The Prominent Surgeon (Dr. Ingolf Tuerk)

Summary

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Court Junkie — "The Prominent Surgeon (Dr. Ingolf Tuerk)"

Date: July 21, 2026
Host: Jillian (Podcast One)
Case: The trial of Dr. Ingolf Tuerk for the killing of his wife, Katie McLean

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Episode Overview

This episode investigates the complex case of Dr. Ingolf Tuerk, a renowned surgeon accused and ultimately convicted in connection with the 2020 death of his wife, Katie McLean. Through court documents, interviews, and trial testimony, host Jillian reconstructs the marriage, the circumstances leading up to Katie's death, and the high-profile trial that followed. Central to the episode are contrasting narratives: Dr. Tuerk's claim that the killing was an unintentional, drunken tragedy, and the prosecution's argument that it was a calculated act driven by fear of financial loss and control. The episode explores themes of domestic strife, legal strategy, and the emotional devastation wrought upon Katie's family after her death.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

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Dr. Ingolf Tuerk: Rise and Fall of a Prominent Surgeon

• Dr. Tuerk, celebrated for pioneering robotic prostate surgery, was recruited by St. Elizabeth Medical Center. He became a local celebrity with a flashy lifestyle.
  • "Dr. Turk was known internationally for his robotic prostate surgery." (01:30)
• He emigrated from East Germany after the Berlin Wall fell, building an American dream that unraveled with professional troubles and personal turmoil.
  • "When the wall came down, what, if anything, did you do?"
    "I celebrated." (02:43)

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The Romance and Blended Family

• Met Katie McLean, a Reiki practitioner and mother of three, on Bumble in 2017.
  • Host note: "She was bright and happy...a Reiki practitioner...nurturing and loving." (05:20)
• They quickly moved in together and invested in making a family home, but Katie’s name wasn’t on the deed, underscoring simmering tensions about ownership and security.
• The relationship was passionate yet fraught: both had trust issues, frequently checked each other's phones, and tracked each other digitally.
  • Friend Vanessa: "When people get into a good relationship...that's a good score." (09:16)

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Las Vegas Marriage and Immediate Marital Discord

• In December 2019, the couple married in a drunken drive-thru Las Vegas chapel—by surprise, as Dr. Tuerk claimed.
  • Dr. Tuerk: "All I remember is that I was talking to a woman hanging out a window. The next morning I was told I was married." (10:13)
• Professional and legal troubles followed: Dr. Tuerk lost his job amid Medicaid fraud allegations and settled for $150,000 without admitting wrongdoing.
• Divorce plans surfaced only five weeks into the marriage. Katie obtained a restraining order, citing escalating abuse and concern over firearms.
  • "Katie...got a restraining order against him. He then had to leave his home..." (13:30)

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Separation, Pandemic, and Attempts at Reconciliation (17:00–25:00)

• Early 2020: Dr. Tuerk left for Germany, then Florida, as COVID spread. Katie and the children remained at the house.
• Despite filing for divorce, communications continued, brokered in part by neighbor Kurt. Katie and Dr. Tuerk began reconnecting, exchanging intimate and loving texts.
  • May 6: “I love you Katie. You are my wife. I will like you for the rest of my life.” — Dr. Tuerk (18:01)
  • May 9: “Last night was the very best lovemaking I ever felt...” — Katie to Dr. Tuerk (18:37)
• Meanwhile, text messages reveal Katie was flirting with neighbor Kurt, who testified about suggestive exchanges.
  • Kurt: "I want to see your boobs. I want to see your boobs..." (20:11)

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Conditions of Reconciliation

• Katie requested her name be added to the house deed and a postnuptial agreement. Dr. Tuerk agreed.
• Reconciliation included plans for therapy and Dr. Tuerk to refrain from alcohol.

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Tragic Night: May 14–15, 2020

Chronology of Events:

• The couple, now reunited, shared a seemingly happy day with the children, drinking and playing games.
• Late evening: Argument erupted after Katie saw texts from a female friend on Dr. Tuerk’s phone.
  • “She demanded the phone...She proceeded to look at the phone...She got even more angrier.” — Dr. Tuerk (34:00–34:47)
• According to Tuerk, Katie struck him with a glass, cutting his head. He claimed to have "blacked out," then grabbed her by the neck in a drunken haze.
  • “I snapped. I kind of blacked out…I grabbed her…on the neck.” (36:35)
• He performed CPR unsuccessfully, then, fearing the children would find Katie’s body, carried her to a nearby pond, submerged her with rocks, and attempted suicide at a hotel.
  • “I carried her out of the house…put her in the car…drove to the pond…” (38:05–38:17)
• Katie’s daughter recalled a chilling encounter with Dr. Tuerk late that night.
  • “I woke up...looked down the stairs and saw Harry Turk. I instantly knew something bad had happened.” (40:09–40:15)

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Investigation and Trial Evidence (41:00–57:00)

• Text following the killing:
  • "Kurt. I am sorry, brother, but she is a vindictive devil. I am really sorry...she manipulated us all. Love you, Harry." (41:08)
• Dr. Tuerk was found at a hotel after a failed suicide attempt, with superficial knife wounds and a bottle of whiskey.
• Crime scene detailed: Glass and blood evidence in the bedroom, Katie’s body in a pond with rocks in her leggings, missing tank top found snagged on a branch.
• Medical examiner: Cause of death was strangulation; extensive hemorrhaging and a broken hyoid bone suggested significant force.

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Differing Legal Narratives and Strategies (57:30–72:06)

• Prosecution:
  • Presented Dr. Tuerk as motivated by control over the house, resentment, and self-preservation.
  • Emphasized deliberate actions after the killing (body disposal, misleading police).
  • “He took her lifeless body past her children's bedrooms...discarded her in that pond like a piece of trash.” — Prosecutor Lisa Beatty (63:58)
• Defense:
  • Claimed Dr. Tuerk acted in an alcohol-fueled panic, with no premeditation—“heat of passion.”
  • Described Katie as manipulative, focused on gaining security; downplayed intent to kill.
  • Attorney: “Is this a killing that occurred in hot blood...on sudden adequate provocation? ...There’s no intent to kill.” (59:40)
  • Notable: DNA evidence showed multiple contributors—used by the defense to infer Katie’s life was complex.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Dr. Tuerk (about the killing):
  • "I was scared to hell." (36:25)
  • “I spent all my life to save lives. So I was pretty much in shock myself of what happened.” (51:14)
• Katie’s Sister Beth (on seeing her sister’s body):
  • “After an autopsy and two days in a dirty pond, my beautiful sister did not look beautiful. I had to clean dirty black pond mud from under her nails…I tried to make her look like Mom for the last time.” (56:12)
• Katie’s Son’s Impact Statement:
  • “I stopped getting the chance to be a kid when she died. ...I couldn’t protect my mom from Harry. I think about that every day.” (72:33)

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Verdict and Sentencing (72:06–74:11)

• The jury found Dr. Tuerk not guilty of first-degree murder — instead, guilty of voluntary manslaughter.
• Judge sentenced Dr. Tuerk to 12–16 years in state prison (credit for five years served).
• Katie’s family expressed deep pain and sense of incomplete justice.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:23 — Dr. Tuerk’s background and medical reputation
• 05:20 — Katie McLean’s life and their relationship dynamic
• 09:16 — Friends and family on the couple's romance
• 10:13 — Las Vegas wedding
• 13:30 — Dr. Tuerk’s legal, professional, and marital unraveling
• 18:01–19:08 — Reconciliation texts and plans
• 20:11–22:12 — Evidence and testimony about Katie’s relationship with Kurt (neighbor)
• 31:15–33:27 — The day of Katie’s death (family activities)
• 34:00–36:35 — The fatal argument and Dr. Tuerk’s account of the killing
• 40:09–40:19 — Katie’s daughter’s fearful sighting of Dr. Tuerk
• 41:08 — Dr. Tuerk’s post-crime text to neighbor Kurt
• 53:08–54:38 — Police recovery of Katie’s body and crime scene details
• 56:12–57:35 — Beth’s (Katie’s sister) testimony and eulogy
• 63:58–69:55 — Closing arguments, prosecution and defense
• 72:33–74:11 — Victim impact statement and sentencing

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Additional Reflections

This case highlights the devastating effects of domestic turmoil, the blurred boundaries of victim and perpetrator, and the challenge the legal system faces in parsing intent amid trauma and dysfunction. The episode is marked by dramatic courtroom testimony, poignant family tributes, and a sobering verdict that left both families and listeners with lingering questions about accountability and justice.

