Dear Zachary I forget what is and only know what used to be. Some of those thoughts included him, without Kate's knowledge, taking out Turner and allowing himself to be imprisoned. The Dr. Andrew David Bagby Family Medicine Scholarship is for medical students at Excela Health Latrobe Hospital, and almost four dozen students pursuing Bagby's speciality of family practice have benefited from the award. The next twist is like a punch to the gut. This page was last edited on 29 April 2023, at 14:10. While this fraught situation dragged on, Kuenne traveled to the United Kingdom and across the U.S. to interview Bagby's friends and extended family. Dear Zachary is the only film that has made me cry. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. Kuenne adds his own memories to the film, along with his anger & grief over the senseless crime. On 2 December, the Unit seized her trash and discovered printouts for an ultrasound taken on 29 November, showing a fetus that was conceived with Bagby the previous month. What could have beena dry analysis ofa broken justice system is instead a deeply touching commentary on love and friendship. [20], On April 4, 2013, Kuenne released a short documentary titled The Legacy of Dear Zachary: A Journey to Change the Law on YouTube. I am sorry I cannot say more about this film without ruining its unique premise. A senseless crime 10 Disturbing Documentaries That Are Stranger Than Fiction. Yes! Dear Zachary is the only film that has made me cry. Kuenne wanted to gather memories of Bagby, from the fact that he always wore shorts to his goofy, fun-loving nature. Best of all, you can do it all from the comfort of your own home or wherever you happen to be spending your summer. And she dances. Kuenne began collecting footage from his old home movies and interviewed Bagby's parents, David and Kathleen, for a documentary about his friend's life. Kuennes documentary instead puts the victim before the crime. Turner was wearing a black dress, carried a bouquet of red roses and had two suicide notes on her. Three years later, Turner and her second husband divorced, and she was granted custody of their daughter. At approximately 1:00p.m. local time, Turner embarked on a 16-hour, 1,523-kilometre (946mi) drive to Latrobe with her gun and ammunition inside a gun box in her Toyota RAV4. Bagby acted in many of Kuenne's amateur movies and, as these films became more professional in quality, he invested in them with some of the money he was saving up for medical school. After consulting with his parents, Doucet moved to Westtown Township, Pennsylvania, United States in 1998. People We Want to See on a Comedy Central Roast. So here it is: If theres one documentary you need to watch before you die, its Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son about his Father. He grew up in Silicon Valley, where at age 7, he met the late Dr. Andrew Bagby, the subject of Dear Zachary. It has serious heart, and its unusual approach makes it all the more heartbreaking. When negative items would come up[,] she would change the topic to one of my failings. Turner told Bagby's ex-fiance that she intended to get an abortion, but later told her she intended to keep the child. The genre of true crime offers viewers a stimulating view of the intricacies of a criminal investigation. Hear me out. [15], Dear Zachary was released on DVD on February 24, 2009, by Oscilloscope Laboratories. When I saw the title, next to a 94 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I wasnt convinced. Following the end of her first marriage on 29 January 1988, Turner married her boyfriend from Corner Brook the following July. If you're looking for an extremely disturbing documentary film, you'll find it on these lists! WebThe case led to the passage of Bill C-464, or Zachary's Bill, strengthening the conditions for bail in Canadian courts in cases involving the well-being of children. Despite her claim to have been in bed sick on 5 November, cell phone and Internet records showed that she had made cross-country calls both to and from Latrobe, accessed eBay and Hotmail from Bagby's home computer, and used his home phone to call in sick. Bagbys parents were forced to give Turner joint custody of Zachary. She claps. Turner subsequently made a total of 200 threatening phone calls to the man over the following month. Its that powerful of a film, but not for the faint of heart. When a constable contacted Turner's lawyer about the harassment, she denied the allegations. to every member of the Canadian Parliament to campaign for a bill to give more protection to children in custody disputes. Want to spend your summer being creative and making some money on the side? ", Is there a greater nightmare than people hinting that your child is gone but not confirming it? It was broadcast by MSNBC on December 7, 2008, and has been reaired several times since. [2]:80 In 1980, Turner enrolled at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's, seeking to embark on a medical career. Its been so long since I have felt big enough to take up and control my five foot seven figure. In my lifetime, I have watched a great number of movies like these ones which are really emotional, but the only one that has ever caused me to cry for real was the documentary titled Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, which was released in 2008. Those two exams just stripped you of your pride. [5] Distraught over Zachary's death, and outraged at the Canadian legal system's failure to protect the child, David and Kathleen mounted a campaign to reform the country's bail