Dear Zachary/FacebookBaby Zachary Andrew Turner, whose short life became the center of a devastating custody battle that ended in tragedy.On July 18, 2002, Zachary Andrew Turner was born into a nightmare. To the outside world, he was a happy, bright-eyed little boy, but behind every photograph was a dark secret: Zacharys mother, Dr. Shirley Turner, had seemingly murdered his father while pregnant with him.Turner allegedly shot her ex-boyfriend, Andrew Bagby, to death in a Pennsylvania parking lot in November 2001, just a few weeks after conceiving Zachary. She then fled to Canada, where she had citizenship. While she was arrested in Newfoundland, a judge determined that she wasnt a threat and released her on bail while she was awaiting extradition to the United States and trial for murder.Bagbys parents moved to Canada to fight for custody of Zachary after his birth. They didnt trust Shirley Turner. Their instincts turned out to be right. On August 18, 2003, when Zachary was just 13 months old, Turner strapped him to her chest and jumped into the Atlantic Ocean. Their bodies washed ashore not long after.From the moment he entered the world, Zachary Turner was caught between the people who loved him and a system that repeatedly failed him. His short life and violent death would later become the subject of one of the most heartbreaking documentaries ever made, Dear Zachary.Shirley Turners Alleged Murder Of Andrew BagbyAndrew Bagby built his life around helping others. In 1999, he was a third-year medical student at Memorial University of Newfoundland when he met Shirley Turner, who had recently earned her degree from the same school and was training as a resident physician. They began dating, and even when Bagby graduated and returned to the United States for a surgical residency, they still saw each other fairly frequently.Dear Zachary/FacebookAndrew Bagby, the father of Zachary Bagby, was allegedly murdered by his ex-girlfriend, Shirley Turner.Turners charm initially masked a long past of emotional volatility. As her relationship with Bagby progressed, he became unnerved by her dramatic mood swings and obsessive behavior. He tried to break up with her several times, and by the fall of 2001, he had decided to finally end things for good. Then, on the morning of Nov. 5, 2001, 28-year-old Bagby was found shot to death in a parking lot at Pennsylvanias Keystone State Park. Almost immediately, suspicion centered on one person: Turner.Turners past relationships had been volatile. She was possessive and prone to explosive emotional outbursts. Bagby had finally ended their tumultuous relationship in the days before his death, telling friends he was exhausted and ready to move on.But Shirley Turner wasnt.HandoutAndrew Bagby with Shirley Turner, whose tragic relationship ended in his murder and the death of their son, Zachary.On the night of Nov. 4, Bagby agreed to meet Turner one last time to bring closure to their relationship. Instead, it became the last time anyone saw him alive. Investigators would later learn that Turner had driven nearly 1,000 miles to confront him.Within weeks, Turner revealed that she was pregnant with Bagbys child. That baby was Zachary.The Life Of Zachary Andrew TurnerBy the time investigators knew about Shirley Turners pregnancy, she had already fled to Canada. She was arrested on Dec. 12, 2001.American police were almost certain that Turner had killed Bagby, but despite their evidence and Turners erratic behavior, a series of legal missteps and judicial failures allowed her to remain free. This devastating chain of events would ultimately claim the life of Zachary Andrew Turner.While U.S. officials pushed for Shirley Turners extradition, Canadian courts claimed that she wasnt a threat. A judge released her on bail even though she was awaiting trial for murder.She was allowed to walk free and she was allowed to retain custody of her newborn son.HandoutShirley Turner holding little Zachary Turner.Andrew Bagbys grieving parents, Kathleen and David Bagby, immediately moved from California to Newfoundland to fight for custody of Zachary Andrew Turner. They dedicated their lives to protecting the infant and became the only stable, loving presence he had. But whenever Turner demanded her child back, the courts forced the Bagbys to comply.As Turner awaited extradition, her behavior grew increasingly volatile. According to the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador Office of the Child and Youth Advocate, she harassed a new love interest, calling him more than 200 times in a single month. She lied about being pregnant again. She stalked him, threatened him, and left alarming messages.Professionals who assessed Turner seemed to minimize every red flag, though. She was labeled as stressed rather than dangerous and overwhelmed rather than violent.Meanwhile, the Bagbys documented Turners behavior, pleading with child welfare officials to protect Zachary. However, Turner repeatedly portrayed herself as a misunderstood single mother, and Zachary remained in her care.David and Kathleen BigbyZachary Andrew Turner with his grandparents, David and Kathleen Bigby on Christmas 2002.During Zachary Andrew Turners first birthday party, the baby reached for his grandmother instead of his mom. Turner became visibly upset. He obviously loves you more than me, she snapped. So why dont you take him?The last time Kathleen and David Bagby saw Zachary alive was during a court-ordered visitation on August 17, 2003. They strapped him into his car seat and kissed him goodbye. As Turner drove away with him, Kathleen felt an overwhelming sense of dread.The next day, both Shirley and Zachary Turner were dead.The Night Of The Murder-SuicideOn August 18, 2003, Shirley picked up a prescription for lorazepam, a powerful sedative often used to treat anxiety. She fed a large dose of the drug to Zachary in his bottle and took a handful of the pills herself. Then, she drove to a wharf in Conception Bay South.With Zachary strapped tightly to her chest, Turner jumped into the Atlantic Ocean. The CBC reported at the time that a couple walking their dog along the beach discovered her body washed up the next morning. Rescuers then found Zachary Andrew Turner just yards away from his mother. He was only 13 months old. Tango7174/Wikimedia CommonsConception Bay South, the waterfront where Shirley Turner jumped into the Atlantic with baby Zachary strapped to her chest.An autopsy later confirmed that Zachary had been heavily drugged before his death and was likely unconscious when he drowned. A homicide investigation later concluded what everyone already knew: This was not an accident. It was murder.The child the Bagbys had fought so desperately to protect had been killed by the one person the courts insisted should have custody of him.In the years that followed, filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, Andrew Bagbys childhood friend, completed the documentary he had begun after Bagbys murder. Originally, it was meant as a gift a way for Zachary to someday know the father hed never meet. However, what was supposed to be a tribute to Bagby became a record of every systemic failure that led to Zachary Turners death. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father devastated audiences worldwide. In 2006, Canada enacted Bill C-464, also known as Zacharys Bill, allowing courts to deny bail to individuals accused of serious crimes when the safety of a child is at stake. Zachary Andrew Turners death exposed the unthinkable consequences of prioritizing an accused killers comfort over a childs safety. The bill passed in 2010. Zacharys story had changed the law, but it was far too late to save him.After reading the tragic story of Zachary Andrew Turner, learn about the Atlanta child murders. Then, go inside the story of Shelly Knotek, the serial killer mom who was released from prison.The post The Tragic Story Of Zachary Andrew Turner, The One-Year-Old Who Was Murdered By His Own Mother appeared first on All That's Interesting.