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Transcript

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[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

Elizabeth Medical center was so excited to hire prominent surgeon Dr. Ingolf Turkish, the hospital welcomed him with a billboard right over Boston's Fenway park to blast the news to the world that he was coming. Dr. Turk was known internationally for his robotic prostate surgery. Today, the less invasive robotic surgery is prevalent in the healthcare industry. But back then, Dr. Turk had been an early pioneer of the technology that helped save lives. According to the Virginia News Pilot, one of his surgeries where he removed a prostate gland, was even filmed by the Discovery health channel in 2002. Dr. Turk wasn't straight laced and nerdy. Many people considered him handsome. He had a square jaw and bodybuilder arms. He spoke with a thick German accent. He had been born in East Germany, where he entered mandatory military service and then went to medical school.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Was that Communist East Germany?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

That was Communist East Germany. A colony of cccr.

[Attorney / Questioner]

And how long did you live, as we would say behind the wall in East Germany?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

That is correct. It was behind the wall and I lived there all the way until the Wall came down.

[Attorney / Questioner]

When the wall came down, what, if anything, did you do?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I celebrated.

[Attorney / Questioner]

And how did you do that I

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

partied with my my family and my friends.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

By 2001, he had come to the United States and learned English, became a US Citizen and helped pioneer robotic surgery. He was in high demand, performing up to two or three surgeries a day. At the height of his career, Dr. Turk seemed to have a rock star like lifestyle. He had been divorced twice and owned two Harley Davidson motorcycles. In one picture taken in the operating room, he wore a specially made leather Harley Davidson cap instead of a disposable scrub cap. In 2017, the single Dr. Turk, who went by the nickname Harry, met a woman named Kathleen Katie McLean on the Bumble dating site. Katie described herself as looking like Little Mermaid's Ariel. Katie was known for wearing Lily Pulitzer dresses. You can picture her bright and happy. Her family described her as nurturing and loving. She was a mom to three children and was said to bring a unique energy. She was a Reiki practitioner. Her clients sought her guidance in Japanese energy therapy to boost their wellness. Dr. Turk later said there was something special about Katie. She had unique abilities, he said. She was a psychic, a medium. She connected family members with their dead relatives, just like him. Katie had been divorced twice too. Their past failures at love, however, didn't stop them from falling in love with each other. But of course, since you're listening to this episode on a podcast about the criminal justice system, this romance is likely to end up in tragedy. This is Jillian in partnership with law and crime. You are listening to Court Junkie. Anyone else basically rustling their sheets off in the middle of the night because they're stuck to your legs? That was me every summer until I stopped blaming the AC and started blaming my actual bedding. Which brings me to Bull and Branch. Sleeping hot is miserable. You've probably blamed the thermostat, the mattress, maybe even whoever is sleeping next to you. But a lot of the time, it's none of that. It's your sheets. The wrong ones trap heat. Bolen Branch is basically the cool side of the pillow. But for your whole bed. Bolen Branch's summer bedding is breathable, lightweight, and built to keep you cool all night long. Their sheets are 100% organic cotton, woven specifically for airflow and not just for softness. Unlike synthetic cooling technology or chemically treated fabrics, the cooling here is structural. It's literally how the cotton is woven. And 94% of Bolen branch customers say their sheets get softer with every wash. And I'm part of that 94%. I've got their signature sheet set, the waffle bed blanket, and then we also got their newest piece, the Perc Haile Quilted Down Comforter. The sheets are soft but still breathable. None of that overheated feeling. The waffle blanket is that perfect lighter layer for summer cozy without trapping heat. And the new quilted down comforter is the one that surprised me the most. It's warm without being heavy so I'm not kicking it off at 2am I use bowl and branch now and I will never go back to regular bedding. Sleep cooler this summer with Bole and branch get 15% off your first order plus free [e-mail] court with the code court that's bolandbranch b o l l a n d branch.com court use the code court to unlock 15% off bullandbranch.com court code court exclusions applied. Five months after meeting Dr. Ingolf Turk and Katie McLean were living together. Katie and her three children moved into his multi million dollar house in Dover, Massachusetts that had a movie room, a home gym and beautiful wooden floors. Dr. Turk's two children from his previous marriage lived at the house part time too. They were a blended family. To make Katie happy, Dr. Turk built a pool and added a cabana and a fireplace outside, upgrades that cost a quarter of a million dollars. Katie could host parties at their home and she also had her own office. After they finished the basement, Katie helped build the garden in the back. But there was one glaring omission in their new home. Katie's name was not on the deed. It was Dr. Turk's house, not hers. Vanessa Pettigrew met Katie long before Dr. Turk was ever in the picture. The two women became close friends and remained friends for years. They texted each other every day and talked on the phone. They hung out on weekends. When Katie started dating Dr. Turk, Vanessa came over for cookouts and to watch football with them. Eventually, Vanessa, who also worked in healthcare, got hired at St. Elizabeth Medical center in 2018, which made her colleagues with Dr. Turk. They were occasionally in the operating room together, but things between Dr. Turk and Katie soon took a turn. Vanessa jokingly offered to be a spy for Katie as Katie worried that Dr. Turk was cheating on her. According to testimony, Katie often snooped on Dr. Turk's phone. Vanessa said the two tracked each other on phone apps, but she said Katie was also in love and seemed happy.

[Attorney / Questioner]

You recall talking to her about her moving into Dover and using the word it's a good score. Do you recall that?

[Vanessa Pettigrew (Friend of Katie)]

The sarcastic comment? Yes, that sounds another joke. Sounds right.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Okay, so what did you Mean by it's a good score.

[Vanessa Pettigrew (Friend of Katie)]

I think when people get into a good relationship that they're happy with and they feel like they finally met the right person, which is how Katie felt, that's a good score.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

In December 2019, two years into the relationship, Dr. Turk was in Las Vegas for a medical conference at the Bellagio hotel. Katie tagged along. According to Dr. Turk, unbeknownst to him, Katie had gotten a marriage license online. They drove around the Las Vegas strip to see the bright lights and the sights of the city. They stopped into a horseshoe shaped bar overlooking the strip and got drunk. Afterwards, they got married at a drive in facility. But it wasn't exactly romantic then.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

All I remember is that I was talking to a woman hanging out a window.

[Attorney / Questioner]

So would that be when you got married?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

That's what I was told the next morning.

[Attorney / Questioner]

And when you got married, was that the Elvis Chapel in Las Vegas?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yeah. The next day I drove one more time by to see what really happened. And it was a drive in facility where you drive in, you lower your window, a person comes out of the window and marries you.

