Lynn Turner (murderer)

For Julia Turner the journalist, see Julia Turner (journalist).
Lynn Turner

Lynn Turner
Born Julia Lynn Womack
July 13, 1968
Texas, United States
Died August 30, 2010 (aged 42)
Metro State prison, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Criminal penalty
 Life imprisonment

Lynn Turner (July 13, 1968 – August 30, 2010), born Julia Lynn Womack, was an American woman and convicted murderer. Starting in 1995, her first husband, Glenn Turner, died after allegedly being sick with the flu. In 2001, the death of her second husband, Randy Thompson, under remarkably similar circumstances aroused the suspicion of law enforcement. After investigation, it was determined by authorities that Lynn Turner had murdered both her husbands by poisoning them with ethylene glycol-based antifreeze. She was arrested ten months after her second husband's death and was tried for Glenn Turner's murder in 2004. She was found guilty and went to trial again for murdering Randy Thompson in 2007, ultimately being convicted. Turner died in prison on August 30, 2010.[1] The cause of death was an apparent suicide by toxic overdose of blood pressure medication.[2]

Murders

In 1995, Lynn Turner, then 27, murdered her husband, Cobb County, Georgia, police officer Maurice Glenn Turner, age 31.[3] Glenn Turner went to the emergency room on March 2, 1995, complaining of flu-like symptoms.[3] He was treated there and when he felt better, he went home.[3] The next day, he was found dead when Lynn came home.[3] On January 22, 2001, she killed her boyfriend, Forsyth County firefighter Randy Thompson, age 32. She had been having an affair with Thompson at the time of her husband's murder.[3] Thompson reported to the emergency room complaining of a stomach ache and constant vomiting.[3] He was treated and released on January 21. She made him some Jell-O.[3] By the next day, he was dead. She collected around $153,000 in death benefits for her husband's death and $36,000 in her boyfriend's death.[3][4]

According to a Georgia Department of Corrections website, Turner was serving a life sentence at Metro State Prison. She faced the death penalty for the 2001 murder of Randy Thompson but she was instead sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Death

Turner was found dead in prison on August 30, 2010.[5] Much speculation remains as to whether her death was suicide, or perhaps due to an accidental overdose of prescription blood pressure medication. An episode of Murder She Solved on the Oprah Winfrey Network claimed that she intentionally accumulated enough prescription medication to cause an overdose.

Media

Turner's case has been profiled on many different television programs. Her case first aired on Forensic Files in 2007 in an episode entitled Cold Hearted. Her case aired on season six of Snapped on the Oxygen Network that year, and three programs on the Investigation Discovery network: Deadly Women, Main Street Mysteries, and Motives and Murders.[6] On July 18, 2012, the ABC show Final Witness told the story from the perspective of her first husband, in an episode entitled Vixen's Elixer.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ "GBI: Lynn Turner Overdosed on Blood Pressure Medicine". 11alive.com. Retrieved 2012-10-06.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Nash, Alanna. "The Black Widow Killer: Two men. Two murders. Too many questions.". Reader's Digest. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  4. ↑ Grinberg, Emanuella (2008-01-30). "Black Widow's' antifreeze murder trial to start". CNN. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  5. ↑ CNN Wire Staff. "Antifreeze killer dies in prison" CNN August 31, 2010. Retrieved on November 15, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Lynn Turner Credits". Tvguide.com. Retrieved 2012-10-06.
  7. ↑ ABC.com. "final witness - ABC.com". Beta.abc.go.com. Retrieved 2012-10-06.