laws, which they believed had helped allow Turner to kill her child and herself. While updating my wardrobe for my four months abroad, I found that more modest, loose clothing was what I felt most comfortable and confident in. 12 Documentaries With Twist Endings His intention was just to explore Bagbys life and interview those who knew him. Dear Zachary [11] She then drove with Zachary to nearby Conception Bay South, where the man she had met at the bar lived. [10], The Chicago Film Critics Association nominated the film for its award for Best Documentary, and the Society of Professional Journalists presented the film with its Sigma Delta Chi Award for Best Television Documentary (Network). Although Dear Zachary began as a project that was only intended to be shown to friends and family of Andrew Bagby, owing to the way events unfolded, Kuenne decided to release the film to the general public.[9]. gathers the fragments of a true crime story about young doctor Andrew Bagby and the terrible events surrounding his death. The film premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in 2008 and received a limited theatrical release before being acquired for distribution by MSNBC. [5], Shirley Jane Turner (28 January 1961 18 August 2003) was a Canadian-American daughter of a U.S. serviceman and local woman from St. Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador. These incidents left the supervising physician with the impression that: I felt I was being manipulated whenever I spoke with Shirley Turner. Road-tripping with your friends? Turner alternately told her shooting instructor that her gun had been stolen. The child, a boy, was born on 9 July 1982. He always had a good taste in music and its no wonder this song was his favorite. Where To Watch John Wick Chapter 4 Online Free: Is The Movie On Netflix, HBO Max, Or Prime Video? The documentary Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father gathers the fragments of a true crime story about young doctor Andrew Bagby and the terrible events surrounding his death. Dear Zachary, which unfolds chronologically,has not one but two major twists. Going beyond the tropes of a generic investigative documentary, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Father to a Son About His Father is deeply personal and frustratingly tragic, and it doesnt have a happy ending. [14] According to filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, Doucet later left Newfoundland and relocated elsewhere in Canada.[15]. After graduating in 2000, Bagby moved to New York to work as a surgical resident, and Turner moved to Iowa, also for work, but they maintained a long-distance relationship. How do you pass that up? Swinging back and forth to the strums of the guitar gently echoing, she smiles. Kuenne donated all profits from the film to scholarships established in the names of Andrew and Zachary Bagby.[2]. I cannot recall a trainee like Shirley Turner in that her approach lacked personal commitment and her relationships with people seemed, at least to me, to be superficial when compared to the over 400 residents I have supervised during the past 21 years. The documentary Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father gathers the fragments of a true crime story about young doctor Andrew Bagby and the terrible events surrounding his death. I dont know how well we ended up fitting in, especially when we were speaking English most of the time, but nonetheless. A patient of the clinic refused to return after an encounter with Turner. Bagby came from Sunnyvale, California, and was the son of Kathleen Daphne Bagby (ne Barnard), a registered nurse and midwife from Chatham, England, United Kingdom; and David Franklin Bagby, an American former United States Navy serviceman and computer engineer. We play detective, piecing together the fragments of a story until we get the satisfaction of looking at a complete picture. Cataloging the most poignantDear Zachary moments may seem like a fool's errand, but to do so is to engage directly with the documentary's most troubling content. Kuenne initially intended for Dear Zachary to be a private project for Andrew Bagbys friends and family. ", On 7 April 1999, Doucet found Turner lying semi-conscious outside of his apartment, having ingested a combined 65 milligrams of over-the-counter drugs in a suicide attempt. Kurt Kuenne and Andrew Bagby grew up as close friends in the suburbs of San Jose, California. After Canadian mother killed herself and [12], Peter Debruge of Variety called the film "a virtuoso feat in editing" and noted: "The way Kuenne presents the material, with an aggressive style that lingers less than a second on most shots, it's impossible not to feel emotionally exhausted. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. With many college semesters coming to a close, students find themselves procrastinating. As soon as Bagbys parents learned of the pregnancy, they moved to Canada and won custody of Zachary after Turner was convicted by a provincial Canadian court. It was finally signed into law by Governor-General David Johnston on 16 December 2010. On 4 November 2001, Turner made a total of three phone calls to Bagby's residence in Latrobe. Also in Turner's apartment were MapQuest printouts for road directions to Latrobe. Kristen Haddox, Penn State University4. Unsettled and left with no closure over the case, David and KateBagby,Andrew's parents and Zachary's grandparents,aggressively told their tale inKuenne's documentary entitledDear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father. Kate was devastated