[Attorney / Questioner]

So the person came out of the

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

window, I mean, leaning out of the window? Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

You're in the rental car, right?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yes, we were in the Jeep, I believe.

[Attorney / Questioner]

And did somebody marry you like a minister or a priest?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I don't really remember. I only remember it was a woman. That's the only thing I remember that talked to us. And the next morning I was told I was married.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

I got married by surprise was how Dr. Turk put it. Here's Vanessa again.

[Vanessa Pettigrew (Friend of Katie)]

They had been talking about getting married for a long time in their relationship, and they had talked back and forth about getting married in Vegas a number of times. So on this occasion, it was just kind of a surprise for the family and all of us that they got married in Vegas. And, you know, the kids got along really well. So it made sense at the time.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

The newlyweds flew back to Massachusetts. According to his later testimony, Dr. Turk said he almost immediately wanted a divorce. By then, his professional life was also falling apart. The hospital that had once welcomed him with a billboard over Fenway park fired him. He was under scrutiny from the state government for Medicaid fraud. The Massachusetts Attorney General's office said in a press release that, quote, Dr. Turk instructed his residents and fellows to document the use of ultrasound probes even when they had not been used during surgeries. The AG's office also alleges that Dr. Turk billed mass Health for office visits that used billing codes indicating he was present or supervising other medical professionals. Despite patients only being seen by an unsupervised resident or fellow. In November 2019, Dr. Turk agreed to pay $150,000 in a settlement. Five weeks into his marriage, Dr. Turk met with a divorce attorney. He said he wanted the marriage to end. He testified that Katie found the divorce attorney's email on his phone while he slept. What happened next was the beginning of the end, according to Dr. Turk's version of events. In February 2020, Katie called the police and got a restraining order against him. He then had to leave his home and went to crash with friends for several weeks, according to the globe. Dr. Turk was actually charged with domestic abuse charges, including strangulation and assault and battery on a household member. The Globe also reported the following On February 3rd, Katie went to the Dover Police Department to report that she was going to file for divorce and wanted the police to be aware, according to what an officer wrote in a police report. Four days later, Katie filed for divorce. The Globe reported that Katie also told police that she and Dr. Turk got married in Vegas and that he had surprised her with a marriage license. Quote the officer wrote that McLean told police Turk is becoming more possessive and abusive after losing his job at the hospital. McClain said Turk sits around the house all day and does nothing. The report said McLean told police her husband would demand to check her cell phone and would track her iPhone to see where she was. At one time, Turk made McLean print out her call log, according to the police report. Another quote from the Globe Dover police reported Turk slammed McLean's head into a headboard in February and tried to strangle her. She also said Turk threw her to the ground. In January, reports said Turk allegedly cut off a piece of McLean's hair in another incident and said he was the king of the castle, according to the police reports. McLean showed police a picture of cuts to her hand after the alleged incident. McLean, according to police, was worried because Turk kept guns in the home. When the restraining order was issued, police confiscated Turk's guns and he turned over his firearms license, reports show. In court, Katie couldn't confirm her version of what happened with the restraining order and why she got it because she was dead. Unable to return to his Dover mansion because of the restraining order and fired from his old job, Dr. Turk flew to Germany for a new opportunity as a consultant for a robotic surgical device. But it was March 2020 and the global pandemic was unfolding. Americans were called to return home and Dr. Turk's life was upended as he flew Back stateside. First, he stayed in a hotel. I was scared, he said. He was middle aged and scared of living in a public space and getting sick. He felt abandoned by his friends who wouldn't let him stay on their couches. Finally, a friend let him crash in a trailer in Florida. He drove down, thankful to find a place to quarantine alone. Meanwhile, the divorce proceedings weren't moving forward. Instead, quite the opposite. The couple's neighbor in Dover, a man named Kurt, was helping broker peace. Kurt had met Katie at the American Legion years ago. She even got him to try Reiki once in her living room. Kurt was friendly with Katie's friend Vanessa, too, and Dr. Turk. Sometimes Kurt and Dr. Turk smoked cigars together or grabbed a beer. Kurt, a heavy equipment operator, texted Dr. Turk, telling him that Katie missed him. Encouraged by this, Dr. Turk then wrote Katie a letter. Katie sent him text messages. Dr. Turk responded back. Some of his messages were very 2020, like commiserating about the scarcity of toilet paper at the store during the pandemic. Other messages were about their love. The hard feelings were loosening. In May, Dr. Turk was finally back in Massachusetts. Although he booked a hotel room to stay, Katie visited him at the hotel and they became intimate.

[Attorney / Questioner]

On May 6, do you recall discussing between the two of you, you are coming home and being with her?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

You recall on May 6th would be 1526, discussing coming back together, you asked, what if you don't like me anymore? I apologize. That was a text from Katie to you. What if you don't like me anymore? Your response? I love you, Katie. You are my wife. I will like you for the rest of my life. And then she responded, okay, well, I have my period now and most likely will still Friday, so not sure about sex. That was on May 6th. In the afternoon.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I recall that.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Addressing May 9th, which would be right after the 6th, you recall her sending you texts, page 1541. She texted you, I love you, Harry Tarek, last night was the very best lovemaking I ever felt. I felt so safe and connected to you, with you. Thank you, I love you, et cetera. You blew me away, Harry, both times. But that second time, you were all there, all in.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I recall that. Text messages. Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

And in between the text messages and your feelings, state of mind that the two of you were going to be husband and wife, get back together again. Did you have any knowledge whatsoever that Kurt, your friend, was having practically daily conversations with her, including asking to show her. Show him her boobs?

[Prosecutor]

Objection. Beyond the scope.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Okay, overall, just a yes or No,

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I did not know.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

Kurt, the neighbor who encouraged Dr. Turk to get back with Katie, had also been sending flirty messages to her, beginning almost immediately after Dr. Turk moved out. According to testimony, Katie confided about her estranged husband with Kurt. She complained her marriage was like a soap opera. Sometimes Katie drunk texted Kurt or sent him photos. Like one when she was wearing a bathing suit. They flirted back and forth. Here's 55 year old Kurt on the witness stand being confronted with some of the text messages he and Katie sent to each other.

[Attorney / Questioner]

March 2nd of 2020. What did you say to her? I want to see her boobs. I want to see your boobs. Did she show your boobs? I don't recall. You don't recall? Give me that, please. Do you recall asking her to put on her best sexy outfit, telling her she's bad and naughty?

[Prosecutor]

Objection.

[Defense Attorney]

Sustained.

[Attorney / Questioner]

No. Do you remember telling her text, tell her I'll meet you in the garage? I guess. You guess? And then you said, in five, tell her that? Yeah.

[Prosecutor]

Objection as to procedure at this point.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Procedure. Okay, so ask him if it refreshes his recollection. Does that refresh your memory, sir? That you told her that you'd meet her in the garage in five? I guess so. Okay. And then when she responded, I'm just too good to. You recall that, sir? I see that, yeah. Okay. And have in mind that this would be on May 6, 2020 at. Make sure I read that right. 6:42 in the evening, right?

[Vanessa Pettigrew (Friend of Katie)]

Yeah.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Quarter of seven. Okay. You met her in the garage, didn't you? Yeah. And what did you do in the garage? I think she gave me food for some. For some reason. She gave you food? Yeah, it was. Wasn't that around the holiday? I didn't have family around. And what holiday? This is May 6th. She had like friends over or whatever, had extra food and I don't remember. So you. So without having at least any text conversation, you knew that she had food, so you said, I'll come to the garage and see you in five. I don't really recall the whole thing. I don't. So. May 6, 2020 at 07:09, which is about 20 minutes later, she texted you. You were so nervous. It was cute. My mind was racing. And you responded, me too. Remember that, sir? Yeah.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

Vanessa testified that Katie was annoyed with Dr. Turk seeing other people during their separation.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Do you recall her right before the May alleged reconciliation, that she texted you for help to find out. Who is this Stephanie bitch? It's his type. Fake blonde, fake tits. Recall her texting you that.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Sustained.

