Mr. BAGBY: Oh, yeah. He was like, `Eh, mm.' Nobody drives 16 hours after you've just broken up with them.' Please consider joining us in this mission by becoming a member of the SaltWire Network and helping to make our communities better. You know when you see pictures of some of your friends and then pictures of their parents as kids and they look identical? Instead, the film's dramatic nodes are scenes such as the one in which Bagby's parents, David and Kate, recall going to identify their son's body. I had lovely family. (Photo of Shirley; Zachary; photo of Shears and Zachary), Mr. SHEARS: There was a conversation one time she had with me and Erica, in, regards to if something ever happened to her and she had to go to jail or. The news and opinions youll love for only $10 for 1 year. Turner, the daughter of a U.S. serviceman and a woman from St. Anthony, met Andrew while they were attending medical school at Memorial University in St. Johns. I thought if I do that, I go to prison, maybe Kate. MORRISON: And tell me about your mum with Zachary. The strange allure of Robert Durst and The Jinx.. MORRISON: When somebody tells you that your mother may have--was a suspect Mr. SHEARS: No, it has to be a mistake. She landed a residency at a hospital in Iowa, several states away but still close enough to allow occasional weekends with Andrew in Pennsylvania. . And we, would have agreed to anything. Mommy loves you. Parents Kate and David Bagby's story of identifying Andrew's body is devastating. The night was. KATE: It was shocking, but not a surprise. This is without a doubt one of the most profound, touching and moving films I have ever watched." The full hour will not be available online. Do you feel all right about putting, MORRISON: Safe and warm inside the Bagby house, as the gales of a, Newfoundland winter raged outside, the inevitable happened. (Photo of David and Kate; airplane; lake and coast), MORRISON: But here's the thing. Mr. BAGBY: The baby would be half Andrew, and that, for us, was sweet. I was like, `Oh, OK, yeah.' Wow." in honor of his beloved friend Andrew, and then for Andrew's son, Zachary. Its hard to imagine a well-crafted rendition being as powerful.). MORRISON: Andrew was the only child of software engineer David Bagby and his wife, Kate, a nurse practitioner. And you just bought the gun, right? Mr. KUENNE: I vowed to collect every memory for you before they, MORRISON: As for Andrew's parents, David and Kate, they were, (Graduation photo of Andrew, Kate and David; Shirley with child). After Newfoundland woman killed their son and grandson - SaltWire Andrew Bagby, a gregarious family-practice resident at Latrobe, was found shot to death on Nov. 5, 2001, in Keystone State Park. The film ends with the Bagbys and their relatives, friends, and colleagues reflecting on the father and son, as well as the . Murders of Andrew Bagby and Zachary Turner - Wikipedia Shirley Turner had walked out to the end, of a pier with tiny Zachary strapped to her body with a sweater, then jumped, into the ocean. But he was accepted here, St. John's, Newfoundland, the easternmost point in North America. I had this overwhelming feeling. It would take two weeks. Family and friends go to extraordinary lengths to honor a legacy of a young man whose trust led to tragedy. The pair planned to take care of the minutiae of dealing with a lost loved one, fly back to California and kill themselves. On Monday, March 22, 2010, the House of Commons in Ottawa unanimously passed Bill C-464 - An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (justification for detention in custody). The legal system helped her kill Zachary. Its heartbreaking, said Kate, who recalls last seeing Zachary the evening before he was killed. The amount of the award will be variable, but is expected to be in the range of $1,000. And tears are dropping on him, of course, and Kate went to wipe one of those away off his cheek, and a plug came out, where hed been shot in the left cheek. David Bagby, left, and Kate Bagby, right, celebrate with their son Andrew Bagby at his graduation from medical school at Memorial University of Newfoundland in June 2000. We couldn't let the authorities who let this happen get away with it. I just want to get through medical school.'. She pushed it back in and cried some more. Far from experiencing the satisfaction of cracking a mystery, the viewer is likely to come away with a feeling of stymied sickness, of hitting the brick wall of a world gone wronga feeling which must be closer to the lived reality of violent tragedy. But of course I didn't. Such choices make for a disorienting viewing experience, especially if youre accustomed to the conventions of slicker documentaries. Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) His parents don't even know, do they? You are born, you grow up, you make friends, you get a job, a partner, a house, maybe a car, maybe a kid, maybe more. ), DEAR ZACHARY 10TH ANNIVERSARY HD REMASTERED EDITIONNOW AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY, DVD, and DIGITAL, For the film's 10th anniversary, Kurt Kuenne remastered "Dear Zachary", its epilogue, and its bonus features for HD, converting the original standard definition elements to HD shot-by-shot, while remixing the film in 5.1 surround, so that it now looks and sounds as originally intended on today's platforms. Dance with the Devil: A Memoir of Murder and Loss: He laughs as he recalls images of Zachary running up and down a hall, saying that is a joy. -, "Demonstrates independent film at its finest." Hello. -Drafted and finalized press releases, articles, annual reports, websites, earnings releases and investor . Cpl. "This is the purest, most intensely raw film I have ever seen of any kind, dramatic or nonfiction. Couldn't be her. And in that way this tragedy remains hers and hers alone. (Driving through rainy street; correctional facility sign; Andrew; Kurt, Unidentified Woman #8: They would drive two hours to the jail. It's great. David Bagby, left, and Kate Bagby, right, celebrate with their son Andrew Bagby at his graduation from medical school at Memorial University of Newfoundland in June 2000. Kate & David Bagby will now be called as witnesses before the committee, the bill will be revised and strengthened, and eventually brought back into the House and Senate for a vote. KATE: (Audio recording) Right. What do you want it Mr. BAGBY: Very seriously. This marks the first time in history an MP from Newfoundland has been able to get a private member's bill through Parliament; since 2001, 2,510 Private Member's Bills have been introduced in the House of Commons, but only 23 - less than 1% - have received Royal Assent. We had negotiated a one-hour-a-week visitation in family court. What a flaky person. And she followed Andrew to St. John's. You dont get over it. For those who've asked how Kate & David Bagby are doing now, here's a lovely article from Diane Crocker at Newfoundland's The Western Star. Dear Zachary recently won the Audience Award at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival in Birmingham, Alabama! Cpl. MP Andrews was inspired to create Bill C-464 after seeing Dear Zachary for the first time in March; he and Senator Tommy Banks distributed DVDs of Dear Zachary to every member of the House of Commons for their review immediately following the December 4th discussion. This is what that fucking bitch didnt know, David Bagby fumes towards the end of Dear Zachary. MORRISON: What thought or feeling did that give you? And Im blessed to have David and quite frankly David is blessed to have me, said Kate. Kathryn Schulz, reviewing Making a Murderer recently inThe New Yorker, described howtrue-crime projects can allow for bias to masquerade as objectivity and for people (particularly victims and their families) to be reduced to plot points. The other, their grandson, Zachary Turner. | Learn more about Tessa Bagby's work experience, education . Andrew was found dead Nov. 5, 2001 in a state park just outside Latrobe, PA, where he was a resident in the local hospitals family medicine programme. You live your life, you create an entire universe around you, you trundle along, and then FUCK. It, (Photo of Shirley; Shirley, Zachary and David; photos of Shirley and Zachary). MORRISON: And then, in the spring of 1995, Andrew found someone, a Newfoundlander, also a doctor in training, a woman named Shirley Turner. And when, after his first year at med school, Heather broke off the engagement, Andrew was crushed. Mr. BAGBY: We were out shopping or something. Why would she say that if he wasn't? And we came back. I had a husband I loved. We don't--we don't gush very much. In that time, it also becomes clear that Andrews fate is in danger of also becoming his sons. She. It stays so close to Bagby and to the people who loved him that theres never any question that its their side of the story being recounted. This couple have endured more grief and pain that most people will endure in a lifetime. She was, pregnant, and the baby was Andrew's. CONTRIBUTED BY DAVID AND KATE BAGBY Sixteen years have passed but for the Bagbys the story of the deaths of their only son and grandson resurfaces all the time. -, "A 10 out of 10. But two months later, that would change, after Shirley appealed, again