Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008) 1 Video. MORRISON: Andrew tried to make a clean break with Shirley in October 2001. And she followed Andrew to St. John's. All rights reserved, Click here for information on becoming a member. It comes down to probable cause, the right to bail and the presumption of innocence. He travelled across the country, and to England, to collect these reminiscences, which reveal Bagby to be a caring physician and a beloved and charismatic goofball. Shirley asked them to take custody of Zachary while she was gone. MORRISON: The sea at midnight was endless black. April 14, 2009: December 4, 2008: Right, right. We couldnt actually believe shed (harm Zachary), but we consciously feared she could do that, he said. . 7:30 I'll be at your house.'. I think they just poured all of their love and, MORRISON: A week after Kurt's visit, Zachary turned one. 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. Zachary didn't seem like. Maybe the last time you talked to Shirley there was some very subtle change in tone. Cpl. Dear Zachary is as devastating as it is because it unravels the way bad things unravel in real life. Bill C-464 was introduced in the House of Commons on October 22, 2009, passed the House of Commons unanimously on March 22nd of this year and passed the Senate of Canada last Thursday, December 9th, where it was sponsored by Senator Tommy Banks of Alberta. Woman #9: to make that journey was awful. We just want as many people as possible to know this story, the documentary, for the practical reasons in my fantasies, I suppose some judge, some place, actually gets it and denies bail to somebody who could kill again, said David. (It was announced, in 2014, that the documentary would be made into a miniseries. I thought if I do that, I go to prison, maybe Kate. You know when you see pictures of some of your friends and then pictures of their parents as kids and they look identical? The Bagbys, who recently marked their 50th wedding anniversary, say it sustained them for nearly a decade as . 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. https://www.saltwire.com//california-couple-want-as-many-/ saltwire.com California couple want as many people as possible to know their story | SaltWire In 2006, the press was there again to cover the issuance of a report on the death of, (Newspaper article; David on TV show being interviewed; Confederation, Unidentified Reporter: (Newscast) The government has received a scathing. I had a job I loved. Because this is where you need it. In New York - August 8-14 at the IFC Center, 323 Sixth Avenue at W. 3rd Street. 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. MORRISON: Was she taunting them, they wondered? (Supreme Court building; Shirley being escorted from court; photos of Kate and. MP Andrews was spurred on to the creation of this bill after seeing "Dear Zachary" at a March screening in Ottawa to which all Members of Parliament were invited. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father sounds like the kind of movie I would never want to see, which is why it took me so long to actually see it. The Bagbys couldn't have been happier, particularly since. January 15, 2008: HEATHER: I was so excited that he was dating somebody. His medical studies in Newfoundland were complete. MORRISON: Coming up, a knock at the door, and then the news. This is the kind of couple, themselves beloved by hundreds, that produces the kind of son who is beloved by hundreds. Mr. BAGBY: Constable Walsh asking to call him. He'd been shot five times, including once in the back of the head, execution style. You live your life, you create an entire universe around you, you trundle along, and then FUCK. On a shelf in the California home of David and Kate Bagby, sitting inconspicuously among some lovely china, are two urns. In the end, she died, but love did not. KATE: On Sunday night I got out of bed and prayed because I thought Andrew was at risk. 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. Mr. BAGBY: (Audio recording) You don't like this answer, but I'm going to, give it to you again. Mr. BAGBY: The police didn't give us very much information, but they started. 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." The bill now moves to the Senate where it is expected to be embraced in a similar fashion. of a woman and a baby on the beach, and I lost it again. I said, `Find her, and I think you'll find who did this.'. MORRISON: Despite it all, the Bagbys were thrilled to be living, with Zachary. And I saw that night her malignancy. Cpl. Troutman Funeral Home is assisting the Bagby family. A 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition Blu-Ray and DVD with special artwork and packaging is available only from Oscilloscope Laboratories at the link below. Mr. BAGBY: Without those cell phone records, they couldn't formally charge. Still grieving the death of their son, the Bagbys moved to Newfoundland and fought for custody of Zachary. Hoping to gain custody of the child, the Bagbys moved to Newfoundland. ', KATE: (Audio recording) Yeah. T.J. and his girlfriend went to bed. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. KATE: I knew exactly what my son looked at before he died. Bad things tend not to announce themselves, they just kind of land right on your head. Except, OK, sometimes not. I praise Kurt Kuenne for having the heart and determination to perfectly put together one of the most powerful documentaries I have ever watched. Wow." kind of the only way that this little boy is going to get to know his dad. Man #14: I admire you and respect you so much for two things. Dr. ANDREW BAGBY: (Wedding videotape) Best man is a little bit of a poor title for these things. The couple was also involved in a support group for parents of murdered children and sat through three murder trials to try and help other surviving parents deal with their incredible grief. Kate Bagby feels her son was too trusting to agree to meet Turner at the park the day he was killed. Purchase the book here: Amazon USA | Amazon Canada, To read more reviews, visit our Press Archive, ZACHARY'S BILL (BILL C-464) BECOMES LAW IN CANADA, (Click HERE to read a letter to viewers from David & Kate Bagby.). 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. MORRISON: Shirley, meanwhile, seemed to be preparing for her, extradition, and perhaps she was looking for a way to exclude the Bagbys from. Mr. SHEARS: It seemed like it to me, yeah. Mr. KUENNE: He liked playing bad guys a lot. And if that picture never reveals itself, it feels like a letdown, not a tragedy. Its not the sort of true crime that leaves you wanting more. Murders of Andrew Bagby and Zachary Turner - Wikipedia Plus: each Wednesday, exclusively for subscribers, the best books of the week. It turns out Shirley owned a .22 caliber handgun, which she acquired while living in Iowa. Are you having a good day with grandmom and. It also recently won Best Documentary at the Orlando Film Festival and the Audience Award at the St. Louis International Film Festival. Was it a tight bond? Please check back for updates as the bill makes its way through the Senate in the coming weeks -- and if you are a Canadian Citizen, please write your Senator to voice your support of C-464 during this crucial time. Highlights from the week in culture, every Saturday. And I don't know, I just lay on top of her and we, MORRISON: T.J. opened the door to police, too, and heard the. (Photos of David and Kate with Zachary; Shirley being escorted from court). The International Film Music Critics also nominated his musical score for Best Documentary Score of 2008. You dont get over it. Oh, my God. We urge everyone to write your MP (if Canadian) or the Attorney General of Canada (if not) urging them to support MP Andrews and his bill as it moves toward a vote in the near future. -. 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. (David speaking to reporters; Kate speaking to reporters; David on radio show; "Dear Zachary" poster; Kurt editing video; photo of Andrew; photo of Zachary; Mr. KUENNE: I almost gave up making this film when you were, killed. We need each other, have each other to get through this, added David. I got to put on the record the fact that I would like a much stronger bill, said David. They told us that they'd found the body. But they also contribute to the feeling of watching something urgent and unmediated. In Los Angeles - August 22-28 at the Arclight Hollywood, 6360 Sunset Blvd. That gave her a chance to do something useful for some people who needed it, said David. The Bagbys, who recently marked their 50th wedding anniversary, say it sustained them for nearly a decade as they struggled to come to terms first with the 2001 slaying of their 28-year-old son, Dr. Andrew Bagby, and later with the murder of Andrew's son, 13 . Blood red screen. I dont understand how that can be ignored.. I said, `This woman was in town. 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. MORRISON: What did you think when you heard that? Couldn't be her. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a son about his father Sixteen years have passed but for the Bagbysthe story of the deaths of their only son and grandson resurfaces all the time. The committee passed the bill unanimously, which is how it came to be heard in the House for a final vote this week. I just want to get through medical school.'. David remembers uttering, "It's really him," and recalls how the two cried over the body, tears falling on to Andrew's face. Parents Kate and David Bagby's story of identifying Andrew's body is devastating. One contains the remains of their son, Dr. Andrew Bagby. Mr. BAGBY: I think it was a rage at the person who did this. MORRISON: A couple of hours later, there was another knock at the, Mr. BAGBY: Told us what happened. I lay in--laid there in bed a couple of times and thought, If I just kill her, Zachary will be safe. We were in the way, I guess, of her trying to go to school. Dear Zachary has been announced as the first film to launch the newly formed MSNBC Films division of MSNBC. 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. 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. MORRISON: Shirley Turner, also a doctor in training, was 12 years older than Andrew, twice divorced, a mother of three. MORRISON: But as Kurt made his way around the globe, his tribute materialized into something far bigger, and much darker, than anyone could have imagined. The legal system helped her kill Zachary. This abridged version was prepared personally by Kurt Kuenne in order to comply with CBC Newsworld's time constraints but preserve the film's impact while reaching a wider audience in Canada. The private member's bill was introduced by MP Scott Andrews of Newfoundland last fall after he saw "Dear Zachary" at a March 2009 screening in Ottawa and decided to do something about what he saw. Sometimes, if you are paying attentionclose attentionyou can see it coming, even if only barely. David Bagby - Risk Manager - McKinsey & Company | LinkedIn Read the DocuWeek Q&A with writer/director/composer Kurt Kuenne HERE. 