at how the process unfolded. Throughoutthe film, it's really difficult to watch a reasonable man consider such extreme and desperate measures. The ultimate tragedy of this story came when Turner, in 2003, jumped into the Atlantic Ocean. Cataloging the most poignant Dear Zachary moments may seem like a fools errand, Feature photo of Andrew Bagby from "Dear Zachary" via MSNBC Films. He had been shot five times in the face, the chest, the buttocks, and the back of the head with CCI .22 bullets. This is a response to "Ways to Follow Clothing Trends in 2021.. Acting on statements by Simpson and others, the Pennsylvania State Police contacted Turner. In 2009, after watching the film Canadian MP Scott Andrews introduced Bill C-464 (also known as "Zachary's Bill") to the Parliament of Canada. Dear Zachary is beloved among the true-crime documentary community for being honest, heart-felt, infuriating, and devastating. Jeffrey Epsteins unredacted flight log finally uncovered, Here's why Dayana Espinoza is an actor to watch. After the murder, Turner, now accused of killing Andrew, announces she is four months pregnant with Andrews child. Related: The 13 Best True Crime Documentaries Streaming on Netflix Right Now. In a market awash with true crime docs,Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father is unique. Best Documentaries on Amazon Prime It is about Kuenne's close friend Andrew Bagby, who was murdered after Bagby ended a relationship with a woman named Shirley Jane Turner. [12], Turner's body was found on a beach by a vacationing couple, with Zachary's body discovered nearby. Kuenne's attempts to arrange interviews with the prosecutors and judges who facilitated Turner's freedom were denied, but, in 2006, a panel convened by Newfoundland's Ministry of Justice released a report stating that Zachary's death had been preventable and the government's handling of Turner's case had been inadequate. Released in 2008, the film makes the cut as one of the greatest documentaries of all time. A senseless crime The case led to a critical overview of Newfoundland's legal and child welfare systems as well as Canada's bail laws. Director Kurt Kuenne Writer Kurt Kuenne Stars Kurt Kuenne Andrew Bagby David Bagby See production, box office & company info Watch on Prime Video included with Prime More watch options Add to Watchlist When I hear this song, I forget where I am. Kurt Kuenne has made a documentary in a way that a film itself is made, with amazing editing patterns and with a story that really grabs you and moves you. In his approach, Kuenne succeeds in presenting a full portrait of Bagbys life, showing just how many lives Bagby affected and the deep grief that accompanied his death. [4] The Bagbys had to give Zachary back to Turner, but they were able to arrange a visitation schedule. Bagby and Turner's relationship began to crumble, and Turner became increasingly possessive. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a The case was closed on 11 January 1994 without an interview with Turner. In a later interview with an assessment officer at the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, the supervising physician, in hindsight, described Turner as "a manipulative, guiltless psychopath." Dear Zachary The bullets found in Bagby were also a match for the ones in Turners gun. Dear Zachary is anunsettling and horrific true-crime film created by her murder victim's close friend Kurt Kuenne, which exposes the timeline of Turner's history of erratic behavior and the murders of father and son Andrew and Zachary Bagby. WebDear Zachary is a documentary, and there is a fallacy about documentaries that this one proves wrong- that they are all logic and lack heart. The main suspect was his ex-girlfriend and Canadian citizen, Shirley Turner. In the interim, one of Andrew Bagbys closest childhood friends, filmmaker Kurt Kuenne had begun making a documentary about the young doctor, titled Dear Zachary, an effort to tell the toddler about the father he never met. When, in November 2002, a provincial court ruled that enough evidence pointed to Turner as Bagby's killer, Turner was again arrested, and Bagby's parents were awarded custody of Zachary. Going beyond the tropes of a generic investigative documentary, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Father to a Son About His Father is deeply personal and frustratingly tragic, and it doesnt have a happy ending. Her boyfriend is called Victor and they both love listening to The Cure, reading Byron, and gazing upon William Blake prints. One note had been addressed to Doucet and the other to her psychiatrist; the latter read, "I am not evil, just sick." Bagbys childhood friend Kenneth Kuenne made the film as a way to document the memories of Andrews life. Near the end of his time at Memorial University in Newfoundland, Bagby began a relationship with Shirley Turner, a twice-divorced recent graduate of MUN's medical school who was nearly thirteen years his senior. This decision was made with thepublic knowledgethat Turner had attempted to take her life on Andrew's front porch, was on suicide watch in jail, and at the time had eight orders ofrestraint against her. Between 1998 and 2000, she served as a resident physician at teaching hospitals across Newfoundland. There's no shortage of harrowing documentaries, but Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father is one of the most intense. Magnolia Pictures. They kept a staggering long-distance relationship. Exploring different styles is important, but finding clothes that you feel most comfortable and confident