In the early morning hours of May 4, 2017, Heather Turner was found dead inside her Georgia home from a gunshot wound to the head. Her husband said he heard a gunshot coming from the bathroom, and investigators found a gun, a handwritten note and evidence that initially raised questions about what had happened behind that closed door. What happened to Heather Turner?
Heather was born on June 20, 1981 in Douglasville, GA. Her parents were Billy and Vickie Milam. Vicki predeceased Heather.
In 2000, when she was around 19, Heather married a man named Philip Elsner. Their marriage became troubled and they sought counseling through their church- . Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Dallas, Georgia
Some reports say that the church is where Heather met Andy Turner. Andy is said to have worked as a youth pastor. His father is Reverend Curtis Turner who is a minister in Dallas, Georgia. Andy joined the church around 2004. According to the Crime Salad podcast, Andy was married to another woman at this time and he and his wife had two children together. Crime Salad also say that Heather and Philip had a child together – a son. We are unable to corroborate that and have no other info.
You can listen to the Crime Salad podcast here:
Heather and Andy would end up getting together. The relationship went public around 2008 and they both divorced their respective spouses. According to Heather’s obituary, she had four children – Austin, Kaedon, Bronson and Alexis. All of them are listed as having the last name Turner.
Heather was working at the time of her death as a Deputy Clerk at the Paulding County Probate Office.
There is a photo circulating online of what appears to be a mugshot of Andy. We tried to find information about any criminal history:
A Georgia court-record index shows a family-violence case involving “ELSNER, PHILLIP E VS TURNER, ANDY D.” filed in Paulding County on September 9, 2009. The case is categorized as a Family Violence matter and ultimately shows as dismissed. This seems to be something involving Heather’s first husband and Andy.
According to Fox5 Atlanta, Andy Turner’s arrest record includes a 2011 arrest for filing a false report of a crime and a 2018 arrest for violation of a family violence order.
Andy has described their relationship as being normal. He did say that Heather may have been concerned in May 2017 about losing her job. According to Crime Salad, Heather had confided in a co-worker named Rob about problems in her marriage. “He told me he would bury me before he signed divorce papers.”
Heather told Rob that Andy was trying to get her fired. Rob would later say that Andy had gone to the courthouse where Heather worked and attempted to speak with a judge about having her terminated. He was said to have been escorted from the property.
Heather apparently spoke with the probate judge on May 3, 2017 (the day before she died). She told the judge she was concerned about Andy coming to the courthouse and told another coworker that she did not want to make a police report because it would anger Andy.
A police report in the case has been released. Andy said that on the night of May 3, going into May 4, he and Heather had ‘husband and wife’ time and that everything seemed normal.
On Thursday May 4, 2017, Heather appeared to set her alarm as usual and begin prepping for her day. Andy said she was an early riser. “She typically gets out of bed sets her alarm around 5:30 [a.m.] to 5:45 [a.m.]”
Heather apparently kissed Andy and said good morning, got out of bed and went into the bathroom. Andy said he heard the shower running.
Around 5:30 a.m according to Andy’s account, he heard a gunshot coming from the bathroom.
Andy said he ran into the bathroom and found Heather lying on the floor with a gunshot wound to the head. She was naked and her hair was wet from the shower.
A .38-caliber revolver was recovered at the scene. A handwritten note reading “I’m sorry. I love you” was also found.
Despite hearing the gunshot at around 5.30am, Andy did not call 911 until around 6am. He told the dispatcher that Heather had shot herself.
Officers arrived at the home at 6.13am and EMS arrived at 6.15am.
You can listen to the 911 call here:
At 6.57am, Heather was pronounced dead by Paulding County Coroner Lindsey Eberhart. Her body was transported to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for autopsy.
The coroner’s documentation describes the gunshot wound and notes that a bullet was not recovered at that time – it was later found during Heather’s autopsy. It also reportedly noted an area of the bathroom wall near the toilet that appeared to have been cleaned.
A few days after Heather’s death, on May 11, 2017, the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the GBI.
According to Fox, investigators began what would become one of the county’s highest-profile death investigations.
Rather than being classed as suicide, Heather’s manner of death remained undetermined for years after her death.
