12x03 - Cold Hearted
Posted: 01/19/24 07:44
Narrator: a young fireman's
Untimely death raised
Suspicions.
When a young policeman d*ed the
Same way, it was no coincidence.
Scientists wondered if these
Scientists wondered if these tiny crystals were the cause.
Tiny crystals were the cause.
A fireman's job is exceptionally
Dangerous, and for
Randy thompson, the year
Was particularly troublesome.
First, he fell off a fire truck
In cumming, georgia, and broke
His nose.
When he had surgery to repair
The damage, he developed a
Life-threatening staph
Infection.
The doctors told him, "this
Is a very, very serious
Situation.
You can die from this very
Easily."
Narrator: randy survived
That, but his health problems
Continued.
One of his friends found him
Sprawled on his kitchen floor
Vomiting and incoherent.
He started hallucinating.
He looked at me and said, "get
Back in your damn cage!"
And I said, "what?"
"Get in your cage."
"What are you talking about,
Randy?"
"I said, 'get in your cage.'"
Then I realized he thought he
Was talking to his bird.
Narrator: this was diagnosed
As a severe stomach virus.
But gradually, he improved,
Thanks to help from his
Common-law wife, lynn.
Every time I talked to him,
He sounded stronger and
Stronger, and he said, "lynn
Made me grilled cheese with
Sweet tea."
He said, "I held it down --
Didn't throw it up."
I said, "well, good, randy,
That's good.
Maybe you're on the uphill slide
Of this."
Narrator: two days later, his
Condition deteriorated, and
Randy thompson d*ed.
Horrible -- a daddy taken
From his children for no
Reason, a man taken from a
Career that he loved for no
Reason.
Narrator: at randy's autopsy,
Toxicology tests found no trace
Of dr*gs or alcohol in his
System, but the medical examiner
Found evidence of heart trouble.
He did have an enlarged
Heart.
He did have some significant
Coronary artery disease.
So as a consequence, then, I
Ascribed this gentleman's
Sudden and unexpected death with
His heart disease.
That was hard for us to
Swallow because he had never had
Any heart problems before.
I was devastated.
It was an experience I don't
Ever want to have again.
Narrator: randy left behind
His common-law wife, lynn, and
Their two young children.
He was just years old.
The very last thing he asked
Me was, "do you think I'm gonna
Die?"
Narrator: as time passed,
Randy thompson's friends and
Family gradually came to terms
With his untimely death...
Until a few weeks later, when
Randy's mother got a letter from
A total stranger -- the mother
Of a dead policeman from the
Next town over.
The contents of the letter were
Shocking.
"I want to share my sorrow in
The loss of your son randy.
My son glenn d*ed six years ago
Mysteriously."
I didn't really know what to
Think.
Everything she told me was
Exactly what happened to randy.
Narrator: a few weeks after
Randy thompson's death, his
Mother got a letter.
"I want to share my sorrow in
The loss of your son randy."
Narrator: it was from a woman
Who claimed her son d*ed under
Similar circumstances and
Suggested the two deaths were
Somehow related.
I was shocked that her son
And my son d*ed the exact same
Way.
The report from the hospital,
The autopsy reports --
Everything was just the same.
Nita thompson did not believe
Me.
She kept saying, "that can't be
True.
That can't be true."
Narrator: six years earlier,
Glenn turner, a police officer,
Had the same symptoms as
Randy thompson.
He was so sick, I could hear
His voice shaking when he talked
To me.
He just said he had an
Unbelievable stomach virus.
He couldn't get rid of it.
He was vomiting, couldn't stop
Vomiting, he had diarrhea, and
He just basically said to me,
"I've never been this sick like
This."
Narrator: he was also
Incoherent and hallucinating.
His wife said he had had a
Really bad night, that in the
Middle of the night he had got
Up, began to hallucinate, he
Began to run around the house.
He pulled out his w*apon.
He thought there was intruders
Outside, trying to get inside
The house.
Narrator: glenn's wife coaxed
Him back into bed.
The next morning, he appeared to
Be better.
He had called me, and he was
Gonna go to work the next day.
