Murders of Andrew Bagby and Zachary Turner

Shirley Turner: Background and Behaviour

Shirley Jane Turner was born in Newfoundland in 1961 but spent part of her youth in Kansas before returning to the province for university. She pursued a medical career at Memorial University of Newfoundland, earning her undergraduate degree in 1994 and her medical degree four years later in 1998. Her personal life was marked by instability, including two marriages, three children from those relationships, and a documented history of concerning behaviour. In 1993, a boarder reported witnessing Turner physically and emotionally abusing two of her children to social services, though the case was closed without interviewing Turner.

Turner's professional conduct during her medical residencies was heavily criticized. During a 1999 residency, a supervising physician stated she became hostile, yelled, and cried when given feedback, and would change the topic to the supervisor's failings when negative items were discussed. In a remedial rotation in early 2000, she missed nine days and falsified clinical reports, leading staff to avoid giving her feedback alone. The supervising physician later told an assessment officer that, in hindsight, he described Turner as a manipulative, guiltless psychopath who seemed to put on a show and lacked personal commitment. This experience led the medical practice to make constructive changes to its residency evaluation process.

Shirley Turner's personal relationships were volatile and dangerous. In the late 1990s, she stalked and harassed a former boyfriend, Miles Doucet, after he moved to Pennsylvania. Turner followed him there, left threatening voicemails, and made unannounced visits to his apartment. This campaign culminated in a suicide attempt outside his apartment in April 1999. She ingested over-the-counter drugs and was found with suicide notes, one of which read, "I am not evil, just sick."

The Murder of Andrew Bagby

Andrew Bagby was an American medical student from Sunnyvale, California studying at Memorial University. He began dating Turner in early 1999 while she was working in Iowa and he was completing his studies, and they attempted a long-distance relationship. Their relationship became strained, particularly after Turner falsely claimed to be pregnant in October 2001, a lie she confessed to on November 3, leading Bagby to end the relationship. After the breakup, Turner made a 16-hour, 1,523-kilometre drive from Iowa to his home in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, with her .22 calibre handgun and ammunition that she had purchased after obtaining a permit the previous month.

She confronted him on November 5, and later that day, Bagby's body was discovered in a day-use parking lot at Keystone State Park. He had been shot five times in the face, chest, buttocks, and back of the head with .22 calibre bullets. The investigation quickly pointed to Turner as cell phone and internet records placed her in the area, contradicting her alibi that she was sick in bed. Evidence linked her to the scene, including an unspent round from her handgun, which her shooting instructor said had a tendency to eject live rounds, found near the body. A witness reported seeing Bagby's car parked next to Turner's vehicle shortly after his last known phone call, and the car was seen alone the next morning.

Further evidence was found in Turner's Council Bluffs apartment. This included MapQuest printouts for directions to Latrobe and a box of condoms with a lot number matching a box Andrew Bagby had purchased. Turner had told her shooting instructor that her gun was stolen. By the time authorities obtained an arrest warrant, Turner had fled the United States for Canada. She eventually settled in St. John's, Newfoundland, with her oldest son after abandoning her Iowa residence.

Extradition, Bail, and the Custody Battle

Turner was arrested in St. John's on December 12, 2001, the same day extradition proceedings commenced. During surveillance, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary seized her trash and discovered ultrasound printouts from November 29 confirming she was pregnant with Bagby's child. Despite the serious first-degree murder charge, Newfoundland Justice Gale Welsh released Turner on $75,000 bail, believing she was not a threat to society as the murder was not directed at the public. Her bail conditions required her to surrender her passports, report weekly to police, stay in the area, and not contact Bagby's family.

Her bail was posted with help from her psychiatrist, Dr. John Doucet, a former co-worker from Memorial University. Turner gave birth to Zachary Andrew Turner on July 18, 2002. A complex and painful custody battle ensued between Turner and Andrew's parents, David and Kathleen Bagby, who moved to Newfoundland to fight for their grandson. Turner initially refused to let them see Zachary, fearing they would kidnap him, and even discharged her family law lawyer for having a positive attitude towards the Bagbys.

Observers noted Zachary had a poor attachment to his mother and preferred his grandparents. This was evident at his first birthday party at a St. John's McDonald's, after which Turner told Kathleen Bagby, "He obviously loves you more than me, so why don't you take him?" Turner was briefly returned to jail in November 2002 pending an extradition decision, but Justice Welsh released her again in January 2003, arguing the murder was not directed at the public and that Turner was presumed innocent. The legal focus remained on Turner's rights, with child protection authorities failing to conduct a robust, ongoing assessment of Zachary's safety throughout the entire process.

The Murder-Suicide of Shirley and Zachary Turner

On August 18, 2003, while Zachary was in her custody under the bail arrangement, Shirley Turner committed murder-suicide. She first purchased her prescription anti-anxiety medication, lorazepam, from a St. John's pharmacy. Turner then mixed a lethal dose of the drug into Zachary's baby formula, ingested a toxic amount herself, strapped the unconscious infant to her chest with her sweater, and jumped from a fishing wharf at Foxtrap Marina into the Atlantic Ocean. Both bodies were recovered from the water, with Turner's body found on a beach by a vacationing couple and Zachary's body discovered nearby. The coroner determined Zachary was rendered unconscious by the drug and did not suffer, while Turner died by drowning.