[Vanessa Pettigrew (Friend of Katie)]

I do not recall. Sustained.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Recall while they were ostensibly reconciling, that she indicated to you that she was still going out on dates with the dentist from New Hampshire.

[Defense Attorney]

Objection.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Overall,

[Vanessa Pettigrew (Friend of Katie)]

when they were separated,

[Attorney / Questioner]

do you recall the dentist from New Hampshire?

[Vanessa Pettigrew (Friend of Katie)]

Yes. I don't recall the timeline you're speaking.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Okay, so the answer is yes.

[Narrator / Additional Voice]

Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Right. His name was Michael, right?

[Vanessa Pettigrew (Friend of Katie)]

Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Okay. And in May of 2020, she told you on a text that she went out on a date with the dentist again, right?

[Defense Attorney]

Objection.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Overall, Yes.

[Vanessa Pettigrew (Friend of Katie)]

Yes, they were separated.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Yes. The answer is yes. Right. I know you want to say they were separated, but you know that she went on a date in May of 20th with the dentist, Michael from New Hampshire.

[Defense Attorney]

Okay.

[Katie McLean's Sister (Beth)]

Okay.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

Vanessa explained how the couple got back together during the pandemic.

[Vanessa Pettigrew (Friend of Katie)]

Perry had sent an email through his lawyer to reconcile.

[Defense Attorney]

And was Katie considering that she was

[Vanessa Pettigrew (Friend of Katie)]

going back and forth? She was uncertain but conflicted. She had to weigh the pros and cons. She was very concerned about her children having a normal, stable life. She wanted the best for her kids. That's all she wanted.

[Defense Attorney]

And did they move towards reconciliation? If you know they did, how did that happen?

[Vanessa Pettigrew (Friend of Katie)]

Like I said, Harry's lawyer reached out that he wanted to reconcile, and they started the process. I believe there was a prenuptial agreement, and there were several things that they had to decide upon with each other that they would do moving forward to make it work, including having Dr. Turk undergo some psychiatric help and to refrain from alcohol.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Excuse me. Sustain. Please disregard that. That last answer is stricken. Next question.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

The Globe reported that Katie said in court papers at the time that she and Dr. Turk had reconciled and that she didn't want to pursue any criminal charges. She said they planned to go to couples counseling together. In an affidavit obtained by the Globe, Katie wrote, I feel safe and would like to bring my family back together with my husband. My goal is to salvage our family, including reuniting with my husband as father and stepfather to my children. When I was younger, I remember I used to be one of those people who just drank water straight from the tap and didn't think twice about it. But once I actually looked into what's in most household tap water, I couldn't unknow it. Between wanting my own water and coffee to taste better and wanting my kids drinking more of it, I started looking for a real fix. And I found it when I found Aquatru. If you're like me, you probably don't fully trust your tap water and According to the Environmental Working Group, most homes in America have some level of harmful contaminants in theirs. Aquatru purifiers use a four stage reverse osmosis process and their countertop models need zero installation or plumbing. You just plug it in. Aquatrue says it removes 15 times more contaminants than a standard pitcher filter. They've got options for every kind of home too. Installation free countertop purifiers, which is what we have, higher capacity under sink units, even a WI fi connected purifier and an alkaline mineral option if that's your thing. Their purification technology is independently tested in NSF standards and removes over 80 of the most harmful contaminants, fluoride, arsenic, PFAS, the so called forever chemicals, nitrates and more. It's the same category of technology a lot of bottled water brands use, minus all the plastic. And the filters are genuinely low maintenance. Aquatru says they last anywhere from six months to two years, not the every two to three month routine you get into with a lot of pitcher filters. One set of filters from the their classic purifier works out to about 4,500 bottles of water. So you're talking pennies a bottle and a lot less plastic waste. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Ever since we switched to Aqua Tru, we can taste the difference and so can so many of our friends and family who have come over. When we ordered it, it got delivered right to our door and setup took no time at all. And honestly, having two kids in the house, I like that I don't have to think twice about the water they're drinking. Aqua Tru comes with a 30 day money back guarantee and even makes a great gift. Today court junkies receive 20% off any Aqua Tru purifier. Just go to aquatru.com that's a Q U a T r u dot com and enter the code quart at checkout. That's 20% off any Aqua Tru water purifier. When you go to aquatrue.com and use the code Court between the podcast schedule, coaching softball and chasing two kids around, I'm always looking for something that gives me actual energy instead of always a caffeine crash roller coaster. So when our next sponsor reached out, I was intrigued. This episode is sponsored by Veracity. Their metabolism Ignite is an all natural supplement in aimed at reducing cravings, boosting energy and sharpening focus. Verasity says their whole approach is about going after the root cause of a lot of these issues, metabolism with something drug free, doctor formulated, and they say clinically studied. Here's the pitch on blood sugar, because it's the piece a lot of us don't think about. When your blood sugar spikes and crashes, they say your energy, your mood and your cravings. Cravings all take the hit right along with it. That 3pm Wall, according to Verasity, that's often blood sugar dropping out from under you. 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So before metabolism ignite sells out again, control your cravings and boost your energy the natural way. Head to VeracityHealth Co and use the code court for up to 65% off your order. Once again, that's V E R A C I T Y Health Co for up to 65 off. And make sure you use the promo code court so they know we sent you. Although Katie had been flirting with her neighbor Kurt during the pandemic, according to the defense, she also had made amends with her estranged husband, Dr. Turk, who left Florida and came back to Massachusetts to reconnect with her. In May 2020, Katie invited him to the Dover house and she made a request to put her name on the house deed. He agreed. He later testified that he figured it was the only way he could be allowed to return home. He also signed a post nuptial agreement, and on the evening of May 10, he moved permanently back into the house.

[Attorney / Questioner]

And how are things working between the two of you?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

It started off very well. We really tried to be good to each other and loving and kind, and we spent a lot of time together, had a lot of sex.

[Attorney / Questioner]

After she Vacated the restraining order and got you back into the house. Do you recall the evening of the 15th of May, 2020?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I think you mean May 14th.

[Attorney / Questioner]

14th. I'm sorry.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

The day was beautiful, was nice. I worked in the yard, actually, with Sam and Grace. Together we cut out grass that was yellow from Cooper and replaced it. Cooper is our dog.

[Attorney / Questioner]

What kind of dog?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

He's a yellow lab. So we cut out grass. I went before to Home Depot and bought sod and replaced the yellow spots in the backyard with new sod. And in the afternoon, I took a break and Katie started making martinis.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Did you start drinking?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yes. Both of you? Sorry?

[Attorney / Questioner]

Both of you?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yes. She drank Cosmo and I drank martinis.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Did you then the two of you and the children engage in any activities?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yes. After two or three martinis, we had dinner as a family in the kitchen on the family table, which was nice. And after that, Katie, Sam, Grace and I played a board game by the name of Game of Life.