I thought that he was sounding
Good, and I thought that he was
Gonna be fine.
Narrator: but a few hours
Later, glenn turner d*ed.
The medical examiner made the
Statement in the autopsy that he
d*ed with an irregular
Heartbeat.
That was nothing that he ever
Had a problem with.
Narrator: glenn's mother
Immediately suspected foul play.
She asked his friends in
Law enforcement to investigate
His death, but she got nowhere.
They kept telling me that he
d*ed of natural causes and there
Was no reason to go into it any
Further because it cost too much
Money and that there was no foul
Play in his life.
I still had strong suspicions
That there was something else
Involved in it, but the m.e.
Stated that's what it was, and
I'm not a medical examiner, so I
Pretty much had to accept it.
Narrator: and that's how it
Stood until six years later,
When the turner family learned
That randy thompson d*ed the
Same way.
It was difficult to fathom how
Two civil servants in two
Neighboring towns, both in their
Early 's, d*ed so suddenly...
Until both families realized
They had something else in
Common...
The two men were both living
With the same woman when they
d*ed -- lynn turner.
I couldn't turn to get on the
Phone quick enough.
I called the lead investigator,
And I just basically said, "you
Need to go out there and seal
Off the apartment -- do what you
Need to do, because I'm telling
You, there's no way you could
Have two young guys like this
Pass away."
Narrator: when questioned,
Lynn turner claimed it was just
A tragic coincidence.
And local prosecutors found no
Evidence the two deaths were
Connected.
After all, lynn turner had no
Criminal history.
I actually just thought that
It was really bad luck that
Lynn had been involved with two
Men who had d*ed that way.
Narrator: and friends pointed
Out that lynn's common-law
Husband, randy thompson, had
Very little life insurance --
Just $,, hardly enough to
k*ll for.
And toxicology tests on both
Randy thompson and glenn turner
Found no evidence of dr*gs or
Alcohol in their systems.
We still had strong
Suspicions that something that
She had done to him that caused
His death, but at the time, I'm
Just a police officer.
I'm not an m.e.
I couldn't prove it.
Narrator: then investigators
Made a startling discovery.
Even though randy thompson had
Only $, worth of life
Insurance, lynn was in a big
Hurry to collect it.
We were able to determine
Through cellphone records that
On the day of randy's funeral,
Between the time of the service
In the church and the service
That was held at the cemetery,
Lynn was on her cellphone trying
To contact the insurance
Company.
Narrator: maybe there was
More to the death of these two
Men than first appeared.
Lynn must have had something
To do with some of this because
There is no way two young men --
A police officer and a
Firefighter -- dying at a young
Age without somebody doing
Something.
Narrator: what are the
Chances that two civil servants,
Both in their early 's, would
Die under mysterious
Circumstances from heart
Disease?
The southeast part of the
Country leads the nation in
Cardiovascular disease.
And in our office, it is not
Uncommon that we see young men,
Men of mr. Thompson's age, who
Have bad heart disease.
Narrator: toxicology tests on
The first victim, policeman
Glenn turner, showed no signs of
Alcohol or illegal dr*gs in his
System.
But during randy thompson's
Autopsy, the medical examiner
Found calcium oxalate crystals
In his kidneys.
These could be the result of
Prescription medications, or it
Could be a sign of poisoning.
The first thing I did was
Reach across my desk and pick up
The phone and call the
Toxicology department and ask
That an ethylene glycol test be
Performed.
Narrator: ethylene glycol is
The chemical name for
Antifreeze.
When we ran the sample from
Randy thompson and analyzed it
For ethylene glycol, the results
Came back negative for a
Significant quantity of
Ethylene glycol.
Narrator: but the medical
Examiner had a hard time
Believing that.
I thought that was very
Strange and bizarre.
Narrator: then dr. Koponen
Learned what happened to
Lynn turner's first husband,
Glenn, six years earlier.
On a hunch, he reviewed
Glenn turner's autopsy report.
I looked at all the tissues
And polarized the lung and the
Kidney as I do in all of my
Cases, and to my surprise, there
Were oxalate crystals in
Glenn turner's kidneys.