to be released on bail. And that was midafternoon. Former Assistant Pastor at Jackson Community Church. Blu-Ray | DVD, BLU-RAY Are you having a good day with grandmom and. And that's when she said, `He loves you, more than me. Mommy misses you. How do you represent the fact that when you see a crime coming from a mile away you still cant do anything to stop it? But a few weeks later, she showed up in Pennsylvania, unexpected, for the wedding of one of his friends. Published by Statesville Record & Landmark on. put Zachary on her lap to open presents, and he resists. Only Kate and David, MORRISON: Perhaps the most irksome part of the deal with Shirley. IMDbPro Starmeter. Dance with the Devil: A Memoir of Murder and Loss - Goodreads Oh my god. And I, wanted to scream, `My son's life is on hold forever, and you have the audacity, to apologize to this accused murderer?' (Canadian flags; Newfoundland; lake and coast; man in coat; photos of Shirley, and Zachary; Kate, David and Zachary; Shirley, Kate and Zachary; Supreme Court, building; photos of David, Kate, Zachary and Shirley), Mr. BAGBY: Dealing with Turner was like, I don't know, walking around with. Parents Kate and David Bagby's story of identifying Andrew's body is devastating. An autopsy report would show that an anti-anxiety drug, prescribed by the very psychiatrist who put up Shirley's bail money had been, mixed into Zachary's formula. Inspired by his mother's tales of interesting medical cases and wonderful patients, Andrew decided he would be a doctor. No less than seven of those friends had asked Bagby to be the best man at their weddings. His medical studies in Newfoundland were complete. If you were waiting to find out where exactly the comfort was in this litany of suffering, it is in Bagbys parents. After the pregnancy came to light, the film became a way to introduce Zachary to his father. We'll keep this website updated as to their progress when there is news. We dont do anything related to murder anymore, he said. MORRISON: Shirley also claimed to have been at home in Iowa, sick in bed the day of the murder. David Bagby David Russell Bagby, 64, of Statesville, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. Dear Zachary was named one of the top 5 documentaries of 2008 by the National Board of Review! There was plenty of turmoil in the industry, but many shows continued to nourish, illuminate, and delight. They hadn't been identified, but it's obvious who they, MORRISON: He was right. "Go into this cold and be prepared for a life-changing experience. Newfoundland to meet the now 11-month-old little boy. Kurt Kuennes 2008 documentary, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, deserves a second look, especially in light of the recent popularity of true-crime programs like Serial and Making a Murderer., Photograph courtesy Oscilloscope Pictures / Everett. Mr. BAGBY: (Audio recording) You don't like this answer, but I'm going to, give it to you again. On December 4, 2009, Bill C-464 (our bail reform bill) was discussed on the floor of the House of Commons for a full hour, and MP Scott Andrews received unanimous support from all political parties in the House of Commons to advance the bill to the Standing Committee on Justice & Human Rights. Mr. BAGBY: What are you going to say that will MORRISON: And find something she did, going so far as telling, them that they had some anger issues which needed to be addressed by a, (Photo of Shirley; photo of Kate and David), Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) There has been, I guess, a lot of, uncomfortable feeling on both our parts. But as someone else says, Grief is loves unwillingness to let go. So Andrew's father could just as easily be talking about love. Right? Any reference to Turner as a flight risk, for instance, is accompanied by birdsong and pictures of flying pigeons. It was like Andrew died and then was reborn for a second chance. David Bagby's book, Dance With the Devil, is a good read. don't have these meltdowns and emotional scenes. MORRISON: Andrew's best friend, filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, suddenly, just knew what he had begun as a small film to memorialize his old friend. Former Production Manager at Mountain Gospel Radio. But that didn't erase their unease, or a remarkable feeling, (Shirley and Zachary at birthday party; David), Mr. BAGBY: I considered killing her myself, seriously considered it. When Kuenne narrates the particulars of the crime, the evidence, or the legal proceedings, his voiceover shifts to a stylized, rapid-fire clip, making it easy for the audience to miss key details. Shirley