Dear Zachary...

Last night I stayed up way too late...


For some reason I couldn't sleep; so I decided to turn on MSNBC...a mistake in the sense that I didn't fall asleep until well after 2:00 AM. Nonetheless, as much as my dreams were haunted by the story that unfolded before my eyes, the thoughts it ultimately provoked made it worth it.


Dear Zachary, a documentary constructed by filmaker Kurt Kuenne, paid tribute to Kuenne's childhood friend (Dr. Andrew Bagby). Bagby was murdered in 2001 by his deranged ex-girlfriend...Dr. Shirley Turner. Turner killed him (shooting him five times and left him for dead in a Pennsylvania park) because he no longer wished to have a relationship with her. Shirley later escaped arrest in Pennsylvania by returning to her native Newfoundland; although she would later be charged with his murder in the United States, the Canadian legal system stalled any efforts in allowing her extradition.

Shortly after her return to Canada, Turner announced she was pregnant with Andrew's child, later giving birth, as a free woman to their son Zachary.

The initial intent of the documentary was to collectively tell young Zachary about what kind of father he had...so later in life, he'd know where he came from...know how special and loving and talented his father was.

Shortly after Shirley Turner returned home, Andrew's parents, Kate and David, moved to Newfoundland to be present for her hearings and potential trial, and the ultimate birth of their grandson...a little boy who was the spitting image of his father and exuded the spirit of a man who was senselessly taken away at the age of 28.

I'll have to be honest...the Bagbys touched my heart in a way I cannot put into words. Their selflessness...was beyond anything I myself could have endured. In order to maintain a relationship with their grandson, they had to "play nice" with the woman who murdered their son.

Throughout the film, recorded conversations between Shirley Turner and the Bagbys were woven into the story. It became abundantly clear that there was something deeply wrong...sociopathic...downright evil about this woman. Her emotions were fake and calculating in nature. The "love" she showed for her son appeared to be a manipulative ploy...something to hold over the heads of the family members and friends of a man who was robbed of a full life. She often attempted to try to make them feel sorry for her...the fact that she couldn't work (I imagine due to the press related to her case and of course her emotional instability) and pay for "diapers and milk" for her son.

For a short while, Turner was held in a Canadian prison...for a short while it seemed like the Bagbys would get some justice for their son...for a short few months, they were allowed to spend undivided time with their Zachary with only the daily nuisance of collect prison phone calls from his mother (and I use this word for loosely...Turner also had several other children from other relationships).

And then...she was released from prison.
A short while later she met someone else...someone new to stalk and prey upon...that is until the new man's friends told him who he was dating. They clipped articles about her "alleged" crime and he told her that he no longer wanted to see her.

The day of their breakup, she called his home 200 times.

At the end of her unraveling rope, Shirley took her 13 month old son to the shores of the Atlantic ocean...after drugging herself and young Zachary with Ativan, she took his life along with her own...a twist that I had not expected and was devastated to watch unfold.

I could go on and on about all the sickenly sad details of this horrific tale, however, it's unneccesary. It's something you need to see for yourself. As much as it hurt to watch, it made me realize how important it was for Andrew's friends and family to share their story.

The "good" news surrounded by all of the tragedy...and loss of life, is that the Canadian government was called out on its lack of action. Heads rolled in their equivalent of the US's Department of Children and Family Services. Actions were and have been taken so that this will hopefully never be allowed to happen to another precious child. It's sad that it took the death of an innocent baby to provide the court system with a much needed wake up call.

It's truly sad that all of this could have been prevented. Having worked in social services, I tend to take stories like this very personally and have an extremely difficult time accepting that those who are supposed to be there to serve and to protect, fell asleep behind the wheel.

http://dearzachary.com/




http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/search/s_153296.html