[Attorney / Questioner]

And what time did you finish playing the board game? Did the kids then go somewhere after playing the board game?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

We played after dinner for probably two hours, I kind of estimate. And we finished probably around somewhat 9pm and then Sam and Grace went upstairs to their rooms, and Katie and I continued to have some drinks and went to the family room watching tv.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

As the night went on, the reunited married couple were alone in their bedroom and had sex. But this seemingly perfect day was ruined when Dr. Turk got a text message. It was from a longtime friend, a female friend, Kate Kelly, who wished him and Katie good luck in their reconciliation. Dr. Turk said he relayed the message to Katie. According to him, that only made her angry. He said Katie had always been jealous of his female friends.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

She demanded the phone from me.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Did you give her the phone?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

She said, give me the phone. I need to see the text. And I said. I said to her, please don't do it. Because there were all the text messages from before months before? Yeah, during their separation months, when Kate Kelly was communicating with me and trying to help me going through that time. And there were certainly some critical words written about her. And I told Katie, please don't look at that. That's old stuff. You proposed clean slate.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Did she look at it?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

She did. And listen to my questions?

[Katie McLean's Sister (Beth)]

Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

When she looked at it, what happened?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

She demanded the phone and I gave it to her.

[Attorney / Questioner]

She proceeds to look at the phone. She did the Kate Kelly texts?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Correct.

[Attorney / Questioner]

What did she then do?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

She got even more angrier.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Did she do anything at that point?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

She screamed at you yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Where were you when this was going?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

The bed.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Did you have, by the way, alcohol? Were you guys still drinking?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I started drinking. Or we continued drinking again after the game and we continued drinking. In the bedroom? Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

And did you have you drinking with a glass in your hand while you were talking to her after you guys woke up?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

We both had glasses in our hands. Correct.

[Attorney / Questioner]

And at some point while she's yelling at you, what happened then?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I tried to calm her down and said, please, Katie, stop. Please. Please, Katie, please stop. And I was. She was in the bed and I kind of walked around and tried to calm her down, and I went on my knees and begged her to stop, please.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Went on your knees?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

No, my knees.

[Attorney / Questioner]

And you begged her to stop?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

What did she say?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

You.

[Attorney / Questioner]

What happened then?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

She hit me.

[Attorney / Questioner]

With what?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

The glass.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Did you know that? Did she hit you with the glass?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

And where did she hit you with the glass?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Right on my head.

[Attorney / Questioner]

When she hit you with the glass, did you get cut?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yes, I bled.

[Attorney / Questioner]

I'm showing you what has been marked as Exhibit 284. Hold that up for the jury and point out exactly where the injury is to your head on that photograph, sir.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Right here is the cut.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Now show all of us down here too, please. All right. So that would be the right side of your head?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Right. Right here?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Right here.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Now, when she struck you with the glass, did the glass do anything?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

It broke.

[Attorney / Questioner]

And where were you when the glass broke?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I was on the floor. What was in your mind at that point? I was scared to hell.

[Attorney / Questioner]

What did you do as a result of getting struck with the glass, causing you to bleed? While you were on the floor, what did you do then?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I. I snapped. I kind of blacked out.

[Attorney / Questioner]

What did you do?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I grabbed her.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Where?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

On the neck.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Out. Did you say anything?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Who?

[Attorney / Questioner]

What did she do?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

She just flailed around. And then she kind of flailed around and fell. We fell on the floor together, I think, because that's when I came out of my blackout. That's where we were, on the floor.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

According to Dr. Turk, Katie was non responsive.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

She was, you know, passed out. And I asked her, katie, come on, please. Katie, wake up. Please. Katie, wake up.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Did you realize she wasn't waking up?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

She didn't wake up.

[Attorney / Questioner]

What did you then do, sir?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Lifted her up and put her on the bed.

[Attorney / Questioner]

What did you then do?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Be comfortable. And then? I tried some CPR in here.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Did that help?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

It didn't work.

[Attorney / Questioner]

What happened then?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I was just sitting there and crying.

[Attorney / Questioner]

What happened then?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I panicked.

[Attorney / Questioner]

What do you mean, you panicked? What did you do?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I just. I. I tried to figure out what to do about that situation.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

He said he wanted to kill himself. He decided he needed to put her somewhere else. He said he couldn't have their children find her.

[Attorney / Questioner]

So what did you do?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I carried her out of the house.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Where did you put her?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Put her in the car.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Where did you go?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Put it on the passenger seat of the Jeep.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Where did you go?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I drove to the pond.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Is that the pond that's next to the house where the real estate guy testified here a couple of days ago that she wanted to buy a house, but it wasn't big enough to put a pool. But she wanted you to look at a house?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

That's correct.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Sustaining that form, did you go look at a house with her?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

We looked at that house two years prior? Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

She went by herself first?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

And then that brought you.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Then she said, Mr. Forum.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Okay. So did you go look at the house?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

She asked me to look at the house. Mr. Did you? Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

All right. Is that the pond that you went to?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

What did you do when you got to the pond with the wrangler and with Katie?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I put it in the order.

[Attorney / Questioner]

When you put her in the water, did you take her top off?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

No, I did not.

[Attorney / Questioner]

What happened to the top?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I have no idea.

[Attorney / Questioner]

You see photographs to show that it was snagged on a branch by the edge of the pond?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

You told me I didn't look at that photograph.

[Attorney / Questioner]

At some point, did you realize that she was floating?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yeah. Kind of was surprised that she was

[Attorney / Questioner]

a result of that.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I walked through the yard and tried to look for something that may, you know, bring her down.

[Attorney / Questioner]

What were you wearing for footwear?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I was wearing flip flops.

[Attorney / Questioner]

What were you wearing for clothes?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Boxers.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Boxer shorts?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Why were you wearing boxer shorts?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Because that's all I had on after we had sex.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Bounce of rocks.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I stumbled through that yard and looked for something heavier and I came across dead rocks. Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

That's what you used to wear the dam.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Well, I ultimately used the rocks, yeah.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

Katie's daughter read a statement later in court saying she saw Dr. Turk that night.

[Defense Attorney]

I woke up in the middle of

[Vanessa Pettigrew (Friend of Katie)]

the night, looked down the stairs and saw Harry Turk. I instantly knew something bad had happened.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

We made eye contact, and since then, I've been filled with a whole new

[Vanessa Pettigrew (Friend of Katie)]

level of fear I didn't know was quite possible.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

Around 4am Dr. Turk sent a text message to the neighbor, Kurt. Kurt saw the message. When he woke up later that morning, he was immediately alarmed. He wrote back what happened? No response. Kurt then reached out to Vanessa and forwarded the troubling message. Vanessa drove to the house and realized Katie's children were waking up that morning home alone. There was no sign of Katie or Dr. Turkish authorities were soon notified. The prosecution read that haunting text message out loud to start their opening statements. In Dr. Chirk's trial in 2025, he was charged with first degree murder.

[Prosecutor]

Kurt. I am sorry, brother, but she is a vindictive devil. I am really sorry, brother, but she manipulated us all. Love you, Harry.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

While on the stand at his trial, Dr. Turk testified that he was drunk and shocked after he choked his wife and threw her body into a pond. He said he then returned back to the scene of the crime, his Dover house, and retrieved his phone because he wanted to say goodbye to his friends. He put on his jeans and snatched his wallet and apparently a whiskey bottle. And then he went back to a hotel determined to die by suicide. He told the jury, according to court testimony, the knife cuts on his wrist were superficial. He was soon discovered passed out in the hotel.