and Zachary, then 13 months old, had been staying with the couple. MORRISON: It was August 2003, the wee hours of the morning by the ocean. KATE: So this man said to me, `Do you know that Shirley Turner's pregnant with your son's child? MORRISON: She kept trying to get between you and the baby. Imagine being the parents of a man who was killed and then having to ingratiate yourself to the killer in order to keep your grandchild safe. Slamdance Film Festival book signing! Mr. SIMPSON: Things people should know about Andrew, he was never late. There won't be any question about whether she can hurt, MORRISON: Coming up, as David Bagby wrestles with these terrible. Which is to say, the woman who killed Dr. Andrew Bagby is pregnant with Dr. Andrew Bagbys baby. They began a drawn-out court battle to protect their grandson from the woman who had almost certainly murdered their son. Kuenne is able to capture the true nature of love and dedication in a way I have never seen. She called trying to get Andrew when he was here doing a rotation here in California. The memory of that visit is of a crying Zachary being taken away from them. (Photo of Andrew; cell phone towers; photo of Shirley; maps; suburban street; photo of house; newspaper clipping; photo of Shirley; maps; cell phone tower; Shirley in court; court documents; flashing police lights; American flag. MORRISON: Do you find yourself going back and playing that back in your mind? GARDNER: (Audio recording) Yeah. MORRISON: But Andrew did agree to meet Shirley in a nearby park. Mr. BAGBY: (Audio recording) Just got up. The International Film Music Critics also nominated his musical score for Best Documentary Score of 2008. Mr. SHEARS: Mm, yeah. This is the kind of couple, themselves beloved by hundreds, that produces the kind of son who is beloved by hundreds. A review of Turner's and Zachary's deaths, released in 2006 by Winnipeg-based coroner Peter Markesteyn, concluded the provinces social services system failed Zachary and his death could have been prevented. This is the kind of couple, themselves beloved by hundreds, that produces the kind of son who is beloved by hundreds. When Kate reached down to wipe one away, she accidentally knocked out the plug used to mask his facial wound. MORRISON: After you found out about Andrew's death, the impulse just ended. Dear Zachary was also a hit at Silverdocs, the AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Film Festival over the weekend of June 21st & 22nd, where both screenings were once again met with standing ovations; Silverdocs nominated Dear Zachary for its inaugural Writers Guild of America Documentary Screenplay Award. As religious as that may sound, that is a comfort. her. However awkward Shirley Turner made it, they were sweet, cooperative. (SPOILER WARNING: Do not watch this short until you have seen Dear Zachary. What if she is backed in a. corner? Zachary's life, even talking to her eldest son and his girlfriend about it. She turns to talking of her son and calls him Gods blessing. They recorded them. But he was moved to honor his friend the best way he knew how, by making a film. At least he might have asleep when she went in. I said, `When do you think you'll be done?' Mr. BAGBY: She told the court she was afraid we would harm the baby. February 24, 2009: Because this is where you need it. You can't tell them this over the phone. MORRISON: Andrew's body was discovered the following morning with bullets lodged in his face, buttock, chest, the back of his head. Jackson, Kentucky. MORRISON: Andrew Bagby. The Bagbys have done their best to resume life in California. I got to go to the trial. So he came straight for me. Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) Well, I have that for protection. You take it with you, but you move on, said David. `You gave me a lovely son, and now it's over.'. October 22, 2009: Kate to keep up their end of that bargain. Ad Choices. He said, `What can happen?'