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. January 28, 2008: -, "It's Kate and David Bagby who are the moral center of this film. I can say it like that because even without a trial, the evidence was so damning we might as well have been next to her when she carried out the crime. The next, hearing in the extradition process was set for September, at which time they. was that they'd have to accept her daily phone calls. This is where the foreshadowed bureaucracy comes back. Do you feel all right about putting, MORRISON: Safe and warm inside the Bagby house, as the gales of a, Newfoundland winter raged outside, the inevitable happened. (It was announced, in 2014, that the documentary would be made into a miniseries. Mr. BAGBY: Without those cell phone records, they couldn't formally charge. Had the case played out in the U.S. court system, they believe Zachary would still be with them. There won't be any question about, whether she can hurt him. Click HERE for ticket information. No less than seven of those friends had asked Bagby to be the best man at their weddings. Six-month-old Zachary was, returned to her. a--with a hand grenade in the kitchen with the pin already pulled. Kathryn Schulz, reviewing Making a Murderer recently inThe New Yorker, described howtrue-crime projects can allow for bias to masquerade as objectivity and for people (particularly victims and their families) to be reduced to plot points. This movie is the kind of nightmare no one could dream up. 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. children, who had recently been in a bad car accident. While that change felt good, David wanted more. would now have to be something else, a visual letter to Andrew's baby. 2015 - 20153 . They are selfless. The committee passed the bill unanimously, which is how it came to be heard in the House for a final vote this week. Kuennes fast-talking exposition, while confusing, seems purposeful, as though the murder were a necessary backstory to be pushed through as quickly as possible in order to get to the heart of the narrative: Andrew Bagbys life and how horrible his death was for those who loved him. Awaiting extradition, Turner drowned 13-month-old Zachary and took her own life as well. `You gave me a lovely son, and now it's over.'. Mr. BAGBY: (Audio recording) Just got up. One of the first to meet Zachary was, (Photo of Zachary Turner; wedding dance; photo of Shirley and Zachary; photo. Cpl. MORRISON: Do you find yourself going back and playing that back in your mind? Instead, the films dramatic nodes are scenes such as the one in which Bagbys parents, David and Kate, recall going to identify their sons body. We need each other, have each other to get through this.". But it will also introduce you to some of the most inspiring, strong and caring people ever to grace the big screen."" How do you represent the fact that when you see a crime coming from a mile away you still cant do anything to stop it? I have to tell you that Andrew is dead. 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: Because Zachary liked you best? us around. KATE: And she went over in the corner crying, and I gave him back. In that time, it becomes clear that, thankfully, baby Zachary has his fathers penchant for emotional maturity and gravitates not towards his mother, but to his grandmother. MORRISON: And now that she was freed, Shirley would once again, Mr. BAGBY: We had to take him down the stairs and give him to, Shirley's friend, who happened to have a car seat. Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) (Unintelligible) Hi, sweetheart. 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." They recorded them. Mr. SIMPSON: I said, `Do not meet her in private.' MORRISON: A couple of hours later, there was another knock at the, Mr. BAGBY: Told us what happened. He had returned to the US and had discovered a passion for family practice, where his love for people--and theirs for him--seemed as natural, as comfortable as the quiet town in Pennsylvania in which he'd chosen to live. 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. If you were waiting to find out where exactly the comfort was in this litany of suffering, it is in Bagbys parents. I knew, exactly what my son looked at before he died. MORRISON: And, says T.J., in the way of her opportunities to be. But they also contribute to the feeling of watching something urgent and unmediated. 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. In that time, it also becomes clear that Andrews fate is in danger of also becoming his sons. Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) That you aren't trying to take my place. KATE: It was shocking, but not a surprise. The album includes "Andrew", the 8 minute concert work Kurt wrote and recorded in Andrew's memory in 2002. Interviews with Bagbys friends and family take the place of the usual lineup of witnessesas much attention is given to the fact that he always wore shorts as to the number of times he was shotand their pain functions as evidence as the film builds a case against the Canadian bail and extradition protocols. Blu-ray: (Talking in group) This is not about money. April 14, 2009: Still grieving the death of their son, the Bagbys moved to Newfoundland and fought for custody of Zachary. You can't tell them this over the phone. Asked if he would have done anything different back then, David replies, kill Shirley Turner.. Not too long ago? 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. The strange allure of Robert Durst and The Jinx.. 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. Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) I know you don't want to, you don't intend to. I--we both did. The legal system helped her kill Zachary. Shirley and Zachary, then 13 months old, had been staying with the couple. MORRISON: Andrew tried to make a clean break with Shirley in October 2001. Bring lots of kleenex and prepare to be equally angry and emotionally drained as you watch real, so-called justice in action. I got to see what happens to the bastard who did this. Kate Bagby feels her son was too trusting to agree to meet Turner at the park the day he was killed. She was coming here to take care of me. Its a muddled structure, and the film makes frequent aesthetic missteps as well, with frenetic editing, canned music, and heavy-handed imagery. For this night they were a couple once again, dancing and drinking together. Dear Zachary was also a hit at Silverdocs, the AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Film Festival over the weekend of June 21st & 22nd, where both screenings were once again met with standing ovations; Silverdocs nominated Dear Zachary for its inaugural Writers Guild of America Documentary Screenplay Award. January 15, 2008: I dont know how else to say it except they are grown-ups: they are funny, but serious; playful, but organized. Someone found a car that didn't belong. October 22, 2009: And not just because its real. put Zachary on her lap to open presents, and he resists. They've retired, hang out with friends and travel a bit, David Bagby said. Mr. SHEARS: When we woke up in the morning, realized they weren't there. This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. (Kate and Zachary; judge in court; Shirley being escorted from court), Mr. KUENNE: I don't know. CORNER BROOK, N.L. And now it's just. "One of the best documentaries I have ever seen in my entire life a film that will rock you to your core. ', MORRISON: When Dr. Andrew Bagby's bullet-riddled corpse was, found in a Pennsylvania state park in November 2001, his devastated parents. Help contribute to IMDb. This is not the worst instance in this story of someone seeing something bad coming but not being able to stop it. In this way, Dear Zachary inverts the usual way of telling murder stories. MORRISON: What did you think that she would do, kill you? Mr. SIMPSON: Andrew, you know you can do a lot better. to reconsider getting some help with that. then one day I realized what it was. I had this overwhelming feeling. Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) It's either in my closet or my bedroom. See details above! Mr. KUENNE: (Kate holding Zachary) Hello, bud. KATE: I had a great childhood. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008) 1 Video. Both screenings were sold out and received sustained standing ovations, an exceptionally rare event in the 14 year history of Slamdance. quiet. -, "**** (Four stars). Ad Choices. iTunes | Amazon Prime Video | Google Play, DEAR ZACHARY ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE ALBUM NOW AVAILABLE. David Bagby's book, Dance With the Devil, is a good read. It was like Andrew died and then was reborn for a second chance. They told us that they'd found the body. Now, she sucked us in here, too. Or it's in the car. (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. USA | Canada | UK, Original poster artwork by Evan B. Harris, Proceeds from this film benefit the Dr. Bagby Scholarship and the Dr. Andrew Bagby and son Zachary Bursary, Watch this short film to see the quest to complete Dear Zachary and amend Canadian bail law. But you will come away believing in people. ', KATE: He's so loved. Cpl. And so he set out to collect the memories of Andrew's family and giant circle of friends. Is it OK? to live with his father in a tiny coastal village hundreds of miles away. Schultz quotes the brother of Hae Min Lee, the victim of the murder at the center of the first season of Serial, responding, on Reddit, to the surge of interest in the case: I wont be answering any questions because . Couldn't be her. But on Sunday, when he drove her to the airport, Andrew made it clear to Shirley it was over for good. Did. He said, `Well, it's 4:30 now. Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) Are you sure? COLLECTOR'S EDITION DIGIPAK only from Oscilloscope Laboratories:
Much of this DATELINE report incorporates material from Kurt's documentary, as well as something else: the childhood films he made as he taught himself his craft. 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. It had happened almost surely the last, night they were together, and DNA tests would later prove that Andrew was, (Supreme Court exterior; court in progress; house exterior; Shirley and Shears. After arriving home, she drove 900 miles back to Pennsylvania to kill the man who rejected her. Click here for ticket information! Its best to watch Kuennes documentary without too much background, but the basic setup is this: On November 6, 2001, Andrew Bagbys body was found, shot five times, in a park near Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where Bagby lived. This documentary starts out like a love letter. She was deranged. Curated newsletters for curious minds. Photo courtesy of David and Kathleen Bagby, dear zachary a letter to a son about his father, Defector Freelancer Policies, Created In Partnership With The National Writers Union. IMDbPro Starmeter. Kurt Kuennes 2008 documentary, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, deserves a second look, especially in light of the recent popularity of true-crime programs like Serial and Making a Murderer., Photograph courtesy Oscilloscope Pictures / Everett. 