[Prosecutor]

The hotel called the Dedham police and asked them to do a well being check. And when the Denham police responded to the hotel, no Katie. But they found the defendant totally unresponsive, passed out in his bed. He had scratches on his body. There was knives, there was a liquor bottle. And he was transported to Norway Hospital where he remained unresponsive for many hours. So family and friends continued to search. Law enforcement searched Indetta Dover Medfield. Her phone was pinged and it covered a wide area. So long enforcement was searching in the woods with dogs. No Katie. There was concern that she could be injured in those woods all day Friday.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

No Katie on the stand. Dr. Turk's attorney asked him if he remembered being at the hospital.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

When I woke up.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Do you remember the police coming to talk to you?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

And when you spoke to the police, what was your condition when you spoke to the police, were you awake? Were you aware? Were you tired?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I was totally hungover. I had a massive headache and I was very confused. I was shocked about the whole thing, actually. I was shocked that I woke up. I didn't want to be there. I didn't want to live.

[Attorney / Questioner]

So you spoke to the police? We heard your statement to the police. Correct?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I spoke to the police, yes.

[Attorney / Questioner]

At the time that you had the glass smashed off your head, cutting you, causing you to bleed, and you came up with your hand and grabbed her with your hand by the throat, did you intend to Cause her family kill her?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

No.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

Then came the cross examination by the prosecution.

[Defense Attorney]

Let's talk for a little while.

[Prosecutor]

About what happened in the bedroom. When you grabbed Katie's neck with one hand. You are on the floor, right? That's what you're saying?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

At the time that she struck me, I was kneeling on the floor and begging her to stop.

[Prosecutor]

I'm asking about the point in time. When you put your hand on her neck, were you still on the ground at that point in time?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I was coming up from my knee, grabbed her with one hand and used the other hand to protect my. Or to check on my bleeding? Yes. I came up from my kneeling position, reacted to the threat of being struck.

[Prosecutor]

You were standing at that point in time?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I would say it was half standing. Toward the. Standing, probably. I don't really recall all that. I was pretty drunk.

[Prosecutor]

All right, we'll talk about how drunk you were later. But I'm just trying to understand what you remember now about your position. Half standing, half kneeling. Katie was on the bed. How was she positioned?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

She was sitting on the bed edge, as far as I remember.

[Prosecutor]

And what was happening with her hands?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

She had, as far as I remember, a phone in one hand and the glass on the other hand.

[Prosecutor]

And she continued to hold the phone in the glass,

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

at what time?

[Prosecutor]

As you were strangling her, she continued to hold those items?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

No, she struck me with the glass.

[Prosecutor]

She struck me with the glass first. And then you reacted to that, Right?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Correct.

[Prosecutor]

That had already happened.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Sorry, what?

[Prosecutor]

That had already happened. So the glass wasn't in her head, in her hand?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Right, that's what I was trying to say. But you said she had her glass in the hand. That. That wasn't the case at that time anymore.

[Prosecutor]

So as you were strangling her, what was happening with her hands?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I don't know if I strangled her. I said I think I choked her.

[Prosecutor]

Are you distinguishing between choking and strangling?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

All I'm saying is that I really don't know what I exactly did because I was drunk and I was in a fight and flight reflex. So I really don't recall much extra that I really grabbed and tried to protect myself or defend myself.

[Prosecutor]

You remember putting your hand at least one hand around her neck, right?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I said I think I grabbed her.

[Prosecutor]

I'm asking what you're saying right now, not what you've said in the past. I'm asking right now.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

And I blacked out from the struck. I was assaulted at this point in time, and I reacted and I believe

[Attorney / Questioner]

I grabbed her when you black out,

[Prosecutor]

Are you saying you can't asked out?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

No. Blacking out means that I didn't really recall what I was doing. I, I, I reacted to a threat, so I snapped.

[Prosecutor]

And you said yesterday you were afraid of having to leave 29 Valley, right?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I was afraid of Katie too.

[Prosecutor]

You didn't say that yesterday because you

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

compared that to physical time. Sorry.

[Prosecutor]

Yesterday you said you weren't afraid. Afraid of 29 val, of having to.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I was afraid of Katie too, but not in the physical sense that you try to explain. But it's not about being bigger or stronger sometimes it's about who has the power. And she had all the power. After I signed everything over, I had to her and I was very afraid of her this, her intentions and her reactions. I was very afraid of Katie.

[Prosecutor]

There was a shift in your relationship, right?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

There was a massive shift in the relationship that I, that she had massive leverage over me. Yes, but I. Yes.

[Defense Attorney]

All right.

[Prosecutor]

So at the point that she hit the glass in your head, she didn't have glass in her hand anymore, right?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I don't think so. At the time when she struck me, I don't remember, or I don't recall what happened with the phone later or the glass because it was all one blurred reaction to being hit.

[Prosecutor]

Did you get on top of her?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

As far as I remember, when I came out of my blackout, she passed out very quickly. There was no fighting really, as far as I recall. But when I came back out of. What the hell happened? We were both on the floor because we kind of slid off the bed and fell on the floor.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

He was asked if it's possible that Katie put her hand on his hand in an effort to remove his hand from her neck.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

There were no defensive wounds on Katie or no defensive wounds on me, so no.

[Prosecutor]

I'm asking what you know about what happened.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Not that I recall. There was no struggle, no fight as far as I remember. I reacted to the hit. I felt threatened. I defended myself. And once I kind of recalled that, I kind of came somewhat back, but I was still very intoxicated. We were baseballs on the floor and she was unresponsive.

[Prosecutor]

Certainly you'd agree that you didn't want to be seen putting Katie's body into the pond, right?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

That wasn't a concern of mine.

[Prosecutor]

I believe that wasn't a concern of yours.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I didn't think about all that. No.

[Prosecutor]

You thought about where to put her, right?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

I was thinking about not having her farm being found in the house by her children. Yes.

[Prosecutor]

And you decided that the pond was

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

the place to put it.

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Took me a while. I was in panic. I couldn't really remember much of anything that happened, and I tried to figure out, you know, where to go.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

During cross, Dr. Chirk testified that he carried Katie's body past the bedrooms of her children. He put her in his Jeep and then drove to the pond. In the hospital, after he tried to harm himself, Dr. Turk was interviewed by police. At first he didn't admit to having done anything to Katie. He claimed he was confused and didn't remember getting into an argument. He said he didn't know where she was.

[Prosecutor]

You were completely confused when you were speaking to the police?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Well, there was a lot of confusion, a lot of shock, a lot of grief. I just went through a trauma myself. I mean, it was a very traumatic event. I just wasn't shocked.

[Prosecutor]

The event was traumatic to you?

[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

Yeah, I didn't like to cause death of another human being. I spent all my life to save lives. So I was pretty much in shock myself of what happened. Yes, I was extremely sorry and guilty and shameful about what happened. Yes. I struggled with that throughout the whole interview. That's why you see all this. I don't know. I'm sorry. I don't know. I was struggling.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

He testified that the longer the interview went on, the haze started to lift. Finally, two hours in, he confessed to grabbing Katie around the neck. Colleen Tengue, a sergeant, was with the Massachusetts State Police, was called into the investigation and headed out to the Dover house to document the scene. This is what she saw. In the kitchen were the remnants of the couple's last night together. Liquor bottles, a martini glass, a jar of olives, a spoon. There were other curious signs something nefarious had happened. Small clues. Sergeant Tangway noticed a series of small black scuff marks about 2ft apart throughout the house that seemed like they were a pattern. The wooden door frame leading into the main bedroom was damaged. The primary bed was made. On the comforter was a brownish red stain. Dr. Turk said it was Katie's period blood. A pile of sheets had toppled on the floor to the right of the bed. A broken glass lay on the footboard of the floor. A broken glass or bottle rolled underneath the nightstand. Massachusetts State Police Lt. John Fanning used the light of a flashlight to search for Katie outside. As the search for her got underway.

