If. 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. 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. Then, suddenly, tears. MORRISON: When T.J. heard about Andrew's murder Mr. SHEARS: I just figure, `OK, well, he was in America. Cpl. January 28, 2008: This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. David remembers uttering, "It's really him," and recalls how the two cried over the body, tears falling on to Andrew's face. They were somewhat successful with the passing of Bill C-464 in December 2010 with the added clause that bail could be denied if it was deemed necessary for the protection of anyone under the age of 18. Every last person who steps foot into a theater to see this will walk away changed. I lay in--laid there in bed a couple of times and thought, If I just kill her, Zachary will be safe. He said, `What can happen?'. You know when you see pictures of some of your friends and then pictures of their parents as kids and they look identical? Bring lots of kleenex and prepare to be equally angry and emotionally drained as you watch real, so-called justice in action. When he returned to the States, Shirley showed up soon after. And I saw that night her malignancy. Laws governing the, rights of defendants are fairly strong in this country, but there's something, about Newfoundlanders in particular which may have contributed to the judge's, decision to grant bail. An abridged version of "Dear Zachary" will premiere on CBC Newsworld in Canada on Sunday, October 25th at 10 PM ET/PT. 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 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. hoped Shirley Turner would be returned to the US to face a murder trial. We. I just want to get through medical school.'. But how? But something kept me going, and. Go away.'. Click HERE for ticket information. The memory of that visit is of a crying Zachary being taken away from them. Andrew Bagby, a gregarious family-practice resident at Latrobe, was found shot to death on Nov. 5, 2001, in Keystone State Park. For one thing, Shirley, required the Bagbys to bring Zachary to visit her once a week in jail. He said, `What can happen?'. And I said, `Who?' thing, because up until Andrew was murdered, I was a Pollyanna. But afterwards, all wounded and broken down, you will see the power of the human spirit even in the face of the darkest of souls." (Youll never guess who showed up on my doorstep, one of Bagbys friends recalls him saying. (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. Just like Andrew, you know, happy. Bagbys wondered if there might ever be an extradition hearing. Remember these two things as I go on. It will have its television premiere on MSNBC this fall following a theatrical release that is currently in negotiations and expected to be announced in the coming weeks. On the 5th, however, Turner appeared back in Latrobe. This is not the worst instance in this story of someone seeing something bad coming but not being able to stop it. Dance with the Devil is David Bagby's . Then, in August 2003, Shirley killed herself and the one-year-old Zachary by jumping into the Atlantic Ocean. Shortly after his death, she fled to Canada and settled back in St. Johns. Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) I was really upset when you took him today, because I feel like I did the day you saw him at Unified Family Court. MORRISON: And tell me about your mum with Zachary. Shirley and Zachary, then 13 months old, had been staying with the couple. Why? How the fuck do you live like that? 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. When Bagby said he was going to anyway, Simpson asked him to come to his house right after. The next, hearing in the extradition process was set for September, at which time they. And as tragic as this story is, that is also where its consolation lies: that Shirley Jane Turner destroyed everything around her in an attempt to extinguish the love she was incapable of experiencing herself, and in the end she couldnt. Then the questioner got choked up.the best thing I've seen in Austin (at SXSW)." The first time we had contact with her was over the phone. He says his mother was so often, unavailable, especially from the time she started medical school. Kate answered the phone, and she couldn't get off the phone for an hour. I dont know how else to say it except they are grown-ups: they are funny, but serious; playful, but organized. MORRISON: But was that what you assumed had happened? dropping Shirley and their grandboy off at her son T.J.'s home (Photo of Zachary sleeping in car seat; streets passing), KATE: She said, `Wake up, Zachary and say goodbye to your grandparents.'. Kurt is incredibly grateful for the good folks at MSNBC for making this arrangement happen. Very, very serious. We had to pack up Zachary, Mr. BAGBY: We just climbed right back upstairs and went to bed and melted. Senior Writer and Project Manager. Information on who and where to write can be found on the "Support Bail Reform" page. Andrew assured his filmmaker friend Kurt that the 40-year-old was a passing fancy. We. KATE: So this man said to me, `Do you know that Shirley Turner's pregnant with your son's child? We dont do anything related to murder anymore, he said. She was, pregnant, and the baby was Andrew's. a--with a hand grenade in the kitchen with the pin already pulled. David and Kate Bagby channeled their grief & anguish into changing some Canadian laws. There won't be any question about whether she can hurt, MORRISON: Coming up, as David Bagby wrestles with these terrible. But the tributes Kuenne collected remain the spine of the movie, alternating throughout with exposition of the murder and its aftermath. By refusing