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. Zachary didn't seem like. And when, after his first year at med school, Heather broke off the engagement, Andrew was crushed. Well, I said, `Bring some beer. Dear Zachary was named one of the top 5 documentaries of 2008 by the National Board of Review! Man #14: I admire you and respect you so much for two things. GARDNER: (Audio recording) I'm not going to kid you, Doctor. Either she's grabbed Zachary and taken off and she's trying to, escape, and she has a snowball's chance in hell of getting away with that. A judge called Andrews murder a vicious crime, but did not consider Turner a risk to others. I had a son I used, (Photo of young Kate; photo of Kate and David; photo of Kate and Andrew), KATE: And then suddenly you're in the pits, and then you have to learn that, MORRISON: Two weeks after Zachary's murder, the press covered a, Mr. BAGBY: (Press conference) We believe that the legal system helped her to, MORRISON: Charging the child protection authorities dropped the, ball, and that a disastrous bail system allowed a probable first-degree, (Zachary; court document; Shirley and Andrew). They are warm. Unidentified Man #22: We will develop policy specific to children. They did their best to keep their dark feelings about their son's accused. MORRISON: What do you do about this? That gave her a chance to do something useful for some people who needed it, said David. Andrew was found dead Nov. 5, 2001 in a state park just outside Latrobe, PA, where he was a resident in the local hospitals family medicine programme. Mr. BAGBY: (Audio recording) You don't like this answer, but I'm going to, give it to you again. David and Kate Bagby moved to St. John's. They forged a relationship with the woman they believed killed their son so they could see Zachary, their only grandchild. MORRISON: How did you find out what happened, how he had been killed? doesn't take much to pull a trigger, does it? A few weeks after, Zachary's birthday party, the Bagbys and Shirley took the toddler swimming, an, activity he usually enjoyed. Dear Zachary recently won the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Best Documentary of 2008 from the Society of Professional Journalists. August 5, 2008: A huge chunk of the remainder of Dear Zachary is the Canadian justice system treating the Bagbys like common criminals while the actual criminal is given a breathtaking amount of freedom. However awkward Shirley Turner made it, they were sweet, cooperative. It brings its own special brand of. The other, their grandson, Zachary Turner. See rank. We had to pack up Zachary, Mr. BAGBY: We just climbed right back upstairs and went to bed and melted. The full hour will not be available online. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Maintained by: Tracy Lane 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. 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. Turner killed herself and Zachary before she could be tried for murder. I cannot stress this enough: this movie frightened and disturbed me more than any horror film I've ever seen in my life. You know? Mr. BAGBY: The police didn't give us very much information, but they started. Oh, my God. Please consider joining us in this mission by becoming a member of the SaltWire Network and helping to make our communities better. Hello. Ensure local journalism stays in your community by purchasing a membership today. He says his mother was so often, unavailable, especially from the time she started medical school. MORRISON: Was it reasonable for the court to trust her? Dear Zachary was a hit at Slamdance! This was the situation with Andrews son Zachary. Such choices make for a disorienting viewing experience, especially if youre accustomed to the conventions of slicker documentaries. Sometimes, if you are paying attentionclose attentionyou can see it coming, even if only barely. Unidentified Man #20: The weather here is terrible. They quit their jobs and moved from California to Newfoundland. Kind of panic sets in, I guess, and that's when it all hit the fan, I guess. We'll keep this website updated as to their progress when there is news. We were kind of like, `Well, we're not the best ones to be taking care of a child.' (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. "Go into this cold and be prepared for a life-changing experience. 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.'. Shirley. KATE: (Audio recording) Right. don't have these meltdowns and emotional scenes. It stays so close to Bagby and to the people who loved him that theres never any question that its their side of the story being recounted. You know when you see pictures of some of your friends and then pictures of their parents as kids and they look identical? Mr. BAGBY: She told the court she was afraid we would harm the baby. I didn't have. "There, is no indication of a psychological disorder that would give concern about, potential harm to the public generally as her crime, while violent, was, specific in nature." KATE: I thought, `Well, God, this is it.' (Sea at night; photo of Shirley and Zachary; autopsy report; photo of man; photo of Shirley and Zachary; Zachary sleeping; David and Kate), Mr. BAGBY: Kate just quit. HEATHER: I was so excited that he was dating somebody. flying; Canadian flag flying; Supreme Court of Newfoundland building exterior; photos of Shirley; court document; university building; man talking to, reporters; court documents; Kate and David). ', KATE: (Audio recording) Yeah. But I used to look at her hand and think, it. As one friend said, Hes like the blessing Andrew left behind. It was for Zachary that Andrews parents retired, cashed in all their savings and moved from their lifelong home in Pennsylvania to Newfoundland, where Shirley Jane Turner lived. Kuenne finished his documentary and dedicated it to the memories of both Bagby and Zachary. This is the first example in this story of someone seeing something bad coming but not being able to stop it. Information on who and where to write can be found by going to the "Support Bail Reform" page. In November 2002, when, Zachary was four months old, a Canadian judge ruled that a properly instructed, jury would likely find Shirley Turner guilty and ordered her incarceration, while awaiting a decision from justice officials to surrender her to the, United States. -, "Some of the week's biggest flicks aren't at Sundancefilmmakers have praised Slamdance film. Blu-Ray | DVD, BLU-RAY