in is even more significant. Screening the film wherever they could, including directly to the Canadian Parliament, the pair along with the filmmaker insisted that Zachary's story become more than just a true-crime documentary- it needed to pushthe creation of legal reformations to protect future children. Upon returning, Bagby discoveredsomeone hadrobbed him. Have the Island Boys lost their net worth after alleged murder? A portion of the film also shows Kuenne meeting Zachary in Newfoundland in July 2003 to celebrate his first birthday, one month before his death; Shirley Turner is present during the visit, but Kuenne avoids her. After mixing her lorazepam into Zachary's baby formula and ingesting a toxic dosage herself, Turner strapped the infant to her chest with her sweater and jumped off a fishing wharf at Foxtrap Marina into the Atlantic Ocean. Feb. 7, 2017. What is the French language plot outline for Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)? Police discovered his body in a parking lot at Keystone State Park. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father. I feel my stomach drop like Im on a rollercoaster that only seems to go down. During a 1999 residency at a family practice in St. John's, Turner's professionalism drew harsh criticism by her supervising physician, who stated she would become "quite hostile, yelling, crying, and accusing me of treating her unfairly." Afterward,hed come over for a beer. Last night, I watched the best documentary I have ever seen. The fact that such a brief relationshipwasall it took to push her over the edgeisa testament to how surprising it was that a judge let her walk free with custody. The lyrics seem to parade in one ear and out the other. In the fall of 2001, Bagby moved to Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and began his residency at a family practice under the supervision of T. Clark Simpson. 10 Haunting Documentaries This documentary has serious heart:and its unusual approach makes it all the more heartbreaking. [2]:86. While Kenneth Kuennes documentary Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father was named for the boy, he began filming before Turners pregnancy was even announced. I would like to preface this article by saying that I dont think Ive ever been known for my style, so take that as you will. The conception of Zachary came shortly after this phone call. WebShocking and moving, this documentary shows both the good and bad side of humanity. Written and directed by Kurt Kuenne, MSNBC Films and Oscilloscope Laboratories released Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father on 31 October 2008. Which 'Tiger King' Character Would You Want To Be In Quarantine With? After Canadian mother killed herself and I think back to the day I met him; the day I started loving someone more than I have ever loved myself. Not enjoying his surgical residency, in 2001 Bagby switched to a family practice residency in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, which he felt was a better fit for him. Dear Zachary is an unsettling and horrific true-crime film created by her murder victim's close friend Kurt Kuenne, which exposes the timeline of Turner's history of erratic behavior and the murders of father and son Andrew and Zachary Bagby. Setting aside other peoples opinions and dressing for you? Such was introduced on March 23rd, 2010, and Zacharys Bill was signed into law two years after the release of Kuennes documentary. [19], Two scholarships have been established in tribute to Andrew David Bagby and his son. But do we really need to dress to impress? Turner completed her undergraduate education while raising her children with help from her second husband. On 12 November 2001, Turner abandoned her residence in Council Bluffs and flew to Toronto, eventually resettling in St. John's with her oldest son. Kuennes film transforms into a visual letter to the child that Andrew never got to meet. During one of these visits, Turner is believed to have burglarized Bagby's apartment. I also want to get the Early Bird Books newsletter featuring great deals on ebooks. It would be insulting to Kuenne to go into this film with any preconceived notions, one simply has to experience it on their own. You will want to do something because this film will ignite a fire within you, about injustice and family. Newfoundland social service workers interviewed the children, who stated that their "disciplinarian" mother punished them with spankings and beatings by belt. It was concluded thather eldest daughter and son were often left unattended for days on end, and -when Turner was home -she would strike them with a variety of objects, ranging from open hands to belts. During my time abroad, we were encouraged not to wear athletic clothing to fit in with the European culture. Need some creative inspiration? Bagby's parents, friends, and associates were uneasy about the relationship because of what they saw as Turner's off-putting behavior. Everyone feels the desire for belonging and to fit in with the people around them. In my lifetime, I have watched a great number of movies like these ones which are really emotional, but the only one that has ever caused me to cry for real was the documentary titled Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, which was released in 2008. The speed at which Kuenne rushes through the details of the case would not do at all for any professional true-crime documentary set to lure in an audience with gruesome facts. I remember feeling relieved when I had a conversation with my boyfriend and he explained