to become the thing they hate, they provide a profound lesson on the power of love and the courage to survive the unthinkable." Mr. SIMPSON: I said, `Do not meet her in private.' You will laugh, you will smile, you will cry, and you might even want to stand up and shout at the screen. Mr. SHEARS: I can remember being really upset and pissed off about that, happening because I had--I had friends here, and I had no time to tell anybody, basically why. You dont leave it behind. Mr. BAGBY: Without those cell phone records, they couldn't formally charge. I got to go to the trial. The Bagbys went to the morgue to identify their bodies. I'm just curious Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) Yeah, and I wanted to know for safety. Now that Zachary was starting to walk, he was free to make a beeline to. was that they'd have to accept her daily phone calls. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Kind of panic sets in, I guess, and that's when it all hit the fan, I guess. MORRISON: But then things changed. Mr. KUENNE: He warmed up to me as the--as the week wore on, MORRISON: But the Bagbys were especially anxious. An unusually personal and powerful story of a murder, it may offer something of a counterweight to the forces of bias and prurience that often pull the genre off-track. How do you represent the fact that this 13-month-olds death was preventable? However awkward Shirley Turner made it, they were sweet, cooperative. Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Walmart, DIGITAL I only live a block away.' 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. With that powerful, evidence, Shirley Turner was formally charged with Andrew's murder and, arrested by Newfoundland police. One of those forgettable pieces of solipsistic pseudo-art that is essentially just a scrapbook that was released to the public and then everyone just said it was good because no one wanted to hurt anyones feelings. Andrew came to St. John's. kate-and-david-bagby-now-pdf 2/27 Downloaded from thesource2.metro.net on July 22, 2022 by guest the recent London bombings to Law and Order type crimes that make the news only to be replaced by another name.As such, more people are left with the aftermath of dealing with the violent death of a loved one. 2015 - 2020. 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. On a shelf in the California home of David and Kate Bagby, sitting inconspicuously among some lovely china, are two urns. Mr. SHEARS: I thought they were great with him. -, "urgent, furiousadmirably well editedthis incredible, well-researched documentary demonstrates the vast gulf one life can leave behind." Also foreshadowing is how long it takes Andrews parents, Kate and David, to wade through various levels of bureaucracy to confirm his death. At one point, one friend says that if he had one tenth of the people who cared about him half as much as they do about Bagby, he would be happy. And thus the decision from which all else followed. Unidentified Woman #12: We won't forget their son. Couldn't be her. It turns out Shirley Jane Turner is pregnant. Mr. SIMPSON: Andrew, you know you can do a lot better. Mr. BAGBY: She just kept coming back, and coming back and coming back. Some of, those frames even at the dollar stores will say--there'll be little sayings on, Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) if you want to say `Mommy and Daddy' on a. frame and stick a picture of me and Andrew in it, I don't know. (It was announced, in 2014, that the documentary would be made into a miniseries. He's a little bleary eyed, but. -, "Demonstrates independent film at its finest." KATE: You get a different kind of relationship with God after this kind of. KATE: You were always afraid that she was going to find something. Mr. BAGBY: Shirley killed Andrew. would be the difference if one person weren't alive? Former Assistant Pastor at Jackson Community Church. We'll keep this website updated as to their progress when there is news. KATE: People thought she was delicate, you know, and looked KATE: She couldn't kill. You will cry. David and Kate Bagby know all about the unlikely power of love funneled through rage. 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. So he came straight for me. Mommy misses you. Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) His parents don't even know, do they? A security guard reported hearing a. Mr. SHEARS: When we woke up in the morning, realized they weren't there. We were done," Kate Bagby said, finishing her husband's thought, a quirk of their relationship that became apparent during a several-hour recount of how their lives spiraled out of control after that phone call from police. I think they just poured all of their love and, MORRISON: A week after Kurt's visit, Zachary turned one. Around 11:30 PM Shirley came downstairs, asking to borrow T.J.'s car. The bill has added an amendment to Canada's criminal code giving courts the right to refuse bail to someone charged with a serious crime who is deemed a potential danger to children under the age of 18. Mr. BAGBY: Oh, this ranks right up there. Except, OK, sometimes not. But two months later, that would change, after Shirley appealed, again to be released on bail. Still grieving the death of their son, the Bagbys moved to Newfoundland and fought for custody of Zachary. A Kate Bagby is an Advisory Member at Mothers Against Murder based in Los Altos, California. He laughs as he recalls images of Zachary running up and down a hall, saying that is a joy. MORRISON: When somebody tells you that your mother may have--was a suspect Mr. SHEARS: No, it has to be a mistake. MORRISON: The girl was Heather, also an aspiring doctor. 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. 