Typically, we meet the victim not as a person but as a dismantled puzzle to be put back together by the canny viewer, who is likewise appealed to not as a person hearing about a human catastrophe but as an analytical machine capable of sorting and weighing the relevant facts. Memorial University Medical School. Zachary, how's our baby today? Now armed with a powerful tool, "Dear Zachary: A Letter, to a Son about his Father," the tribute film Kurt Kuenne started making, first. Former Assistant Pastor at Jackson Community Church. Dr. ANDREW BAGBY: (Wedding videotape) Best man is a little bit of a poor title for these things. When Kate reached down to wipe one away, she accidentally knocked out the plug used to mask his facial wound. The news and opinions youll love for only $10 for 1 year. But that is what the Bagbys. We dont do anything related to murder anymore, he said. The night was. Mr. SHEARS: You could see in his eyes that he was full of life. Thought that maybe he had found somebody that he could really be happy with. Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) Well, I have that for protection. The documentary was originally released in 2008. We were in the way, I guess, of her trying to go to school. After the pregnancy came to light, the film became a way to introduce Zachary to his father. But their efforts to. GARDNER: (Audio recording) I'm interested in the gun. 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. 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. If it looks like she's likely to go back, how is she going to behave? MORRISON: What thought or feeling did that give you? Serious crime is rare in this country. They are selfless. Zachary's life, even talking to her eldest son and his girlfriend about it. They're like, `What do you mean?' GARDNER: (Audio recording) Yes, ma'am, I am. We need each other, have each other to get through this, added David. But a few weeks later, she showed up in Pennsylvania, unexpected, for the wedding of one of his friends. Kate says everything seemed to be going smoothly, until here. Amazon | B&N (David and Kate; photo of Andrew by tape being put into recording device; Ms. TURNER: (Audio recording) Are you babysitting? Family and friends go to extraordinary lengths to honor a legacy of a young man whose trust led to tragedy. MORRISON: And tell me about your mum with Zachary. Published by Statesville Record & Landmark on. They began a drawn-out court battle to protect their grandson from the woman who had almost certainly murdered their son. 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. This marks the first time in history an MP from Newfoundland has been able to get a private member's bill through Parliament; since 2001, 2,510 Private Member's Bills have been introduced in the House of Commons, but only 23 - less than 1% - have received Royal Assent. So I gave her the. (David; Kate and Zachary; Shirley and Zachary). Home video captured what looked like a. typical domestic scene, but beneath these happy images lies a darker truth. MORRISON: Andrew's best friend, filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, suddenly, just knew what he had begun as a small film to memorialize his old friend. (Photo of David and Kate; airplane; lake and coast), MORRISON: But here's the thing. in honor of his beloved friend Andrew, and then for Andrew's son, Zachary. HEATHER: I knew he'd been struggling with me moving on and dating other people. Mr. SHEARS: Mm, yeah. June 2, 2015 - June 2020. 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. Cpl. There are things to do, he said, and they try to enjoy life as much as possible. It left me looking for the impossibility of marking the film above the highest grade available on the festival's voting ballot. 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. -. David Bagby. You will laugh, you will smile, you will cry, and you might even want to stand up and shout at the screen. MORRISON: The rage was tempered with a yearning to know just why Andrew had been assassinated. ', MORRISON: But they'd have to wait almost a month. ', Mr. SHEARS: Things happen in America that don't seem to happen up here as. There was no way to stop Andrews murder, but there was no way to walk away from Zacharys body and just say hmm, okay, move on," said David. RELATED:California filmmaker remasters documentary on the lives and murders of Andrew Bagby and Zachary Turner. 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. I would have to dream up some reason to go over, there in the middle of the night, to--for me to just appear on her doorstep, Mr. BAGBY: Turned out I wasn't. Mr. BAGBY: And part of Andrew's problem was, I think, he was just too nice to say, you know, `Get the hell out of my life. Inspired by his mother's tales of interesting medical cases and wonderful patients, Andrew decided he would be a doctor. And that was midafternoon. Why don't you just take him?'. But the fact that theyre probably killers means they are much more dangerous than the rest of us, probably. This report aired Dateline Friday, July 23. Just from that, conversation, you could kind of get the sense that she didn't want Zachary, MORRISON: And for the Bagbys, Shirley issued what sounded somehow. Cpl. If you didnt realize the importance of that, Kuenne mutes the film to let you process it. Mr. BAGBY: Shirley killed Andrew. 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. Mr. KUENNE: He warmed up to me as the--as the week wore on, MORRISON: But the Bagbys were especially anxious. 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. Digital: iTunes | Amazon | Google Play, Order David Bagby's book David was a . I got to go to the trial. Zachary, I love you, baby. And if they don't charge her, they had no way to restrict her travel. GARDNER: (Audio recording) I understand that. I'm absolutely sure. MORRISON: But would that somebody turn out to be a blessing or a curse? And thank God. murderer in check. 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 .