Narrator: so dr. Koponen went
Back to the toxicology lab and
Asked them to recheck the test
Results on randy thompson's
Tissue samples.
And the lab discovered they had
Made a mathematical error.
I immediately realized that I
Had made an error in calculating
The original concentration of
Ethylene glycol in
Randy thompson's blood.
And, in fact, it was off by a
Factor of .
When we made the appropriate
Correction for the mathematical
Error that I had made, suddenly
Became a lethal level of
Ethylene glycol.
I've been doing this for
Almost years now, and this is
The first time that such a
Mistake has ever been brought to
My attention.
Narrator: the medical
Examiner now knew that
Randy thompson's death was a
Homicide.
Based on the corrected
Toxicology report, then, it was
Quite obvious that mr. Thompson
d*ed as a consequence of an
Acute ethylene-glycol
Intoxication, or poisoning.
When I found out randy had
d*ed from antifreeze poisoning,
I knew when they exhumed glenn's
Body, when they took those
Tissues, I knew they were gonna
Find out he d*ed from the exact
Same causes.
Narrator: and that's
Precisely what happened.
Officials exhumed glenn turner's
Body, retested his tissue
Samples, and confirmed there was
A lethal amount of antifreeze in
His system.
It's a mixed feeling because
You're happy that you've got
Something happening, but you're
Not happy to hear what you hear.
Narrator: investigators did
Some digging into lynn turner's
Background and uncovered more
Incriminating evidence.
First was her visit to an animal
Shelter shortly before
Randy thompson's m*rder.
Lynn had inquired about what
The animal shelter uses to
Euthanize animals -- what
Chemical they use.
She had claimed that she had
A stray-cat problem and was
Wondering what it was that she
Could do about them.
Narrator: and the manager of
Lynn turner's bank told
Investigators lynn had serious
Financial problems.
She had a lot of debts
Outstanding, a lot of credit
Cards where she was being
Charged for unsufficient funds,
For late charges -- adding up to
Several thousands of dollars
Monthly.
Lynn had a middle-class
Income, but she spent like she
Was a millionaire.
She lived <span tts:fontstyle="italic">well</span>beyond her means.
Narrator: and that wasn't
All.
Lynn had gone into the bank
A few weeks before randy d*ed
And told one of the bank
Officials that she would have
Everything taken care of -- all
Her payments, mortgages,
Everything, et cetera, taken
Care of in just a few weeks.
Narrator: prosecutors believe
The motive for both murders was
Money.
Lynn turner was the beneficiary
Of her first husband's $,
Life-insurance policy and also
Received his pension payments of
$ A month.
And she was all set to collect
$, From randy thompson's
Life-insurance policy, but
Investigators found evidence
That randy double-crossed her.
Lynn had talked randy into
Buying life insurance of
$,, And she was the
Beneficiary of that policy.
But after randy passed away, she
Found out that the policy had
Lapsed and that she would not be
Getting that money.
Narrator: this also raised
The possibility that randy might
Have suspected lynn was trying
To harm him.
Investigators also learned that
A container of antifreeze had
Been found in the home lynn
Shared with her husband,
Glenn turner.
Although, at the time, no one
Found this suspicious.
So lynn turner was arrested on
Two counts of first-degree
m*rder.
She insisted she was innocent
And was sure there wasn't enough
Evidence to convict her.
Lynn was smart.
Lynn wanted to be a police
Officer.
She knew a lot.
She knew how to commit a crime,
She know what they'd look for,
And she knew how to create an
Alibi.
Narrator: lynn turner met her
First husband, glenn, while
Working as a operator.
But less than two years later,
Glenn told friends the marriage
Was in trouble.
He said that they had only
Had sex twice after they were
Married.
He said that she had some kind
Of female problem and she wasn't
Able to have sex.
Of course, we're all thinking to
Ourselves, "well, I could name
Three or four other guys she's
Seeing -- that she's having sex
With."
Of course, I couldn't say
Anything to him.
Narrator: glenn also told
Friends lynn was spending money
Faster than he could earn it.
