The Dr. Andrew David Bagby Family Medicine Scholarship is for medical students at Excela Health Latrobe Hospital, and almost four dozen students pursuing Bagby's speciality of family practice have benefited from the award. Turner's overbearing and obsessive actions included child abuse,the physical andpsychological harassment of her lovers, as well asher eventual slayings and suicide. It would be insulting to Kuenne to go into this film with any preconceived notions, one simply has to experience it on their own. A senseless crime Dear Zachary is an unsettling and horrific true-crime film created by her murder victim's close friend Kurt Kuenne, which exposes the timeline of Turner's history of erratic behavior and the murders of father and son Andrew and Zachary Bagby. Turner wrote to the judge who locked her up and, contrary to normal legal procedure, received advice on how to appeal her arrest and imprisonment. Screaming is absolutely inevitable. Following the end of her first marriage on 29 January 1988, Turner married her boyfriend from Corner Brook the following July. The psychiatrist later filed a report with social services, and Turner's children confirmed the allegations. If you're looking for an extremely disturbing documentary film, you'll find it on these lists! She even spins. Although it's hard to watch, it's a [10], The Chicago Film Critics Association nominated the film for its award for Best Documentary, and the Society of Professional Journalists presented the film with its Sigma Delta Chi Award for Best Television Documentary (Network). At approximately 1:00p.m. local time, Turner embarked on a 16-hour, 1,523-kilometre (946mi) drive to Latrobe with her gun and ammunition inside a gun box in her Toyota RAV4. The rays of music may salsa on her skin, but they dig deep into mine. The bill received unanimous support in the Canadian House of Commons, and received support from Liberal Senator Tommy Banks. The man then broke off the relationship after learning from a friend about Turner's connection to Bagby's murder. It was finally signed into law by Governor-General David Johnston on 16 December 2010. The documentarys vulnerability and its uniquemix of joy and sadness remind us that some true crime stories are not just about the perpetratorsthey can also bea moving tribute to their victims. [13], On 3 May 2006, a disciplinary board convened by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador found Doucet guilty of professional misconduct for his involvement in helping to post Turner's $75,000 bail. Turner made the travel to visit Bagby seven times, whilehe came to see her only once. [21], The Chicago Film Critics Association nominated Dear Zachary for its Best Documentary award, and the Society of Professional Journalists presented the film with its Sigma Delta Chi Award for Best Documentary. He expressed fear to police of "what Dr. Turner would do next. [16] The provincial Government of Newfoundland and Labrador accepted the report's conclusions and its 29 recommendations. The case was closed on 11 January 1994 without an interview with Turner. Andrew was Kate and David's only son, and their "first plan" after taking care of his remains was to take their own lives. Her boyfriend is called Victor and they both love listening to The Cure, reading Byron, and gazing upon William Blake prints. Bagby's parents moved to Canada to attempt to gain custody of their grandson. 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? [16], As part of a campaign to change federal bail laws, Kuenne sent a copy of Dear Zachary to each of the over 400 members of Canada's Parliament. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Dear Zachary has an approval rating of 94% based on 51 reviews, with an average score of 8.10/10; the site's critical consensus reads: "Dear Zachary is 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. Not only will you gain valuable writing experience, but youll get to choose your own topics and write one response a week to one of our top trending articles. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father 2008 9 Andrew Bagby, a medical student, was murdered by his girlfriend Shirley Jane Turner soon after he ended their stormy relationship in 2001. I wonder what its like to be free. When this wasn't enough, she traveled to him and verbally abused him. 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. Turner alternately told her shooting instructor that her gun had been stolen. This documentary has serious heart:and its unusual approach makes it all the more heartbreaking. [2]:85 During this period, she resumed a previous relationship with a fisherman from Corner Brook. The following day Doucet received a voicemail from a female caller who stated, "Dr. Turner died last night.". I sit; prisoner to my own body. The film premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in 2008 and received a limited theatrical release before being acquired for distribution by MSNBC. [15] The website Film School Rejects place the film third in their list of the "30 Best Films of the Decade". See production, box office & company info, The Legacy of Dear Zachary: A Journey to Change the Law, Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, One of the Most Traumatic Films Ever Made, Your Father's Murderer: A Letter to Zachary, The Legacy of Dear Zachary: A Journey to Change the Law (2013), WatchMojo: Top 10 Most Hard to Watch Documentaries, St. John's, Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. On 13 October, Turner told Bagby that she was three months pregnant. Throughout middle school and high school, I played cross country and soccer, leading me to stick with athleisure most days. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father. She could be charming[,] friendly and lively but when caught in an untruth she would become angry, accusatory and loud. Here are some of the topics wed love to hear about: Whether you're an experienced writer or just starting out, we welcome anyone with a passion for writing and a desire to share their perspective. 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. [23], Murders of Andrew Bagby and Zachary Turner, Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, Learn how and when to remove this template message, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, provincial Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, "Murder-suicide funeral: An assignment to dread", "No need for Zachary Turner to die: death review", "Canadian judge let Turner free despite U.S. advice", Why Was an Accused Killer Free to Kill Again? 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. 7 Different Types of Legal Defenses In Criminal Law. 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. Afterward,hed come over for a beer. Knowing his grandson was in danger in the care of Turner, who repeatedly established how unfit she was to be a mother, David lay in bed at night thinking of what he could do to save the child. In November 1997, Turner confronted him in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and struck him in the jaw with her high-heeled shoe. [5] Perpetrator In March 1996, Turner began a relationship with a St. John's resident, Miles Doucet, who was thirteen years her junior. Kuenne began collecting footage from his old home movies and interviewed Bagby's parents, David and Kathleen, for a documentary about his friend's life. 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. While attendingmedical school,Andrew Bagby began dating Turner, who was 12 years older than him. Turner's second husband claimed that she only used the belt as a threat in his interview. So, here is an account for how your finals week may have went or will be going as your final days left in school come to an end. Everyone feels the desire for belonging and to fit in with the people around them. Bagby and Turner's relationship began to crumble, and Turner became increasingly possessive. It would be insulting to Kuenne to go into this film with any preconceived notions, one simply has to experience it on their own. In the interim, one of Andrew Bagbys closest childhood friends, filmmaker Kurt Kuenne had begun making a documentary about the young doctor, titled Dear Zachary, an effort to tell the toddler about the father he never met. Dear Zachary is not a cinematic marvel, and its frantic editing and heavy-handed imagery can be off-putting. In St. John's, Turner discovered, and later revealed, that she was pregnant with Bagby's child. In the fall of 2001, Bagby moved to Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and began his residency at a family practice under the supervision of T. Clark Simpson. [23][24][25], Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father", "The Story of Kate, David and Andrew Bagby", "No need for Zachary Turner to die: death review", "Doctor fined for ethical violation in Turner case", "Family services manager resigns post, days after Turner review", "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)", "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father Reviews", "Variety Reviews - Dear Zachary A Letter to a Son About His Father - SXSW Reviews - Review by Peter Debruge", "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father [DVD]", Dear Zachary - Tenth Anniversary Re-release - Official Trailer - Oscilloscope Laboratories HD, "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father - 10th Anniversary Edition [DVD]", "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father - 10th Anniversary Edition [Blu-ray]", Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dear_Zachary:_A_Letter_to_a_Son_About_His_Father&oldid=1148183240, This page was last edited on 4 April 2023, at 15:33. Throughout my time in college, especially studying abroad, I found that I loved jeans, baggy sweaters, my Air Force 1s that I have worn down to the point its crazy, small rings, and dresses. Police concluded that she was attempting to frame the boyfriend for the planned murdersuicide. Although Dear Zachary began as a project that was only intended to be shown to friends and family of Andrew Bagby, owing to the way events unfolded, Kuenne decided to release the film to the general public.