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. With that kind of goodness, anything is possible. This documentary starts out like a love letter. Add a bio, trivia, and more. You will laugh, you will smile, you will cry, and you might even want to stand up and shout at the screen. They are prophecies. Andrew assured his filmmaker friend Kurt that the 40-year-old was a passing fancy. MORRISON: Must have seemed like the enemy was in the camp. September 28, 2008: His goal at first was simply to collect memories and tributes from people who were close to Bagby. (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. (A number of his male friends say that they asked, or would have asked, him to be their best man.) MORRISON: There might have been a particular reason for this. I got to go to the trial. Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) He is too happy, Kathleen. Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) I know you don't want to, you don't intend to. It turns out Shirley Jane Turner is pregnant. The night was. The tragedy here is that even if you do see it coming, that still doesnt mean you can stop it. This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. For the Bagbys, shock might have, (Photo of David and Zachary; photo of Kate and Zachary; Shirley being escorted, from court; court documents; court exterior; court documents; Kate and David), KATE: I'd sat in the back of the room while Judge Green said to her, `I'm so, sorry, Dr. Turner, your life is on hold, and I know the law is slow.' David Bagby will be signing copies of Dance with the Devil on Sunday, January 20th, from 3-4 P.M. at Dolly's Bookstore, 510 Main Street, Park City, Utah. would now have to be something else, a visual letter to Andrew's baby. 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. he was fussy at all. And one, of the first to see her there was T.J. Shears, the eldest of Shirley's three. This was the situation with Andrews son Zachary. I cannot stress this enough: this movie frightened and disturbed me more than any horror film I've ever seen in my life. He couldve introduced his friends death any way he wanted, and he went with this, with a kid who can barely pronounce the word killed asking why one of daddys friends has ended up that way. The apparent culprit was a woman named Shirley Turner, whom Bagby had dated but had broken up with on November 4th, in Latrobe, just before putting her on a plane to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where she lived at the time. Then, in August 2003, Shirley killed herself and the one-year-old Zachary by jumping into the Atlantic Ocean. MORRISON: Because Zachary liked you best? When Kate reached down to wipe one away, she accidentally knocked out the plug used to mask his facial wound. But their efforts to. And not just because its real. They are selfless. kind of panic sets in, I guess. Mr. DAVID BAGBY: I threw the phone at the desk, and I jumped up and just screamed, `No! MORRISON: Coming up, Andrew dead. Asked if he would have done anything different back then, David replies, kill Shirley Turner.. Digital: iTunes | Amazon | Google Play, Order David Bagby's book It was like Andrew died and then was reborn for a second chance. How the fuck do you live like that? And we came back. They did their best to keep their dark feelings about their son's accused. Shirley Turner had some startling news. June 2, 2015 - June 2020. It, (Photo of Shirley; Shirley, Zachary and David; photos of Shirley and Zachary). I mean, we would never, disagree with her or fight with her about anything unless there was real. He said, `The psychotic bitch. 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. Blu-ray | DVD, 10th Anniversary Edition: RELATED:California filmmaker remasters documentary on the lives and murders of Andrew Bagby and Zachary Turner. I said, `Andrew,' I said, `be serious. MORRISON: After you found out about Andrew's death, the impulse just ended. (Kate and Zachary; judge in court; Shirley being escorted from court), Mr. KUENNE: I don't know. In mid-December, the Bagbys talked to The Western Star about the rerelease of the documentary, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, by Kurt Kuenne. Our 100 journalists strive to inform and improve our East Coast communities by delivering impartial, high-impact, local journalism that provokes thought and action. Six-month-old Zachary was, returned to her. Purchase the album on: Amazon (Physical CD) iTunes Amazon MP3, DAVID BAGBY'S "DANCE WITH THE DEVIL" RETURNS TO PAPERBACK AND E-BOOK, After four years of being out of print, David Bagby's book "Dance with the Devil" (Andrew Bagby's father's powerful memoir of the events depicted in "Dear Zachary") is finally available in paperback and e-book. You will hurt and this film will sit with you for days, weeks, months. Cpl. Turner - the son of Andrew Bagby whom she gave birth to after Bagby's death. There won't be any question about, whether she can hurt him. We did have him for a little while, she said. And that's when she said, `He loves you, more than me. We. This film will be one of the best you're likely to see this year." Mr. BAGBY: We first got to see him personally in family court. Here's Why 'Dear Zachary' Is The Most Upsetting Documentary Ever Made Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) (Unintelligible) Hi, sweetheart. "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. Amending Canada's bail