He said, "here I am working
Days, working all these
Part-time jobs, sometimes two or
Three jobs a day, I about got it
Paid off, and here she just rung
Them all back up again."
She just had a stack of credit
Cards and just spent, spent,
Spent, spent.
Narrator: while lynn was
Married to glenn, she met
Randy thompson, a fireman from a
Nearby town.
Randy's family says lynn lied
About her marital status.
Lynn had told us she had been
Married but that she was
Divorced.
She told all of us that, told
Randy that.
We assumed she was divorced.
Lynn's primary motive for
Murdering glenn was for the
Money.
I think a secondary motive was
To be with randy thompson.
Narrator: the forensic
Evidence suggests lynn put
Antifreeze in glenn's food --
Possibly in gelatin, since this
Was found in his stomach during
His autopsy.
Glenn fell violently ill and
d*ed.
Lynn collected $, from his
Life insurance along with his
Pension of $ a month.
I knew she didn't love him.
So I knew it was pending gloom
For him, and I figured she'd use
Him for everything she could use
Him for, and then she'd spit him
Back out.
But I never thought that she'd
k*ll him.
Narrator: just a few weeks
After glenn's funeral, lynn
Moved in with randy thompson.
Although they had two children
Together, they were never
Legally married -- probably
Because lynn would have had to
Forfeit glenn turner's pension.
I believe that's why she
Didn't marry randy.
She would have lost glenn's
Pension by remarrying, so she
Didn't marry.
She's smart.
She knew that money was out.
Narrator: it wasn't long
Before randy thompson told
Friends, just as glenn turner
Had, that he was unhappy with
Lynn.
It was almost comical the way
They fought -- cat and dog, just
Back and forth, back and forth,
Back and forth.
And I asked him, I said, "why do
You keep calling her?
Why do you even take phone
Calls?"
"Well, she's the mom of my
Kids..."
I said, "okay, whatever."
Narrator: an employee of a
Local animal shelter said that
Lynn wanted to buy the chemicals
They used to euthanize cats, but
They refused to sell them to
Her.
She didn't want to use
Antifreeze again.
She checked around.
She wanted to use something
Different to k*ll randy, but she
Wasn't confident enough to use
Anything else, so she went back
To what she used before.
Narrator: randy told friends
Lynn prepared his lunch shortly
Before he became violently
Ill -- a grilled-cheese sandwich
And sweet tea.
Investigators think the
Antifreeze was in the tea.
Within a day, randy was dead.
It was only <span tts:fontstyle="italic">after</span>his death that
Lynn learned that randy allowed
His $, life-insurance
Policy to lapse just days
Earlier.
She gave him the ethylene
Glycol.
I think that is a very slow,
Cruel death.
It's not like you sh**t someone
And you immediately change your
Mind and start giving them first
Aid.
I mean, there was no aid given,
And she had plenty of
Opportunity to give aid, and she
Didn't on either case.
Narrator: when these murders
Happened, antifreeze had a taste
That could easily be masked with
Sweet-tasting foods.
The industry has since modified
Antifreeze so that it is now
Unpalatable.
We, the jury, find the
Defendant, julia lynn
Womack-turner, guilty of malice
m*rder...
Narrator: in may of ,
Lynn turner was convicted for
k*lling her husband, glenn.
Three years later, in ,
Lynn was also convicted of
Randy thompson's m*rder.
She is currently serving a life
Sentence with no chance for
Parole.
To hear the guilty verdict
Was very difficult.
You don't like to hear that your
Daughter-in-law has done
Something like this to anybody.
Narrator: despite the
Mathematical misstep by the
Toxicology lab, scientists
Eventually discovered the truth
About what happened to both
Randy thompson and glenn turner.
It was a challenging case to
Get it all out there, even
Though it really was quite
Simple in that you had two men
Who had been involved with her,
And both had d*ed the exact same
Way.
Forensic evidence -- without
It, we had nothing.
We wouldn't have had a case.
It would have been just a bunch
Of hearsay and rumors, but the
Forensic evidence was all the
Nails in the coffin.