[Prosecutor]

And at a certain point, were you able to observe anything from the shoreline?

[Narrator / Additional Voice]

I was within a cup of two to three minutes. I could see at the time I was. It was dark Overgrown thorns, bushes, trees down. It was not any easy area to walk through. I stayed very close to the shoreline.

[Prosecutor]

And could you see whether the body was, could you see the condition of the body?

[Narrator / Additional Voice]

I moved closer to the, the closest point from the shore to the body. I could then tell from there clearly that it was a body. I could see an upper torso that was exposed. The body was face down. I could, I probably had a better description of the, the body once it came out of the water. But at that time I could see what I would describe as black pants, upper torso, dark hair, face down.

[Prosecutor]

And could you tell if the person was alive or deceased at that point?

[Narrator / Additional Voice]

Deceased.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

Katie's remains had been 15 to 20ft from shore in 3 foot deep water. She was naked from the waist up.

[Narrator / Additional Voice]

The body was approximately 15 to 20ft out, roughly in 3 or 4ft of water. And they basically bring the body back onto the shore. They had a blue tarp set out and they placed the victim face down.

[Prosecutor]

And can you describe the body at that point in time?

[Narrator / Additional Voice]

The body was again, there was nothing on the upper torso. There was no shirt on the upper torso. I noticed two large rocks and what I would describe as black yoga pants. Seemed like there was one in the front, one in the back. Once the body was turned over again, I observed what I believe to be another rock in the front of the pants. Nothing on the upper torso. Darkish hair. And then when I looked a little bit closer, I did identify the body as Katie McLean. There was debris on her body, you know, soot from the pond, dirt, dust. Her body was, I would say, well preserved. And it would, it just had pruning as if you were in a bathtub for too long and you get pruned skin. That's how I would describe her, the condition of her body. I started searching around the area. Not too far from from where I saw the body, I found a black. At the time it looked like a black shirt. It was kind of hooked on a tree that had fallen down, kind of got caught on maybe like what was a branch at one time. So I made sure that we documented that when crime scenes showed up, they documented the shirt. Eventually once we removed it, we realized it was a black tank top, tie tank top style shirt.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

Later, Katie's older sister Beth recalled seeing her sister's body.

[Katie McLean's Sister (Beth)]

I had to go see my sister's body before the kids. After an autopsy and two days in a dirty pond, my beautiful sister did not look beautiful. I had to clean dirty black pond mud from under her nails. I Had to put lipstick and jewelry on her. I had to fix her hair. I put her in a bright lily Pulitzer dress because that's who she was. She was bright and she was happy. I tried to make her look like mom for the last time that the kids would see her.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

Kathleen McLean was 45 years old.

[Katie McLean's Sister (Beth)]

Everything she did in her life centered around her three babies. All of her life work was dedicated to caring for people who needed to be healed or taken care of. She was kind. She was gentle. She studied occupational therapy. She drove cancer patients to treatments who didn't have family. She did toy drives at Christmas. She volunteered at food pantries. She worked for years as a preschool teacher and always called the school her happy place with all the littles. She was a godmother to my children. She was a eucharistic minister with the church. She was the room parent, the library mother, the Girl Scout troop leader, a Reiki practitioner. And she was my only relief in caring for our mother who was dying from Alzheimer's.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

According to the defense, there was evidence that Dr. Turk's account of what happened was true. Experts agreed that Katie had been strangled. Her eyes had burst blood vessels, which showed that a force caused increased pressure, causing them to burst. It was a clue, leading the medical examiner, Dr. Michelle Matthews, to cite strangulation as the cause of death. There were also hemorrhages in the neck muscles on the front of Katie's neck. It just showed that there was a great amount of force on both sides of her neck, Dr. Matthews testified. But even though Dr. Turk admitted to choking and killing Katie and dumping her body in the lake to hide her remains, his defense insisted he was innocent.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Dr. Lapisada's testimony. There is no bruising about the head or the face. There's no bruising anywhere actually, other than the neck. Bilateral. Bilateral, not circumferential. Not grabbing with two hands. Dr. Lapa said clearly, unequivocally states bilateral grab from a very, very powerful man with huge hands. Okay, bilateral rep. Reacting. Both of them drunk. She dies. He knows. Is that premeditated? Is that cruelty in the triassy? A matter of seconds. Dr. Lapisada state seconds. I suggest to you that he reacted. He was drunk. He reacted to the assault. He defended himself. He did not use excessive force. He reacted to stop the assault. Any one of you or anybody is entitled to defend themselves.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

He said. What happened is not murder.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Is this a killing that occurred in hot flood heat of passion on sudden adequate provocation? Isn't that all over the place? They have a Burden of prove to you beyond a reasonable doubt that he did not act. Unreasonable provocation. Did not act in a heap of passion. Did not act because of the emotion of the assault. Did not have the ability to form intent at the time. There's no intent to kill. There's an intent for self preservation. You heard Dr. Zyzol talk about fight or flight. You heard Dr. Zeisel talk as a psychologist about pretty fairly standard psychological principles that all of us have. That little hypothalamus or whatever it is, that thing in your brain. Tunnel vision. You do stupid things afterwards because you're nervous. It's the overwhelming fear, the overwhelming fright that eclipses your ability to think straight. That's what the pond is about. The pond has nothing to do with the circumstances of the killing. The killing occurred. She smashed the glass after she told him to get the out. Get out of my house. And the deed was recorded that day. And he moved in that night. That day. One night. One night. This is not a murder. You bring your common sense, you bring your life experience to that jury room. You look at all this evidence.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

Dr. Turk's attorney, Kevin Reddington, portrayed Dr. Turk as a sympathetic figure. He called him a gentleman who loved and respected Katie. He had gone through a lot. He was essentially homeless during the pandemic, desperate and scared. Then he was conned by a post nuptial agreement pushed by Katie.

[Attorney / Questioner]

And it's not easy to.

[Narrator / Additional Voice]

To.

[Attorney / Questioner]

To talk about people. I mean, the woman is dead. As an attorney, I. You know, I'm not stupid. I know you don't, as we say, trash the victim. I know that. But it's the facts of the case.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

Reddington described Katie as obsessed with sex and ruthless in her goals to get what she wanted.

[Attorney / Questioner]

During this period of time, he's thinking that they're going to reconcile. But right up to the very end of that period of time, she's not in a mindset that she wants to buy herself. She's more interested in talking to guys and doing whatever she's doing with curtains. You heard the evidence. What do you think was in her mind? You think she really wanted to reconcile? No, she wanted the deed. She wanted the house. She wanted the security. We can say security. She wanted the security. This fool signs a deed against his lawyer's advice. He says to him, don't sign the deed, don't sign the postnut. What are you, Nazi? There is no basis for alimony of a five week marriage. You've been played. But he signs the deed. He signs the postnut. And interestingly enough, the round spot of blood on the bed that is hers. Yes. You have a text where she indicated on May 6 that in fact she's telling him, I'm on my period, so you can't have sex. We're talking a week later they had sex. You heard the DNA person talk. Yeah, that was her DNA and three other contributors.

[Defense Attorney]

My God.

[Attorney / Questioner]

Three other contributors. Ystr profile, male profile in that spot in his bed, in his bedroom.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

Then prosecutor Lisa Beatty gave her closing arguments.