[9]. WebShocking and moving, this documentary shows both the good and bad side of humanity. Its not technically the most impressive documentary film, but the subject matter is powerful-enough that you cannot help but be deeply impacted by the story. The film, released in 2008 entitled Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, had been intended as a tribute to Andrew Bagby that Zachary could appreciate when he got older. Haven't done anything all day Time to start cramming. Going beyond the tropes of a generic investigative documentary, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Father to a Son About His Father is deeply personal and frustratingly tragic, and it doesnt have a happy ending. On 2 December, the Unit seized her trash and discovered printouts for an ultrasound taken on 29 November, showing a fetus that was conceived with Bagby the previous month. After the murder, Turner, now accused of killing Andrew, announces she is four months pregnant with Andrews child. by Johnny Brayson. Sign up for The Lineup's newsletter, and receive our most chilling investigations sent straight to your inbox. The 2008 documentary is directed by Kurt Kuenne, who began filming when his childhood friend However, in January 2003 Justice Welsh again released her, arguing that the murder "was not directed at the public at large" and that Turner was presumed to be innocent.[10]. From Zero to Hero: Write Your Short in 30 days, Heres How To Watch The Super Mario Bros. Movie Online Free: Is The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) Streaming On Prime Video, HBO Max Or Netflix, Heres How To Watch The Super Mario Bros. Movie Online Free: Is The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) Streaming On Prime Video, HBO Max Or Netflix, Heres How To Watch John Wick: Chapter 4 Online Free: Is John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) Streaming On Peacock, HBO Max, Netflix Or At Home, Heres Where To Watch John Wick: Chapter 4 Free At Home Is John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) Movie Streaming Online now. [19] The website Film School Rejects placed the film third in their "30 Best Films of the Decade" list. Turner posted bail with help from her psychiatrist, John Doucet, a former co-worker from Memorial University. Bagbys parents were forced to give Turner joint custody of Zachary. The documentary Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father gathers the fragments of a true crime story about young doctor Andrew Bagby and the terrible events surrounding his death. Documentary Biography Crime A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son. [8] 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. During my time abroad, we were encouraged not to wear athletic clothing to fit in with the European culture. After receiving a call from the police department telling her to call a coroner's office, Andrew's mother, Kate, gotknocked around to numerous departments and authorities who told her nothing more than the factthere was "terrible news." 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. gathers the fragments of a true crime story about young doctor Andrew Bagby and the terrible events surrounding his death. Bagby came from Sunnyvale, California, and was the son of Kathleen Daphne Bagby (ne Barnard), a registered nurse and midwife from Chatham, England, United Kingdom; and David Franklin Bagby, an American former United States Navy serviceman and computer engineer. 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. "[14], The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures named the film one of the five top documentaries of the year. [10] It was screened at Cinequest Film Festival, South by Southwest, the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, the Sarasota Film Festival, the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, the Calgary International Film Festival, and the Edmonton International Film Festival, among others, before receiving a limited theatrical release in the United States, opening in one city at a time in select metropolitan areas. 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. Magnolia Pictures. In 1983, Turner moved to Labrador City and worked as a science teacher. In short, when it comes to the genre, I know whats up. Andrews doomed relationship withShirley Turner began in Canada, whereAndrewattended medical school at Memorial University of Newfoundland. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. [14] According to filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, Doucet later left Newfoundland and relocated elsewhere in Canada.[15]. Turner insisted that she would earn "big money" after completing her post-residency training and would repay the savings for her children's post-secondary education. Among those who named it one of the best films of 2008 were Time Out Chicago, The Oregonian, the Times Herald-Record, Slant Magazine, and WGN Radio Chicago. It's widely believed that if she hadn't been released, Zachary would probably still be alive today. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}473050N 525945W / 47.513769N 52.995733W / 47.513769; -52.995733. I hear the last words of the song and I lift my head cautiously. Brittany Morgan, National Writer's Society2. Turner was rushed to a hospital, where she received a gastric lavage. This decision was made with thepublic knowledgethat Turner had attempted to take her life on Andrew's front porch, was on suicide watch in jail, and at the time had eight orders ofrestraint against her. WebDear Zachary is the sort of documentary that, in delivering its debilitating news, ensures that every person in the theater leaves their seat with the strongest reminder to continue to cherish those they love, and to reminisce without mercy for those they've loved and lost. Police discovered his body in a parking lot at Keystone State Park. [22] The Dr. Andrew Bagby and son Zachary Bursary Fund supports students at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. While updating my wardrobe for my four months abroad, I found that more modest, loose clothing was what I felt most comfortable and confident in. Knowing I would cry no matter what we watched, I shrugged and agreed. Turner received her undergraduate degree from Memorial University in May 1994; four years later, she earned her medical degree. After the films release, Kuenne sent four hundred copies of Dear Zachary to every member of the Canadian Parliament to campaign for a bill to give more protection to children in custody disputes. The inquiry concluded that Zachary's death had been preventable. We play detective, piecing together the fragments of a story until we get the satisfaction of looking at a complete picture. Shortly after she was arrested, she announced that she was pregnant with his child, whom she named Zachary. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father 2008 9 Andrew Bagby, a medical student, was murdered by his girlfriend Shirley Jane Turner soon after he ended their stormy relationship in 2001. If youre fascinated by the world of true crime, sign up for our newsletter. So here it is: If theres one documentary you need to watch before you die, its Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son about his Father. Released in 2008, the film makes the cut as one of the greatest documentaries of all time. On August 18, 2003, Turner jumped into the Atlantic Ocean with thirteen-month-old Zachary strapped to her stomach, drowning them both in a murdersuicide. Kuennes film transforms into a visual letter to the child that Andrew never got to meet. 10 Disturbing Documentaries That Are Stranger Than Fiction. Throughoutthe film, it's really difficult to watch a reasonable man consider such extreme and desperate measures. https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Zachary-Letter-About-Father/dp/B00MB6F3QW Bagbys childhood friend Kenneth Kuenne made the film as a way to document the memories of Andrews life. Youll never be out of style. She dances, but she does not hear the same song as me. Two years later, she gave birth to a daughter. Your friends are all done with their finals and you still have one more to go. Kate was devastated at how the process unfolded. I wish I could discuss more about the plot line, but that would be sacrificing your open mind. 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. I feel my stomach drop like Im on a rollercoaster that only seems to go down. Sometimes, however, there is no satisfying ending. The speed at which Kuenne rushes through the details of the case would not do at all for any professional true-crime documentary set to lure in an audience with gruesome facts. 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. Bagbys parents were forced to give Turner joint custody of Zachary. Within days of the ruling, however, Turner sent her daughter back to live with her father in Portland Creek while her other two children were sent to Parson's Pond to live with their paternal grandmother. 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. Upon returning, Bagby discoveredsomeone hadrobbed him. Your brain hurts. Turner claimed that she was pregnant by the man, but no evidence was found showing this to be the case. "Dear Zachary" (2008) is Kurt Kuenne's directoral debut, a homage to his murdered friend, addressed to said friend's child. Some of those thoughts included him, without Kate's knowledge, taking out Turner and allowing himself to be imprisoned. 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. Doucet said he was "disappointed" by the verdict, while David Bagby stated that he was happy with the precedent his case would be setting. ", On 7 April 1999, Doucet found Turner lying semi-conscious outside of his apartment, having ingested a combined 65 milligrams of over-the-counter drugs in a suicide attempt. Going beyond the tropes of a generic investigative documentary, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Father to a Son About His Father is deeply personal and frustratingly tragic, and it doesnt have a happy ending. The main suspect was his ex-girlfriend and Canadian citizen, Shirley Turner. But just days after they separated, Turner showed up at Andrews front door, having driven 16hours overnight to confront him. 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. In my lifetime, I have watched a great number of movies like these ones which are really emotional, but the only one that has ever caused me to cry for real was the documentary titled Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, which was released in 2008. 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.