It was the hammer that put
Untimely death raised
Suspicions.
When a young policeman d*ed the
Same way, it was no coincidence.
Scientists wondered if these
Scientists wondered if these tiny crystals were the cause.
Tiny crystals were the cause.
A fireman's job is exceptionally
Dangerous, and for
Randy thompson, the year
Was particularly troublesome.
First, he fell off a fire truck
In cumming, georgia, and broke
His nose.
When he had surgery to repair
The damage, he developed a
Life-threatening staph
Infection.
The doctors told him, "this
Is a very, very serious
Situation.
You can die from this very
Easily."
Narrator: randy survived
That, but his health problems
Continued.
One of his friends found him
Sprawled on his kitchen floor
Vomiting and incoherent.
He started hallucinating.
He looked at me and said, "get
Back in your damn cage!"
And I said, "what?"
"Get in your cage."
"What are you talking about,
Randy?"
"I said, 'get in your cage.'"
Then I realized he thought he
Was talking to his bird.
Narrator: this was diagnosed
As a severe stomach virus.
But gradually, he improved,
Thanks to help from his
Common-law wife, lynn.
Every time I talked to him,
He sounded stronger and
Stronger, and he said, "lynn
Made me grilled cheese with
Sweet tea."
He said, "I held it down --
Didn't throw it up."
I said, "well, good, randy,
That's good.
Maybe you're on the uphill slide
Of this."
Narrator: two days later, his
Condition deteriorated, and
Randy thompson d*ed.
Horrible -- a daddy taken
From his children for no
Reason, a man taken from a
Career that he loved for no
Reason.
Narrator: at randy's autopsy,
Toxicology tests found no trace
Of dr*gs or alcohol in his
System, but the medical examiner
Found evidence of heart trouble.
He did have an enlarged
Heart.
He did have some significant
Coronary artery disease.
So as a consequence, then, I
Ascribed this gentleman's
Sudden and unexpected death with
His heart disease.
That was hard for us to
Swallow because he had never had
Any heart problems before.
I was devastated.
It was an experience I don't
Ever want to have again.
Narrator: randy left behind
His common-law wife, lynn, and
Their two young children.
He was just years old.
The very last thing he asked
Me was, "do you think I'm gonna
Die?"
Narrator: as time passed,
Randy thompson's friends and
Family gradually came to terms
With his untimely death...
Until a few weeks later, when
Randy's mother got a letter from
A total stranger -- the mother
Of a dead policeman from the
Next town over.
The contents of the letter were
Shocking.
"I want to share my sorrow in
The loss of your son randy.
My son glenn d*ed six years ago
Mysteriously."
I didn't really know what to
Think.
Everything she told me was
Exactly what happened to randy.
Narrator: a few weeks after
Randy thompson's death, his
Mother got a letter.
"I want to share my sorrow in
The loss of your son randy."
Narrator: it was from a woman
Who claimed her son d*ed under
Similar circumstances and
Suggested the two deaths were
Somehow related.
I was shocked that her son
And my son d*ed the exact same
Way.
The report from the hospital,
The autopsy reports --
Everything was just the same.
Nita thompson did not believe
Me.
She kept saying, "that can't be
True.
That can't be true."
Narrator: six years earlier,
Glenn turner, a police officer,
Had the same symptoms as
Randy thompson.
He was so sick, I could hear
His voice shaking when he talked
To me.
He just said he had an
Unbelievable stomach virus.
He couldn't get rid of it.
He was vomiting, couldn't stop
Vomiting, he had diarrhea, and
He just basically said to me,
"I've never been this sick like
This."
Narrator: he was also
Incoherent and hallucinating.
His wife said he had had a
Really bad night, that in the
Middle of the night he had got
Up, began to hallucinate, he
Began to run around the house.
He pulled out his w*apon.
He thought there was intruders
Outside, trying to get inside
The house.
Narrator: glenn's wife coaxed
Him back into bed.
The next morning, he appeared to
Be better.
He had called me, and he was
Gonna go to work the next day.
