Summary
Overview
This two-part episode examines the controversial death of Heather Turner, who was found dead from a gunshot wound in her bathroom in May 2017. While officially ruled consistent with suicide, her case sparked years of investigation and public debate due to concerning circumstances surrounding her death, her allegations of abuse against husband Andy Turner, and plans to leave him just days before. The episode explores physical evidence, witness testimonies, a surprise funeral home director's revelations, and culminates with a coroner calling for an inquest to re-examine the case.
Heather's Final Days and Death Scene
In the days before her death, Heather Turner was actively planning to leave her husband Andy for another man, telling coworkers she would resign that week. On May 4, 2017, she was found naked on her bathroom floor with a gunshot wound to the head. Andy claimed they had been intimate all night and he woke to the sound of gunshots, but this timeline conflicts sharply with Heather's recent statements about avoiding Andy and planning to leave him that very weekend.
- Heather told a co-worker on May 2nd she was leaving Andy that weekend
- On May 3rd, Heather made plans with her affair partner Rob to resign from jobs the next day
- Heather was found naked on bathroom floor with single gunshot wound on May 4th morning
- Andy told deputies he and Heather were intimate from after dinner until 4-5am before her death
- The ME determined death was from self-inflicted gunshot but left manner as undetermined pending investigation
" Make it make sense. April 4th, she claims Andy locked her in her bedroom. April 5th, she wakes up at the kitchen table to avoid going into the room with him. April 23rd, Andy searches, does suicide void life insurance in the U.S.? And May 2nd, she told a co-worker she was going to leave Andy. May 3rd, she makes plans with Rob... And then she goes home that night. And according to Andy, everything is fine. Everything's hunky dory. They have consensual sex all night long. And then she just decides to take her own life out of nowhere. "
Physical Evidence Debates: The Shower, Note, and Gun
The physical evidence at the scene raises numerous questions that skeptics find difficult to reconcile with suicide. Heather was found naked with wet-looking hair and a towel around her, the shower still running. A brief five-word suicide note seemed inconsistent with Heather's usual writing style. Blood spatter patterns on both hands suggested she gripped the gun with both hands in an uncomfortable position, and the lack of stippling or muzzle burns was unusual for contact wounds.
- Heather found naked with wet hair, shower still running, wearing towel when shot
- Study shows female victims found nude is strong indicator of homicide, though not impossible
- Suicide note said only 'I'm sorry, I love you' despite Heather being a prolific writer
- Blood spatter on both hands suggests gripping gun with both hands in uncomfortable position
- No muzzle burns or stippling found on wounds, which is unusual
" If I have any say in how I go, I don't want a bunch of people finding me naked... I looked it up, and there was a study published in 2021 titled Homicide or Suicide? How Nudity Factors Into This Determination. And after studying almost 120,000 deaths, it said that results indicate that a female victim being found nude is a strong indicator of homicide. "
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