In U.S. death investigations, there are generally five recognized manners of death:
Natural — Death results solely from disease or a medical condition.
Example: someone dies from a heart attack caused by severe coronary artery disease.
Accident — Death results from an unintended injury or event.
Example: a fatal fall, accidental overdose, or unintentional firearm discharge.
Suicide — A person intentionally causes their own death.
Example: an intentional self-inflicted gunshot.
Homicide — Death results from the actions of another person. It does not necessarily mean murder in the legal sense. A coroner can classify a death as homicide without anyone being criminally charged.
Undetermined — There isn’t enough reliable evidence to establish which of the other manners applies, or the evidence supports more than one reasonable possibility.
Andy employed a babysitter named Christy Chupp to help with the children. Some reports describe Christy as his nanny/girlfriend and it is inferred that she started her relationship with Andy within weeks of Heather’s death. Their relationship was initially described as good but Christy alleges that Andy became increasingly controlling and violent towards her. She alleges that he pulled her hair and twisted her arm.
According to Crime Online, Christy said Andy bent her fingernails so far backward that her acrylic nails were ripped off. She also alleges that the physical abuse escalated to choking and a black eye.
She also accused Andy of sexually assaulting and raping her.
Andy allegedly told her to take off her underwear, despite her saying no. She also alleged that during intercourse he told her to hold Heather’s ashes, saying this would allow him to be having sex with both women.
Christy left and returned to the relationship multiple times. She said she did so after Andy promised to change. She ultimately ended the relationship and was granted a permanent restraining order against Andy in September 2018.
Andy denied all of the allegations and said they were absurd. He questioned why Christy had not immediately contacted police after the alleged assault. Christy said that she was frightened and caught in the trap of an abusive relationship.
In 2019, the case was transferred to the Paulding County District Attorney’s Office, where it seemingly grew cold.
In 2022, the then-Paulding County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ashley Henson told reporters investigators would like to conduct a formal interview with Andy, saying one had not yet occurred.
Andy said he could not discuss the case because he was under contract for a book and movie project. He denied any involvement in his wife’s death.
That same year, Heather’s story was featured in a documentary titled It Couldn’t Happen Here.
Heather Turner was found shot in her bathroom. Officials open an investigation to determine suicide or murder. The case remains open and family is left with many questions.
Producers filed FOIA requests for police reports in the case but were denied due to it still being classed as open.
In 2023, Andy published a book.
I bet you’ve heard it said a thousand times, and it sounds something like this, “Social Media is a weapon, used to bully, spread rumors, and give a false perception of reality.” But how many of us hear what is being said but continue to feed into the lies of those hidden deep behind a keyboard?
No one truly understands the aftermath of tragedy until they have experienced it firsthand. However, this truth doesn’t seem to shake those that rely on social media to know how they feel about publicly made, heinous accusations. Without hearing from those with first-hand experience, those with a platform weaponize their right to free speech in order to slander those they uneducatedly turn against and crush anyone brave enough to oppose them.
After six years of suppression and censorship, Andy Turner, husband of the late Heather Turner, is breaking his silence. For the first time, Andy will speak about his beloved wife’s suicide in a book that begins with a small-town boy fighting his way out of poverty. It will show the story of a tumultuous first marriage, the lasting effects of abuse that would go uncorrected by a failing court system, and a secret life that would be uncovered by officials looking for answers.
After Heather’s death, controversy about the legitimacy of her marriage to Andy was made public. A marriage certificate dated 2014 named Heather and Andy as being married. A local pastor was listed as the officiant. Andy’s grandmother passed away in 2014 and Andy and Heather were listed as husband and wife in her obituary.
According to Crime Salad, that pastor said he did not marry Heather and Andy. He claimed his signature had been forged on the documents. Heather’s friends and a coworker also came forward and alleged that Heather told them she had never agreed to marry Andy.
In 2024, District Attorney Robert Lane and Sheriff-elect Ashley Henson publicly discussed prioritizing the investigation. On January 1, 2025, Ashley became the Paulding County Sheriff and ordered that Heather’s case be prioritized.
After almost 8 years, things seemed to be moving in Heather’s case. In February 2024, her father met with the DA, the Sheriff and investigators.
