One-year-old Zachary Turner is murdered in Newfoundland by his mother, who was awarded custody despite facing trial for the murder of Zachary's father. The case was documented in the film Dear Zachary and led to reform of Canada's bail laws.
Murders of Andrew Bagby and Zachary Turner
Zachary Andrew Turner was a Canadian child from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, who was killed by his mother, Shirley Jane Turner, in a murder–suicide. At the time, Shirley had been released on bail and awarded custody of the infant, even though she was in the process of being extradited to the United States to stand trial for the murder of Zachary's father, Andrew David Bagby. The case led to a critical overview of Newfoundland's legal and child welfare systems as well as Canada's bail laws.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of 405,212 km2 (156,453 sq mi). As of 2025 the population of Newfoundland and Labrador was estimated to be 545,579. The island of Newfoundland is home to around 94 per cent of the province's population, with more than half residing in the Avalon Peninsula. Labrador has a land border with both the province of Quebec, as well as a short border with the territory of Nunavut on Killiniq Island. The French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon lies about 20 km (12 mi) west of the Burin Peninsula.
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father is a 2008 American documentary film written, produced, directed, edited, shot and scored by Kurt Kuenne. It is about Kuenne's close friend Andrew Bagby, who was murdered after ending a relationship with a woman named Shirley Jane Turner. Turner was arrested as a suspect, and, shortly thereafter, announced she was pregnant with Bagby's child, a boy she named Zachary Turner.
August 18
August 18 is the 230th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 135 days remain until the end of the year.