that he would love me regardless of what I wear (the only exception being the ill-fitting cat eye glasses I wore in high school but thats beside the point). David remembers uttering, "It's really him," and recalls how the two cried over the body, tears falling on to Andrew's face. They uncover everything about him that I promised myself I would forget. - Elliot V. Kotek, Moving Pictures Magazine After Zachary's birth on 18 July 2002, Turner initially refused to allow David and Kathleen Bagby to see their grandson, fearing they would kidnap him. The deaths of Andrew Bagby and Zachary Turner became the basis for the 2008 documentary film Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, directed by Kurt Kuenne. WebAbout the Filmmaker. You show up to your 8 a.m. final with about three hours of sleep, no coffee and only half of the information you studied readily available in your mind. There was just something off about her, one family friend explains. Bagby's parents moved to Canada to attempt to gain custody of their grandson. He went to Newfoundland and visited Zachary in July 2003. WebTheres no shortage of harrowing documentaries, but Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father is one of the most intense. A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.A filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son. You may even be procrastinating right now while you read this article! The sights, sounds, and smells of a summer day in your hometown. At times I tried to keep up with the trends but most of the time I found that I was always late to them. He explains that as parents who lost a son, they "could do nothing but cry, all day,every day." On November 6, Andrew's body was discovered in a park near his residence in Latrobe, PA. Parents Kate and David Bagby's story of identifying Andrew's body is devastating. Some say they don't have the authority to tell her, others say their office is closed, and others say there's "nothing to do. [8] 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. She was raised with three siblings in Wichita, Kansas, but moved to Newfoundland with her mother after her parents separated; the parents later divorced. Here are some of the topics wed love to hear about: Whether you're an experienced writer or just starting out, we welcome anyone with a passion for writing and a desire to share their perspective. Throughout middle school and high school, I played cross country and soccer, leading me to stick with athleisure most days. The birth of Zachary didn'tend David's dark thoughts, however. Hear me out. Bagby arrived at work in an "agitated" state and told Simpson about her appearance but dismissed Simpson's advice to not meet with her in private; Bagby subsequently promised to visit Simpson's house after talking to Turner that evening, but he never showed up. [2]:84, Upon becoming pregnant, Turner married a long-time boyfriend during Memorial University's 1981 winter recess. Tell us about your travels! Dear Zachary The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures named the film one of the five top documentaries of 2008. These chains still hold me to someone who left a long time ago. Justice Gale Welshmaintained that "there is no indication of a psychological disorder that would give concern about potential harm to the public generally.". Thepair were together for a while back in the States, but theirrelationship soon grew rocky. With no signs of forced entry, Bagby never filed charges. He had been shot five times. From Zero to Hero: Write Your Short in 30 days, Heres How To Watch The Super Mario Bros. Movie Online Free: Is The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) Streaming On Prime Video, HBO Max Or Netflix, Heres How To Watch The Super Mario Bros. Movie Online Free: Is The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) Streaming On Prime Video, HBO Max Or Netflix, Heres How To Watch John Wick: Chapter 4 Online Free: Is John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) Streaming On Peacock, HBO Max, Netflix Or At Home, Heres Where To Watch John Wick: Chapter 4 Free At Home Is John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) Movie Streaming Online now. The news that Turner was pregnant with Bagby's child turned the extradition case into one involving child custody, and subsequently led to a complicated legal saga. On November 3, 2001, Bagby broke up with Turner at the end of a visit she made to Pennsylvania. On several occasions, he had summoned state troopers to order her to leave. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); WatchDocumentaries.com | Games | Quizzes | Contact |Privacy & Terms | Manage Cookies |Advertise | DMCA, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father. 7 Different Types of Legal Defenses In Criminal Law. I sit; prisoner to my own body. There's no shortage of harrowing documentaries, but Dear Zachary:A Letter to a Son About His Fatheris one of the most intense. is not a cinematic marvel, and its frantic editing and heavy-handed imagery can be off-putting. Andrews doomed relationship withShirley Turner began in Canada, whereAndrewattended medical school at Memorial University of Newfoundland. But Ive found that these are the clothes that I feel most confident and like myself in. Throughout my time in college, especially studying abroad, I found that I loved jeans, baggy sweaters, my Air Force 1s that I have worn down to the point its crazy, small rings, and dresses. Like The Thin Blue Line, Dear Zachary borrows some narrative dramatic tricks, and they pay off remarkably well.