The 2006 Inquiry and Its Findings

In October 2006, coroner Peter Markesteyn released the Turner Review and Investigation. The report concluded Zachary's death was entirely preventable and delivered a scathing critique of Newfoundland and Labrador's child welfare and legal systems. Markesteyn found that officials operated on a rigid presumption of Turner's innocence in the murder case, which blinded them to the clear and present danger she posed to her son. Social services became more concerned with Turner's welfare than with Zachary's safety, and there was no ongoing assessment of the child's safety needs anywhere in the process.

The inquiry noted poor communication between agencies and a failure to openly discuss internal disagreements between caseworkers and managers. It stated that an intervention by an outside office should have been made to assess the risk to the child. The provincial government accepted all 29 recommendations from the report. In a separate proceeding in May 2006, Dr. John Doucet was found guilty of professional misconduct by the College of Physicians and Surgeons for his role in posting Turner's bail.

He was ordered to pay a fine of $10,000, covering one-third of the costs incurred by the college for the inquiry. He was also ordered to undergo psychiatric counselling. Doucet said he was disappointed by the verdict. David Bagby stated he was happy with the precedent the case would set. According to filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, Doucet later left Newfoundland and relocated elsewhere in Canada.

Legal Reform and "Zachary's Bill"

The case became a catalyst for change in Canadian bail law. On October 23, 2009, Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal MP Scott Andrews introduced Bill C-464, known as "Zachary's Bill". The legislation amended the Criminal Code to explicitly allow courts to consider the protection and safety of a child when making bail decisions for a parent accused of a serious offence. The bill aimed to prevent a repeat of the circumstances that left Zachary in his mother's care despite the outstanding murder charge, and it received unanimous support in the House of Commons and from the Senate.

The bill received Royal Assent and became law on December 16, 2010. Andrews stated the law was meant to give the Bagby family solace that their tragedy had led to change. The law was intended to ensure such a failure would not happen again. David Bagby also authored a book about the case, Dance with the Devil: A Memoir of Murder and Loss, published in 2007, which detailed their experience.

Cultural Impact and Memorial

The story reached a wide audience through the 2008 documentary film Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father. The film was directed by Kurt Kuenne, a childhood friend of Andrew Bagby. It began as a video scrapbook for Zachary but evolved into a chronicle of the murders and the Bagbys' fight for justice. The film features extensive interviews with Andrew's family and friends. It includes home movies and footage of Zachary taken by Kuenne in July 2003 to celebrate the boy's first birthday, just one month before his death.

The legacy of Andrew and Zachary is honoured through the Andrew Bagby and son Zachary Bursary Fund. This fund supports students at Memorial University of Newfoundland. The case remains a reference point in discussions about child protection and the intersection of family and criminal law. It is frequently cited as an example of the tragic outcomes possible when bail systems fail to prioritize child safety. Shirley Turner's case is a recent example of a parent killing a child while free on bail.

Questions about Murders of Andrew Bagby and Zachary Turner

Who were Andrew Bagby and Zachary Turner?

Andrew Bagby was a 28-year-old American medical student from California who was studying at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He was murdered in Pennsylvania in 2001. Zachary Turner was his infant son, born in St. John's, Newfoundland, in July 2002. Zachary was murdered by his mother, Shirley Turner, in August 2003 while she was free on bail awaiting extradition for Andrew's murder.

What happened to Shirley Turner's psychiatrist, Dr. John Doucet?

Dr. John Doucet, who helped post Shirley Turner's $75,000 bail, was found guilty of professional misconduct by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2006. He was fined $10,000 and ordered to undergo psychiatric counselling. Doucet said he was disappointed by the verdict. According to filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, Doucet later left Newfoundland and relocated elsewhere in Canada.

What was the outcome of the inquiry into Zachary Turner's death?

A 2006 inquiry found serious shortcomings in how Newfoundland's social services handled the case. It concluded that Zachary's death had been preventable and criticized the system for prioritizing Shirley Turner's presumed innocence over protecting the child. The inquiry suggested that judges, prosecutors, and child welfare agencies were more concerned with Turner's welfare. The provincial government accepted the report's 29 recommendations.

What is Bill C-464, also known as Zachary's Bill?

Bill C-464, known as Zachary's Bill, is a Canadian law that strengthens conditions for bail in cases involving the wellbeing of children. It was introduced in October 2009 and received unanimous support in the House of Commons. The bill was signed into law by Governor General David Johnston on 16 December 2010. It was created to prevent tragedies like Zachary Turner's death from happening again.

How did Shirley Turner kill herself and her son Zachary?

On 18 August 2003, Shirley Turner purchased her prescription of lorazepam from a St. John's pharmacy. She mixed the lorazepam into Zachary's baby formula and ingested a toxic dosage herself. She then strapped the infant to her chest with her sweater and jumped off a fishing wharf at Foxtrap Marina into the Atlantic Ocean. It was determined that Zachary was rendered unconscious by the drug and did not suffer.

What was Shirley Turner's professional background?

Shirley Turner earned her medical degree in 1998 after receiving her undergraduate degree from Memorial University in May 1994. Between 1998 and 2000, she served as a resident physician at teaching hospitals across Newfoundland. She was qualified to practice medicine by the summer of 2000. During her residencies, her professionalism was harshly criticized by supervising physicians.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Nosy Mag desk. Last updated 2026-10-19.