I thought that he was sounding
Good, and I thought that he was
Gonna be fine.
Narrator: but a few hours
Later, glenn turner d*ed.
The medical examiner made the
Statement in the autopsy that he
d*ed with an irregular
Heartbeat.
That was nothing that he ever
Had a problem with.
Narrator: glenn's mother
Immediately suspected foul play.
She asked his friends in
Law enforcement to investigate
His death, but she got nowhere.
They kept telling me that he
d*ed of natural causes and there
Was no reason to go into it any
Further because it cost too much
Money and that there was no foul
Play in his life.
I still had strong suspicions
That there was something else
Involved in it, but the m.e.
Stated that's what it was, and
I'm not a medical examiner, so I
Pretty much had to accept it.
Narrator: and that's how it
Stood until six years later,
When the turner family learned
That randy thompson d*ed the
Same way.
It was difficult to fathom how
Two civil servants in two
Neighboring towns, both in their
Early 's, d*ed so suddenly...
Until both families realized
They had something else in
Common...
The two men were both living
With the same woman when they
d*ed -- lynn turner.
I couldn't turn to get on the
Phone quick enough.
I called the lead investigator,
And I just basically said, "you
Need to go out there and seal
Off the apartment -- do what you
Need to do, because I'm telling
You, there's no way you could
Have two young guys like this
Pass away."
Narrator: when questioned,
Lynn turner claimed it was just
A tragic coincidence.
And local prosecutors found no
Evidence the two deaths were
Connected.
After all, lynn turner had no
Criminal history.
I actually just thought that
It was really bad luck that
Lynn had been involved with two
Men who had d*ed that way.
Narrator: and friends pointed
Out that lynn's common-law
Husband, randy thompson, had
Very little life insurance --
Just $,, hardly enough to
k*ll for.
And toxicology tests on both
Randy thompson and glenn turner
Found no evidence of dr*gs or
Alcohol in their systems.
We still had strong
Suspicions that something that
She had done to him that caused
His death, but at the time, I'm
Just a police officer.
I'm not an m.e.
I couldn't prove it.
Narrator: then investigators
Made a startling discovery.
Even though randy thompson had
Only $, worth of life
Insurance, lynn was in a big
Hurry to collect it.
We were able to determine
Through cellphone records that
On the day of randy's funeral,
Between the time of the service
In the church and the service
That was held at the cemetery,
Lynn was on her cellphone trying
To contact the insurance
Company.
Narrator: maybe there was
More to the death of these two
Men than first appeared.
Lynn must have had something
To do with some of this because
There is no way two young men --
A police officer and a
Firefighter -- dying at a young
Age without somebody doing
Something.
Narrator: what are the
Chances that two civil servants,
Both in their early 's, would
Die under mysterious
Circumstances from heart
Disease?
The southeast part of the
Country leads the nation in
Cardiovascular disease.
And in our office, it is not
Uncommon that we see young men,
Men of mr. Thompson's age, who
Have bad heart disease.
Narrator: toxicology tests on
The first victim, policeman
Glenn turner, showed no signs of
Alcohol or illegal dr*gs in his
System.
But during randy thompson's
Autopsy, the medical examiner
Found calcium oxalate crystals
In his kidneys.
These could be the result of
Prescription medications, or it
Could be a sign of poisoning.
The first thing I did was
Reach across my desk and pick up
The phone and call the
Toxicology department and ask
That an ethylene glycol test be
Performed.
Narrator: ethylene glycol is
The chemical name for
Antifreeze.
When we ran the sample from
Randy thompson and analyzed it
For ethylene glycol, the results
Came back negative for a
Significant quantity of
Ethylene glycol.
Narrator: but the medical
Examiner had a hard time
Believing that.
I thought that was very
Strange and bizarre.
Narrator: then dr. Koponen
Learned what happened to
Lynn turner's first husband,
Glenn, six years earlier.
On a hunch, he reviewed
Glenn turner's autopsy report.
I looked at all the tissues
And polarized the lung and the
Kidney as I do in all of my
Cases, and to my surprise, there
Were oxalate crystals in
Glenn turner's kidneys.