[Defense Attorney]

On May 15, 2020, Katie McLean took her last breath with the defendant's hands wrapped around her neck, squeezing the life out of her. He took her lifeless body past her children's bedrooms, down the stairs, placed her into the car, and drove her to a home that she and the defendant had once looked at to buy for their families. He took her body through a dark wooded area with thick brush and trees and placed two large rocks in her leggings. And then he discarded her in that pond like a piece of trash. The defense suggests that the defendant killed Katie in the heat of passion or in self defense. He was under extreme stress from the pandemic, had just placed her name on the deed of the house and snapped that night when she threatened to make him leave again. He also suggests that because Katie had texted with friends about her relationship with her husband and because she wanted stability for her children, that she just wanted his house and his money and never really wanted to reconcile. And that, coupled with the fear of being kicked out of his own home during the pandemic, is what led him to snap. Ladies and gentlemen, I suggest that it's not heat of passion. It is not self defense. It is motive to kill. And the defendant's text to Kurt Bannon Steele after the murder is further evidence that the defendant did not snap and kill Katie and then instantly regret it like he wants you to believe. That text shows his constant and enduring belief that Katie was a vindictive devil. And it shows his motive to kill her, to get rid of her so that he would not have to go through another divorce and he would not lose his house again.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

She said it was his house and his money, and he wasn't going to give those things up.

[Defense Attorney]

As we heard numerous times throughout this trial, it was his house and it was his money, and he was not going to give those things up. In those moments, the defendant was not overcome with emotion or fear or panic. He was angry, and he wanted to make sure that Katie was not going to get his house. And the only way that would happen now that the deed was signed was if she was dead and so he killed her. I would point you to the evidence in the bedroom. The shattered glass all over the floor. Katie's blood on that bed in two different spots. The photographs of the scrape on the defendant's head coupled with his medical records that documented it simply as an abrasion. The lack of red brown stains on any piece of glass that was photographed in that bedroom and the small cuts on the defendant's hands by his thumb and index fingers. With the evidence of the defendant's DNA under Katie's fingernails. This evidence is not consistent with a single blow from a glass and a quick grab to the neck that caused death. I would suggest to you what this evidence is consistent with is a violent struggle. A violent struggle as Katie fought for her life in that bedroom. And the extensive injuries to Katie's head and neck described by Dr. Matthews are just further evidence of that violent struggle for Katie's life that occurred inside that bedroom on May 15.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

She said the defense suggests that this was an impulsive knee jerk reaction.

[Defense Attorney]

Dr. Zyzel testified that people in highly dangerous situations can have a fight or flight response and can act without thinking. He gave examples of hurricanes, mass shootings and being attacked. But he also agreed in that those situations you do not lose your free will and you do not lose the ability to make a choice. The defendant, who I suggest appeared methodical and detail oriented, testified that he was down on his knees begging Katie to stop as she was yelling at him and then hit him with the glass. He testified that he snapped and blacked out. But he did remember that he grabbed her by one hand on the neck. He described her flailing and then they both fell to the ground. And he told you that when he came out of his blacked out state, he saw she was non responsive. So he put her on the bed and started cpr. But it didn't work. I would remind you that in his original statement to the police on May 16, 2020, he did not tell them he was on his knees. He did not tell them that he only grabbed her with one hand and he did not tell them that he tried to perform cp. In his testimony yesterday, he also told you that he panicked and wanted to move Katie's body so that her children would not find her. I would suggest that the defendant took the methodical and detail detail oriented steps to dispose of Katie's body in an effort to save himself, not her children.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

She said Dr. Turk is a renowned surgeon who is trained to react under pressure and who has training on human anatomy.

[Defense Attorney]

But as he said in his original statement to the police, he admitted he did not try to resuscitate Katie and he did not call 91 1. Instead, he removed her body from the house. He weighed her down with two large rocks, and he sunk her body in a murky pond. Ladies and gentlemen, I would submit to you that all of that is deliberate premeditation. The second theory of first degree murder that you must consider is extreme atrocity and cruelty. As with deliberate premeditation, we know the defendant killed Katie. And when considering the second element, his intent, again, remember, the defendant has substantial medical training as a doctor. I would suggest that any reasonable person would know that cutting off someone's air or blood supply could result in death. The defendant, with his significant medical training, would have known that wrapping his hands around Katie's neck and continuing to squeeze as she was fighting him would reasonably cause her death. And during his testimony, he acknowledged that the third element, that the killing was done with extreme atrocity and cruelty. When thinking about this element, I want you to remember the defendant's testimony. Testimony. I mean the defendant's statements during his interview as well as Dr. Matthews testimony. I would suggest that the defendant continued to strangle Katie while she was fighting. Shows his indifference to her suffering. Think about the testimony of Dr. Matthews and the extensive injuries that she detailed. The petechia in Katie's eyes, the external injuries to her neck, the internal injuries to her head and her neck and her broken hyoid bone. Remember where Dr. Matthews said the hyoid bone was placed within the neck muscles? And the fact that Katie's hyoid bone was fractured and the hemorrhages in her neck were four layers deep. Dr. Matthews agreed that it would take significant force for those injuries to occur and that all of Katie's injuries occurred before her death.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

The prosecutor asked the jury to convict Dr. Turk of first degree murder. Six hours later, a verdict. Dr. Turk was not guilty of first degree murder. Instead, he was convicted on a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. At the sentencing hearing, the prosecutor read a victim impact statement written by Katie's son.

[Prosecutor]

I stopped getting the chance to be a kid when she died. It's hard to have a childhood when you can't sleep. You're crying all the time and just everything feels like a lot. And you have no mom to tell you. Don't worry. It will be okay. I couldn't protect my mom from Harry. I think about that every day. Harry picked on anyone smaller and weaker than him. Now that I've grown, I've also realized the true devastation of what happened and what he did to my mother and who who Harry is. Justice was not done. The portrayal of my mother was false, inaccurate, and having to witness it was devastating.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

After Katie died, her older sister stepped in to help raise her three children.

[Katie McLean's Sister (Beth)]

I've now needed to make room for three more children in my home. I stepped into the mom role, celebrated birthdays, graduations, proms, driver's licenses, as well as countless sleepless nights, endless tears, chronic fear and ptsd. So many moments lost to her children forever, with a lifetime of lost moments and memories to come. I miss Katie every moment I am with her three children. I try to hug them like mom would, trying to comfort them, give them advice like mom would, knowing it's not the same. I am not Katie. I'm not Mom. I pray to God that Harry stays in jail the remainder of his life, that he receives the maximum that can be awarded. There is no justice here because there is no truth here. This truly is the deed of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I'll continue to protect and guide Katie's children as she would and remember her like she was, full of love and light.

[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

According to state law, voluntary manslaughter can carry a sentence of up to 20 years. Dr. Turk's attorneys asked for eight to 10. Prosecutors argued for more, citing Dr. Turk's behavior afterwards, acknowledging the case was truly disturbing. Norfolk Superior Court Judge Mark Halal said he chose the punishment after considering Dr. Turk's prestigious career and his lack of a criminal record, as well as the victim's impact statements. He then said sentenced Dr. Turk to 12 to 16 years in state prison with credit for time served. Dr. Turk had been held in custody for nearly five years at that point. He is currently 63 years old, which means he will be released when he's in his 70s. And that's all for this episode. This episode was researched and written by Gabrielle Roussen. To listen to these episodes without the ads and hear additional Court Junkie bonus episodes, you can check out my patreon options@court junkie.com support. Thanks again for listening. Until next time,

[Attorney / Questioner]

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[Dr. Ingolf Turk (Defendant)]

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[Narrator / Additional Voice]

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[Narrator / Court Junkie Host (Jillian)]

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