal murder and the subsequent All rights reserved, Click here for information on becoming a member. More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Resume Add to list Known for Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father 8.5 Self - Father 2008 Credits IMDbPro Thanks Head of Partnerships. Turner left her car parked near his home in the Kelligrews area of the town, with photographs of herself and Zachary, as well as a used tampon, on the front seat. View the profiles of professionals named "David Bagby" on LinkedIn. If you dont figure out how to live with it, youll kill yourself or waste away and die, Bagby said. Watching the documentary brings up a mix of feelings from joy to hatred. When Kate reached down to wipe one away, she accidentally knocked out the plug used to mask his facial wound. No one in my entire library system owns it either (30+ libraries), so I wound up having to get an interlibrary loan and have this book shipped to me from another state. The following day Doucet received a voicemail from a female caller who stated, "Dr. Turner died last night.". coroners office, who informed them of their sons death. Troutman Funeral Home is assisting the Bagby family. In November 1997, Turner confronted him in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and struck him in the jaw with her high-heeled shoe. This preference was made especially clear during Zachary's first birthday party at a St. John's McDonald's, after which Turner said to Kathleen, "He obviously loves you more than me, so why don't you take him? Turner's second husband claimed that she only used the belt as a threat in his interview. 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. You dont leave it behind. He had been shot five times in the face, chest, buttocks, and the back of the head. We were done, Kate Bagby said, finishing her husbands thought, a quirk of their relationship that became apparent during a several-hour recount of how their lives spiraled out of control after that phone call from police. 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. 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. One contains the remains of their son, Dr. Andrew Bagby. This is a fascinating,horrific and humbling read. RELATED:California filmmaker remasters documentary on the lives and murders of Andrew Bagby and Zachary Turner. Sharing voices. I always felt Shirley Turner was putting on a show, as if she were playing the role but had no feeling for her work. [20] The Film Vault included the film on their list of the "Top 5 Good Movies You Never Want to See Again". While out on bail and fighting extradition, Turner gave birth to Zachary. Local police called the Bagbys, who were living in Sunnyvale at the time, and told them to contact the Penn. The world is a better place because David and Kate are in it! He was a man whose smiling eyes and kind heart put friends, colleagues and strangers at ease. Eight months later, Turner purchased a lethal amount of Lorazepam, drugged both herself and her infant son, strapped him to her chest, and jumped into the ocean at Conception Bay South in Newfoundland. 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. Turner alternately told her shooting instructor that her gun had been stolen. We dont do anything related to murder anymore, he said. Still grieving the death of their son, the Bagbys moved to Newfoundland and fought for custody of Zachary. Though the Bagbys story isnt over, the love of friends and their work to spare the next family from a similar struggle keeps them going. His arguments towards the refusal of parole for alleged murderers is superb and really shows how idiotic the laws can be. The Bagbys were compelled to ensure what happened to their son and grandson never happens again. According to The New Yorker, the "heart of the [film's] narrative" centers around "Andrew Bagbys life and how horrible his death was for those who loved him.". David remembers uttering, "It's really him," and recalls how the two cried over the body, tears falling on to Andrew's face. Markesteyn ultimately concluded that internal disagreements between caseworkers and managers weren't openly discussed and that an intervention by an outside office should have been made. On November 4, 2006, Dr. Andrew Bagby broke up with his girlfriend, Dr. Shirley Turner. It pains me to award only two stars to a book written by David Bagby, but I want to use the Goodreads' ranking system more accurately. We did not want to be here without Andrew, David Bagby said. David Bagby has written such a poignant account of the sordid happenings and has brought both Andrew and Zachary alive on the pages. Our SaltWire team is always watching out for the place we call home. All rights reserved, Click here for information on becoming a member. 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 Andrew Bagby Birthday and Date of Death. David Bagby's book, Dance With the Devil, is a good read. Ensure local journalism stays in your community by purchasing a membership today. 2023 SaltWire Network. For the first time in years, David Bagby and his wife Kate are decorating their home for Christmas. 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. Generated by Wordfence at Sat, 4 Mar 2023 4:46:47 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString());. The bill passed with unanimous support and was signed into law in December of 2010. You will then receive an email that helps you regain access. 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. 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? Some of those thoughts included him, without Kate's knowledge, taking out Turner and allowing himself to be imprisoned. A few months after Bagbys death, Turner gave birth to their son, whom she named Zachary. 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. Later, a Derry resident reported having seen Bagby's Toyota Corolla parked next to Turner's RAV4 ten minutes after Bagby made his last phone call to Simpson and the Corolla parked alone the following morning. He had been shot five times in the face, the chest, the buttocks, and the back of the head with CCI .22 bullets. When Dear Zachary was released on DVD, Kuenne sent 400 copies to every single member of Canadian Parliament. The experience with Turner led that St. John's practice to make "constructive changes" in its residency evaluation process. Wasn't anybody willing to step up(besides the Bagbys) and try to rescue that baby?? She turns to talking of her son and calls him Gods blessing. Tragic doesn't even come close to describing this case. Its a part of his life Bagby calls a dance with the devil.. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I don't think I could have done what they did. The media interest in the story may have waned some, but their loss is never-ending. When Turner visited him in Latrobe in late October 2001immediately after the last of her firearms lessons in Omahathe two frequently argued over his relationship with a new girlfriend. Even asking, How are you doing now? seems to be callously stating the obvious. However, it was around this same time that their son, Zachary, was actually conceived. Markesteyn, Peter H.; Day, David C. (September 2006). [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. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS. ItsaCheckmate allows restaurateurs to focus on what matters: serving up delicious food and delightful dining experiences. Markesteyn specifically cited poor communication between social services officials, who worked on the presumption of Turner's innocence throughout the case and became more concerned for her welfare than for Zachary's. [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. 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? The documentary was originally released in 2008. Dead.. With Kurt Kuenne, Andrew Bagby, David Bagby, Kathleen Bagby. [6] Turner gave birth to her second daughter on 8 March 1990, one year before she and her second husband separated. A patient of the clinic refused to return after an encounter with Turner. [2]:101. The Bagbys moved their lives from Silicon Valley to Newfoundland to raise their grandson while Turner was in and out of police custody and up for extradition to the United States. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Maintained by: Tracy Lane This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 05:40. Andrew Bagby was a childhood friend of filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, and Kuenne's project began as a "cinematic scrapbook" for Zachary. Kate was devastated at how the process unfolded. 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.. I had NO idea what the outcome was going to be. Get the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about wide receiver David Bagby on ESPN. Luckily, they chose to go on and fight for their son, especially after finding out he had a child on the way. Its been more than 10 years since the Bagbys have been back to Newfoundland and Labrador. Lists about some of the most shocking and upsetting documentary films & series that you should totally watch anyway. Furious about this, Bagby drove Turner to the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport and broke up with her over lunch, sending her on a plane back to Iowa. It gets a bit bogged down in legal tedium. View the profiles of people named David Bagby. Kate Bagby feels her son was too trusting to agree to meet Turner at the park the day he was killed. Coverage from the 2023 Canada Winter Games, Making Canada Better: Atlantic Canadians striving for change, VIDEO: Your daily elite-sports highlight package. Turner claimed that she was pregnant by the man, but no evidence was found showing this to be the case. As devastated as he was by the deaths of Andrew and Zachary, Kurt Kuenne was far from the only one touched by both tragedies. They still have friends in the province, people Kate said they wouldnt have survived without. David expresses his intense rage and his intense patience with Turner superbly. He laughs as he recalls images of Zachary running up and down a hall, saying that is a joy. Except he picked up as this reporter was leaving a voicemail explaining the call from Newfoundland to Sunnyvale, Calif. A heartbreaking in memoriam for Bagby and his wife Kates grandchild, Zachary Andrew, has been published in The Telegram. There are 40+ professionals named "David Bagby", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. Appalled. 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 this brutally tragic true story a Father (David Bagby, author) and Mother deal with the slaying of their son by his ex-girlfriend. After seeing the documentary about this case, "Dear Zachary," I was itching to get my hands on this book. They began a drawn-out court battle to protect their grandson from the woman who had almost certainly murdered their son. 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!!) The following morning, Bagby's body was found in a day-use parking lot at Keystone State Park in Derry Township, Pennsylvania. Turner was wearing a black dress, carried a bouquet of red roses and had two suicide notes on her. 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. By the time investigators issued a warrant for Turners arrest, she had fled the country and returned to her home province of Newfoundland. But this project brought a lot of things into perspective. I saw the documentaryand I am speechless. Yes! 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. She was a homemaker and owned and operated a broiler grow out business with her husband. As most true crime memoirs do, Dance with the Devil explains what the victims were like in life, and the profound effects that their deaths had on those left behind. 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 Andrew's longtime friend Kurt Kuenne in 2008, with the Bagbys' participation. Sharing voices. Though the Bagbys shied away from media attention during the legal battle, well talk to anybody with a microphone now, David Bagby said, hoping their actions will put political pressure on Canadian lawmakers to reform bail laws. In the early morning of 5 November 2001, she confronted Bagby at his residence, located across the street from his practice. But their relationship with their grandson wasnt always as innocent as the images depicted in home videos of Zachary taking his wobbly first steps as a toddler on the rain soaked sidewalk or of Andrew Bagbys friends first encounters with a miniature version of their beloved friend. On 4 July 2003, Turner met a young man at a bar in St. John's. When confronted with this evidence, Turner claimed that she met with Bagby at Keystone State Park but that he put the gun in his trunk. Unfortunately, there is not court case, as the accused murderer killed herself. David Bagby wrote Dance with the Devil: A Memoir of Murder and Loss, a best-seller in Canada in 2007, about his family's ordeal. (HTTP response code 503). She could be charming[,] friendly and lively but when caught in an untruth she would become angry, accusatory and loud. Dad is Andrew Bagby, and although Newfoundlander Shirley Turner never stood trial for his murder, she was the key suspect and she drowned herself and their toddler son, Zachary, while battling extradition to the U.S. Andrew was the Bagbys only son and Zachary, their only grandchild. I agree whole heartedly, that things need to change. The support of their loved ones pulled them back from the edge, but the situation continued to get more twisted. Date of Death: November 5, 2001. I got to put on the record the fact that I would like a much stronger bill, said David. The documentary started out as an homage to a murdered friendbut another tragedy was not far behind. On several occasions, it was noted that Zachary had poor attachment to his mother and preferred the company of other adults, particularly his grandparents.