Narrator: so dr. Koponen went
Back to the toxicology lab and
Asked them to recheck the test
Results on randy thompson's
Tissue samples.
And the lab discovered they had
Made a mathematical error.
I immediately realized that I
Had made an error in calculating
The original concentration of
Ethylene glycol in
Randy thompson's blood.
And, in fact, it was off by a
Factor of .
When we made the appropriate
Correction for the mathematical
Error that I had made, suddenly
Became a lethal level of
Ethylene glycol.
I've been doing this for
Almost years now, and this is
The first time that such a
Mistake has ever been brought to
My attention.
Narrator: the medical
Examiner now knew that
Randy thompson's death was a
Homicide.
Based on the corrected
Toxicology report, then, it was
Quite obvious that mr. Thompson
d*ed as a consequence of an
Acute ethylene-glycol
Intoxication, or poisoning.
When I found out randy had
d*ed from antifreeze poisoning,
I knew when they exhumed glenn's
Body, when they took those
Tissues, I knew they were gonna
Find out he d*ed from the exact
Same causes.
Narrator: and that's
Precisely what happened.
Officials exhumed glenn turner's
Body, retested his tissue
Samples, and confirmed there was
A lethal amount of antifreeze in
His system.
It's a mixed feeling because
You're happy that you've got
Something happening, but you're
Not happy to hear what you hear.
Narrator: investigators did
Some digging into lynn turner's
Background and uncovered more
Incriminating evidence.
First was her visit to an animal
Shelter shortly before
Randy thompson's m*rder.
Lynn had inquired about what
The animal shelter uses to
Euthanize animals -- what
Chemical they use.
She had claimed that she had
A stray-cat problem and was
Wondering what it was that she
Could do about them.
Narrator: and the manager of
Lynn turner's bank told
Investigators lynn had serious
Financial problems.
She had a lot of debts
Outstanding, a lot of credit
Cards where she was being
Charged for unsufficient funds,
For late charges -- adding up to
Several thousands of dollars
Monthly.
Lynn had a middle-class
Income, but she spent like she
Was a millionaire.
She lived <span tts:fontstyle="italic">well</span>beyond her means.
Narrator: and that wasn't
All.
Lynn had gone into the bank
A few weeks before randy d*ed
And told one of the bank
Officials that she would have
Everything taken care of -- all
Her payments, mortgages,
Everything, et cetera, taken
Care of in just a few weeks.
Narrator: prosecutors believe
The motive for both murders was
Money.
Lynn turner was the beneficiary
Of her first husband's $,
Life-insurance policy and also
Received his pension payments of
$ A month.
And she was all set to collect
$, From randy thompson's
Life-insurance policy, but
Investigators found evidence
That randy double-crossed her.
Lynn had talked randy into
Buying life insurance of
$,, And she was the
Beneficiary of that policy.
But after randy passed away, she
Found out that the policy had
Lapsed and that she would not be
Getting that money.
Narrator: this also raised
The possibility that randy might
Have suspected lynn was trying
To harm him.
Investigators also learned that
A container of antifreeze had
Been found in the home lynn
Shared with her husband,
Glenn turner.
Although, at the time, no one
Found this suspicious.
So lynn turner was arrested on
Two counts of first-degree
m*rder.
She insisted she was innocent
And was sure there wasn't enough
Evidence to convict her.
Lynn was smart.
Lynn wanted to be a police
Officer.
She knew a lot.
She knew how to commit a crime,
She know what they'd look for,
And she knew how to create an
Alibi.
Narrator: lynn turner met her
First husband, glenn, while
Working as a operator.
But less than two years later,
Glenn told friends the marriage
Was in trouble.
He said that they had only
Had sex twice after they were
Married.
He said that she had some kind
Of female problem and she wasn't
Able to have sex.
Of course, we're all thinking to
Ourselves, "well, I could name
Three or four other guys she's
Seeing -- that she's having sex
With."
Of course, I couldn't say
Anything to him.
Narrator: glenn also told
Friends lynn was spending money
Faster than he could earn it.