. The bill now moves to the Senate where it is expected to be embraced in a similar fashion. Also, today MP Scott Andrews of Newfoundland introduced a bill in Parliament for its first reading that proposes a modification to Canada's bail code that would justify detention in custody for a suspect who is a potential danger to their own minor children. Because she didnt know love either. Hoping to gain custody of the child, the Bagbys moved to Newfoundland. David remembers uttering, "It's really him," and recalls how the two cried over the body, tears falling on to Andrew's face. Six-month-old Zachary was, returned to her. On the 5th, however, Turner appeared back in Latrobe. then one day I realized what it was. Mr. SHEARS: It seemed like it to me, yeah. She would never go away. But something kept me going, and. Kate Bagby - Mothers Against Murder *Verified* | ZoomInfo It also recently screened at the Calgary International Film Festival and the Edmonton International Film Festival to standing ovations from Canadian audiences, where it inspired many audience members to write their Parliament in support of bail reform. (Photo of Andrew and Kurt; Kurt editing film; collection of videotapes with, Mr. KUENNE: It was no longer just my search for what was left of, (Collection of videotapes of raw footage), Mr. KUENNE: I thought, I'm kind of the keeper of all this footage that is. Through a complicated series of delayed hearings and granted bails, Turner remained free for many months while the decision regarding her extradition was in process. It left me looking for the impossibility of marking the film above the highest grade available on the festival's voting ballot. The memory of their son and grandson are never far.. MORRISON: Was she taunting them, they wondered? Kuenne, a childhood friend of Andrews, started out to make the movie as a tribute to Andrew, but it kept taking on new meanings, first with Zacharys birth and then his death. There were moments when something happened that had my heart beating so fast I became lightheaded and had to refocus myself. Unidentified Man #22: We will develop policy specific to children. anything like that, would we take care of Zachary? The bill is called C-464 - An Act to amend the Criminal Code (justification for detention in custody). And now it's just. Shirley. June 2, 2015 - June 2020. substance to it. MORRISON: How did you find out what happened, how he had been killed? I dont know how else to say it except they are grown-ups: they are funny, but serious; playful, but organized. That child was Zachary, to whom the film is addressed. you have anywhere to put that, or that Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) Not yet. Or it's in the car. the water. Our 100 journalists strive to inform and improve our East Coast communities by delivering impartial, high-impact, local journalism that provokes thought and action. March 18, 2008: This is the attention thing I was talking about. Kate & David Bagby will now be called as witnesses before the committee, the bill will be revised and strengthened, and eventually brought back into the House and Senate for a vote. They might as well have sent a taxi to her to help take him out and drown him. But on Sunday, when he drove her to the airport, Andrew made it clear to Shirley it was over for good. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008) 1 Video. And not just because its real. Blu-ray: By signing up, you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. And Turner had said he was a, MORRISON: But there were some caveats. And the comfort they personify can be found in the fact that even in the face of Shirley Jane Turner, they not only continue, they remain good while continuing. The bill, if passed into law later this year, would justify detention in custody for those accused of a serious crime who are a potential danger to their own children under the age of 18. Dear Zachary is now available on DVD! May 16, 2008: Lying on my shoulder and looking up at me as if to say, Yes Nan, Im here.. They could check cell towers then, but only manually. January 28, 2008: MORRISON: In Kurt Kuenne's documentary, Clark Simpson, one of Andrew's close friends at the hospital, remembers that November morning just two weeks later when Shirley surprised Andrew again. Woman #9: to make that journey was awful. He was such a good baby. I'm absolutely sure. Mr. BAGBY: He's now engaged to this lovely girl, and he's going to go to med school. Dr. Andrew David Bagby (1973-2001) - Find a Grave Memorial Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Walmart, DIGITAL ', MORRISON: But they'd have to wait almost a month. How the fuck do you live like that? If it looks like she's likely to go back, how is she going to behave? Man #26: and for having the strength to make it through, Unidentified Man #27: With what you've been through, to still be, carrying on, still to hold your heads up and keep going and pushing forward is, (Kate and David; photo of David and Kate), Unidentified Woman #13: I think God put some people down on Earth, Mr. A. BAGBY: (Wedding video) We're brothers, and I love you. report that concluded the child protection system failed Zachary Turner. Dr. Andrew Bagby was killed on November 5, 2001, by an older woman named Shirley Jane Turner, who he had dated at a low point in his