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). Mr. BAGBY: Constable Walsh asking to call him. Hoping to gain custody of the child, the Bagbys moved to Newfoundland. All rights reserved, Click here for information on becoming a member. (Talking in group) This is not about money. The good life started in earnest when Kate first laid eyes on Petty Officer David Bagby, who was serving on the USS Hornet, docked in Long Beach in 1967. You take it with you, but you move on, said David. She called trying to get Andrew when he was here doing a rotation here in California. 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. MORRISON: Because Zachary liked you best? KATE: I had a great childhood. MORRISON: What did you think that she would do, kill you? We did have him for a little while, she said. The Bagbys could scarcely believe. 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. I, was like, `Hi, buddy.' David was a . Or was this her, way of demanding that they suspend their critical faculties and declare their, Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) I don't know what to give Zachary. And in that time, the Canadian justice system does nothing. Mr. BAGBY: He's now engaged to this lovely girl, and he's going to go to med school. Dear Zachary was the most honored film at Cinequest 18 in San Jose, receiving sustained standing ovations from packed houses at all 3 screenings and winning 2 awards - a Special Jury Award for Documentary Feature and the Audience Award. Cpl. And I prayed to God to be looking after him. kind of the only way that this little boy is going to get to know his dad. Check your local listings for channel info. That one comes back a lot. MORRISON: A couple of hours later, there was another knock at the, Mr. BAGBY: Told us what happened. Mr. DAVID BAGBY: I threw the phone at the desk, and I jumped up and just screamed, `No! The Hornet was just back from patrolling . Mr. SIMPSON: And he said, `I'm going to need to catch up with you, and we're going to have to do some serious talking.' Someone found a car that didn't belong. Dear Zachary had its Canadian premiere at the Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival in Toronto, where it was welcomed by a line down the street and around the block to get in. The album includes "Andrew", the 8 minute concert work Kurt wrote and recorded in Andrew's memory in 2002. "One of the best documentaries I have ever seen in my entire life a film that will rock you to your core. He said, `What do you mean?' Turner shot Bagby two days after he broke up with her at a Pennsylvania airport as she was set to fly back to Iowa. She was deranged. MORRISON: Two weeks after Andrew's murder, cell phone records, would show that Shirley Turner drove all the way from Iowa to Andrew's, neighborhood in Pennsylvania, arrived there the day of the murder, and then, she, or at least her cell phone, returned to Iowa. Dear Zachary was then voted the #3 audience favorite of the festival by viewer ballot, out of the 172 distinguished documentaries screening at Hot Docs. -, "**** (Four stars). And then, November 2001, Andrew Bagby was shot dead in a state park not far from the hospital in which the young doctor was a resident, and his devoted parents all but lost the will to live. They are simply good people. I had this overwhelming feeling. Six-month-old Zachary was, returned to her. 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. This couple have endured more grief and pain that most people will endure in a lifetime. Unidentified Man #20: The weather here is terrible. Slamdance Film Festival book signing! Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) I do have a complaint, finally. In initial questioning, Turner claimed to have been home sick in Iowa when Bagby was shot, but cell-phone records showed her placing calls along the thousand-mile highway route between Council Bluffs and Latrobe in the days before and after the murder. with a supervisor, and we had to be searched. She landed a residency at a hospital in Iowa, several states away but still close enough to allow occasional weekends with Andrew in Pennsylvania. "In a tragic ending, we bring new beginnings with bail reform so that no other family will have to go through the devastation that Kate and David have gone through," Andrews said. It was all incorrect from the beginning, that all this, innocence and everything she's told you was a lie. MORRISON: Andrew Bagby. See rank. In the course of the next two yearsas Turners extradition process dragged on, as Bagbys parents moved from California to Newfoundland to fight for custody of the baby, and as the case eventually took an even more terrible turnthe film came to be about those events as well. MORRISON: Andrew's best friend, filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, suddenly, just knew what he had begun as a small film to memorialize his old friend. They were good friends; it was he who Bagby had told about the fatal meeting with Turner beforehand. We're thrilled with MP Andrews' initiative and efforts, and support him 100% as he moves this bill forward. My TV-consumption habits for the past several months have been awash in murder, and Netflix knows itwhich is how, fresh from binge-watching Making a Murderer and hungry for more, I recently came across Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father. This odd documentarywhich deals with the death of a young physician named Andrew Bagby, who was a childhood friend of the films director, Kurt Kuennemade a small splash when it was first released, in 2008, but its worth revisiting now, in the midst of the recent bonanza of true-crime hits. (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.