He said, "here I am working
Days, working all these
Part-time jobs, sometimes two or
Three jobs a day, I about got it
Paid off, and here she just rung
Them all back up again."
She just had a stack of credit
Cards and just spent, spent,
Spent, spent.
Narrator: while lynn was
Married to glenn, she met
Randy thompson, a fireman from a
Nearby town.
Randy's family says lynn lied
About her marital status.
Lynn had told us she had been
Married but that she was
Divorced.
She told all of us that, told
Randy that.
We assumed she was divorced.
Lynn's primary motive for
Murdering glenn was for the
Money.
I think a secondary motive was
To be with randy thompson.
Narrator: the forensic
Evidence suggests lynn put
Antifreeze in glenn's food --
Possibly in gelatin, since this
Was found in his stomach during
His autopsy.
Glenn fell violently ill and
d*ed.
Lynn collected $, from his
Life insurance along with his
Pension of $ a month.
I knew she didn't love him.
So I knew it was pending gloom
For him, and I figured she'd use
Him for everything she could use
Him for, and then she'd spit him
Back out.
But I never thought that she'd
k*ll him.
Narrator: just a few weeks
After glenn's funeral, lynn
Moved in with randy thompson.
Although they had two children
Together, they were never
Legally married -- probably
Because lynn would have had to
Forfeit glenn turner's pension.
I believe that's why she
Didn't marry randy.
She would have lost glenn's
Pension by remarrying, so she
Didn't marry.
She's smart.
She knew that money was out.
Narrator: it wasn't long
Before randy thompson told
Friends, just as glenn turner
Had, that he was unhappy with
Lynn.
It was almost comical the way
They fought -- cat and dog, just
Back and forth, back and forth,
Back and forth.
And I asked him, I said, "why do
You keep calling her?
Why do you even take phone
Calls?"
"Well, she's the mom of my
Kids..."
I said, "okay, whatever."
Narrator: an employee of a
Local animal shelter said that
Lynn wanted to buy the chemicals
They used to euthanize cats, but
They refused to sell them to
Her.
She didn't want to use
Antifreeze again.
She checked around.
She wanted to use something
Different to k*ll randy, but she
Wasn't confident enough to use
Anything else, so she went back
To what she used before.
Narrator: randy told friends
Lynn prepared his lunch shortly
Before he became violently
Ill -- a grilled-cheese sandwich
And sweet tea.
Investigators think the
Antifreeze was in the tea.
Within a day, randy was dead.
It was only <span tts:fontstyle="italic">after</span>his death that
Lynn learned that randy allowed
His $, life-insurance
Policy to lapse just days
Earlier.
She gave him the ethylene
Glycol.
I think that is a very slow,
Cruel death.
It's not like you sh**t someone
And you immediately change your
Mind and start giving them first
Aid.
I mean, there was no aid given,
And she had plenty of
Opportunity to give aid, and she
Didn't on either case.
Narrator: when these murders
Happened, antifreeze had a taste
That could easily be masked with
Sweet-tasting foods.
The industry has since modified
Antifreeze so that it is now
Unpalatable.
We, the jury, find the
Defendant, julia lynn
Womack-turner, guilty of malice
m*rder...
Narrator: in may of ,
Lynn turner was convicted for
k*lling her husband, glenn.
Three years later, in ,
Lynn was also convicted of
Randy thompson's m*rder.
She is currently serving a life
Sentence with no chance for
Parole.
To hear the guilty verdict
Was very difficult.
You don't like to hear that your
Daughter-in-law has done
Something like this to anybody.
Narrator: despite the
Mathematical misstep by the
Toxicology lab, scientists
Eventually discovered the truth
About what happened to both
Randy thompson and glenn turner.
It was a challenging case to
Get it all out there, even
Though it really was quite
Simple in that you had two men
Who had been involved with her,
And both had d*ed the exact same
Way.
Forensic evidence -- without
It, we had nothing.
We wouldn't have had a case.
It would have been just a bunch
Of hearsay and rumors, but the
Forensic evidence was all the
Nails in the coffin.
It was the hammer that put