code was my goal in releasing "Dear Zachary" publicly; it is my pleasure to announce that goal is now a reality. A few weeks after, Zachary's birthday party, the Bagbys and Shirley took the toddler swimming, an, activity he usually enjoyed. She was here.' Screening next at DocuWeek, the International Documentary Association's Theatrical Documentary Showcase. MORRISON: But Andrew did agree to meet Shirley in a nearby park. (Photo of David and Kate; airplane; lake and coast), MORRISON: But here's the thing. Tessa Bagby - Producer, 1st Assistant Director - LinkedIn The film is by the phenomenal writer, director and composer Kurt Kuenne. I am a young director, producer, stage manager, communicator, and creative organizer for theatre and multimedia artistic endeavors. Mr. BAGBY: (Audio recording) (Unintelligible). But how? You can't tell them this over the phone. Complicating things further, she soon announced that she was pregnant with Bagbys child. Because she didnt know love either. The Hornet was just back from patrolling . The amount of the award will be variable, but is expected to be in the range of $1,000. MORRISON: But was that what you assumed had happened? View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Maintained by: Tracy Lane Inspired by his mother's tales of interesting medical cases and wonderful patients, Andrew decided he would be a doctor. Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) I do have a complaint, finally. We'll keep this website updated as to their progress when there is news. You know what, when Andrew didn't show up at 7:30, I knew something was very wrong. Keith Morrison reports. An abridged version of "Dear Zachary" will premiere on CBC Newsworld in Canada on Sunday, October 25th at 10 PM ET/PT. Well, I was hurt in an, accident. The Bagbys could scarcely believe. I--we both did. Understood? You take it with you, but you move on, said David. The memory of their son and grandson are never far.. She would never go away. Mr. BAGBY: Oh, this ranks right up there. KATE: I sat there and bit my lip and cried. Mr. BAGBY: She just kept coming back, and coming back and coming back. Mr. BAGBY: What a flake. MORRISON: She kept trying to get between you and the baby. report that concluded the child protection system failed Zachary Turner. Mr. BAGBY: We were out shopping or something. Its good to see him again, hear his voice, he said of the images of Andrew. ), 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. People in the audience were literally weeping during the post-screening Q&A." (Newspaper rack; photo of Shirley and Zachary), Mr. BAGBY: (Press conference) I am going to continue to scream long and loud, MORRISON: The Bagbys have continued a campaign for the overhaul, of the bail system. They began a drawn-out court battle to protect their grandson from the woman who had almost certainly murdered their son. GARDNER: (Audio recording) I understand that. The 14 Most Upsetting Parts Of Dear Zachary That Broke Your Heart - Ranker Cpl. 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. 1 Photo. MORRISON: How'd you feel about having a much younger brother come, Mr. SHEARS: I thought it was great. After Zacharys death, the Bagbys began a quest to have Canadas bail laws changed. And Im blessed to have David and quite frankly David is blessed to have me, said Kate. Unidentified Woman #10: (Kate holding Zachary) Zachary. but if we don't get help, we don't know if we're doing what's best. Mr. SHEARS: I thought they were great with him. iTunes | Amazon Prime Video | Google Play, DEAR ZACHARY ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE ALBUM NOW AVAILABLE. It was made to tell a story and to capture forever the life of one man and the many people he touched. She. ', KATE: He's so loved. After the pregnancy came to light, the film became a way to introduce Zachary to his father. Did. Shirley and Zachary, then 13 months old, had been staying with the couple. Dance with the Devil: A Memoir of Murder and Loss - Goodreads All rights reserved. Dear Zachary was a hit at Slamdance! Why don't you just take him?'. The bill is called C-464 - An Act to amend the Criminal Code (justification for detention in custody). Meeting her at 6. This is not the worst instance in this story of someone seeing something bad coming but not being able to stop it. Blu-ray: MORRISON: It was almost two years after Andrew Bagby's murder, when Shirley Turner's eldest son T.J. drove home to his girlfriend after an. 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. substance to it. The Bagbys attended the hearing, of course, and, could not quite believe their ears when they heard the judge's ruling. Kate and David Bagby traveled to Ottawa last week to speak as witnesses for the bill before the House's Standing Committee on Justice & Human Rights. "We had to do something.. Shirley. with a supervisor, and we had to be searched. We dont do anything related to murder anymore, he said. The victims choices, preferences, actions, and relationships are either boiled down to a heap of clues and red herrings, or offered as a backdrop in a spirit of dutiful empathy before getting down to the business at hand. Mr. SHEARS: Mm, yeah. Mr. BAGBY: (Talking in group) This is about making public exactly what, MORRISON: The Bagbys' public outrage had some results. (Youll never guess who showed up on my doorstep, one of Bagbys friends recalls him saying. And I, wanted to scream, `My son's life is on hold forever, and you have the audacity, to apologize to this accused murderer?'