She Killed her Boyfriend, made Bail, then Killed his Son: Andrew Bagby & Zachary Turner

Listen to this episode from TRUE CRIME with Bratterstein on Spotify. As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Andrew Bagby and Zachary Turner with me today. In one of the most heartbreaking true crime cases Canada has ever seen, 13-month-old Baby Zachary Turner was murdered by his own mother, Shirley Turner, in 2003. Just two years earlier, Shirley had been accused of killing her ex-boyfriend, Dr. Andrew Bagby, after he ended their relationship. While she awaited extradition to the United States to stand trial for Andrew’s murder, Shirley was shockingly released on bail, despite clear warnings that she posed a danger. During that time, she gave birth to Zachary, Andrew’s son. Andrew’s devastated parents, David and Kathleen Bagby, moved to Canada to fight for custody of their grandson, determined to protect him. But in a horrifying twist, Shirley drugged herself and Zachary before walking into the Atlantic Ocean, committing a murder-suicide that left the Bagbys shattered and outraged the nation.The Baby Zachary case revealed devastating flaws in Canada’s bail and child protection systems, sparking nationwide outrage and demands for reform. How could a woman accused of one murder be left free long enough to kill again, this time, an innocent baby? This tragic story is immortalized in the powerful documentary Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, which began as a love letter to Andrew but ended up exposing a systemic failure that cost Zachary his life. It’s a case that forces us to confront uncomfortable questions about justice, accountability, and how many red flags can be ignored before it’s too late.