life. The committee passed the bill unanimously, which is how it came to be heard in the House for a final vote this week. Pain, loss never end after tragedy strikes couple - East Bay Times The Bagbys still hold a bitterness when they talk about how they were failed by a legal system that let Turner out on bail and allowed her to retain custody of Zachary. The bond between, Zachary and his grandparents grew and grew, and Shirley noticed, even from, KATE: (Audio recording) I think it was one time we were on the phone or, KATE: (Audio recording) Yeah, the baby cried, and I said, `Oh, there's my, Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) Yeah, `Oh, my baby. He said, `What can happen?'. I can understand that. I would have to dream up some reason to go over, there in the middle of the night, to--for me to just appear on her doorstep, Mr. BAGBY: Turned out I wasn't. Dear Zachary recently won the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Best Documentary of 2008 from the Society of Professional Journalists. Kuenne began making Dear Zachary before Turner revealed her pregnancy. HEATHER: I knew he'd been struggling with me moving on and dating other people. After Zacharys death, the Bagbys began a quest to have Canadas bail laws changed. (Supreme Court building; Shirley being escorted from court; photos of Kate and. He was in, Mr. SHEARS: I would cook supper sometimes when she wasn't around. Lastly, Dear Zachary was screened in Ottawa on March 11, 2009 for various members of Parliament and their staff; as a result, a small but committed group of Parliamentarians are now drafting a bill based on the issues raised in the film. Amazon | B&N MORRISON: I never know what to think about these feelings that people get. decision. This is not the worst instance in this story of someone seeing something bad coming but not being able to stop it. I--we both did. 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. David bagby, left, and kate bagby, right, celebrate with their son andrew bagby at his graduation from medical school at memorial university of newfoundland in june 2000. contributed by david and kate bagby. Click here for ticket information! In Los Angeles - August 22-28 at the Arclight Hollywood, 6360 Sunset Blvd. And Kate kissed him and held him and kissed him some more. The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. But before that could happen, Shirley was apparently deemed neither, dangerous nor a flight risk and almost immediately released on bail, most of, it posted by one of her mentors from med school, a psychiatrist to whom she'd, gone for treatment after Andrew's murder. Had the case played out in the U.S. court system, they believe Zachary would still be with them. MORRISON: When you did find out that she was pregnant, what was your thought? would now have to be something else, a visual letter to Andrew's baby. Mr. SHEARS: When we woke up in the morning, realized they weren't there. Bagby, that man about whom no one had a bad word, was left lying face down in a Pennsylvania state park with five bullets in him. Mr. KURT KUENNE (Director): I decided to go on the road to interview people, because I thought, you know, he's never going to have a wedding. (Photo of Shirley; "Canada" on building; T.J. Shears walking), Mr. T.J. SHEARS: My mom was just like, `Oh, hey.' They are simply good people. I kind of. Just from that, conversation, you could kind of get the sense that she didn't want Zachary, MORRISON: And for the Bagbys, Shirley issued what sounded somehow. Unidentified Man #20: The weather here is terrible. I don't know how else to say it except they are grown-ups: they are funny, but serious; playful, but organized. Mr. BAGBY: He's now engaged to this lovely girl, and he's going to go to med school. -, "You don't just view what's happening on the screen -- you live it through every gasp and every tear, and every bit of exasperated anger(resulting) in one powerful standing ovation, the likes of which I have never seen at Hot Docs beforeDear Zachary will move you. We would've done handstands and cartwheels to. Based on the title alone, it sounds like one of those saccharine documentaries that only the filmmaker and the subject would ever really care about. And then we'd do it through the lawyers. Around 11:30 PM Shirley came downstairs, asking to borrow T.J.'s car. Instead, the films dramatic nodes are scenes such as the one in which Bagbys parents, David and Kate, recall going to identify their sons body. Corporal GARDNER: (Audio recording) Yeah, Dr. Turner, I'm Corporal Gardner with the Pennsylvania State Police. get a chance to have some of Andrew again.