Law enforcement met with some members of Heather’s family in March 2025. They answered more than 200 questions about the case.
In June 2025, the DA said another meeting with the family would take place after outstanding forensic testing is completed.
In February 2026, after almost nine years, the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office announced that Heather’s death had officially been ruled a suicide and the case would be closed.
Investigators say the renewed forensic review included:
DNA on the trigger guard: investigators said Heather’s DNA was the only DNA recovered there.
Gunshot residue: investigators said Heather tested positive for gunshot residue while Andy tested negative.
Handwriting: investigators said forensic analysis confirmed the handwritten note belonged to Heather.
Ballistics and blood evidence: investigators said the physical evidence was consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot.
Sheriff Ashley Henson ultimately stated that “Heather’s death has been ruled a suicide” and announced the case was closed.
Immediately after the Sheriff made her announcement, Paulding County Coroner Lindsey Eberhart Fuller said she had not been formally presented with the evidence used to reach the new conclusion.
The coroner requested the complete investigative, medical and forensic record before deciding whether to amend the death certificate. She also said she would determine whether an inquest was warranted under Georgia law.
In July 2026, the coroner announced that she intends to carry out an inquest into Heather’s death.
“During the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office press conference concerning the death of Heather Turner, the Sheriff’s Office announced the closure of its investigation and publicly presented Heather Turner’s death as a suicide,” Coroner Fuller said. “Portions of my coroner’s report were displayed, marked through, and characterized as inaccurate. That requires clarification.”
“A coroner’s initial investigative report documents the observations and information available under the conditions present at the scene,” Fuller said. “It is not an autopsy report, laboratory analysis, or final forensic conclusion. To characterize it as such does not accurately reflect either its purpose or its limitations.”
“At the scene, I documented the apparent location of the entrance wound and the possibility of an exit wound based on what could be observed at that time,” Fuller said. “The autopsy later provided the controlled forensic examination necessary to identify the wounds and determine the projectile path.”
Coroner Fuller said the subsequent autopsy findings did not mean her preliminary observations were false or improperly documented.
“That later determination does not make the scene report false, misleading, or improper,” Fuller said. “Later forensic findings do not invalidate preliminary scene observations. They reflect the normal progression of a death investigation from the scene to a full forensic examination.”
“I also documented that no projectile had been recovered at the scene because none had been recovered at that time,” Fuller said. “The projectile was later located during the autopsy. I further documented that a portion of the wall appeared to have been washed because that is what I observed.”
“Not every death investigated by a coroner requires an autopsy,” Fuller said. “In this case, however, I determined that further forensic examination was necessary. I reported Heather Turner’s death to the medical examiner and requested that an autopsy be performed rather than authorizing the release of her remains without that examination.”
Coroner Fuller said she did not pursue an inquest while the sheriff’s office investigation remained active because she did not want to interfere with it. She began considering an inquest after the sheriff’s office formally closed the case.
“I did not pursue an inquest while the law enforcement investigation remained active because I did not want to interfere with an ongoing death investigation,” Fuller said. “When the Sheriff’s Office officially closed its investigation for the first time, I was then able to consider whether the final formal option available to me as Coroner, a Coroner’s Inquest, was warranted.”
On August 13, 2026, Coroner Eberhart announced that the inquest will be held in January 2027.
Eberhart told CBS News Atlanta in a phone interview Thursday that she has spent about five months conducting her own independent review of the case.
She said she was not included in the meeting involving the sheriff and district attorney when officials reached their conclusion about Turner’s manner of death. Eberhart said she did not know the meeting was taking place and therefore could not endorse a conclusion she had not independently reached.
“The only way that I know I did the right thing for Heather Turner is to do this,” Eberhart told CBS News Atlanta. “And this might not be popular opinion that I am doing this, but my obligation. And at the end of the day I need to do my job.”
“We need to take the focus back to Heather Turner,” Eberhart told CBS News Atlanta. “This is a real person, and I want to be confident in my conclusions.”
Five jurors will hear the case, with an additional alternate juror. The jurors will be summoned through the regular jury process.
The proceeding is civil and will determine Turner’s manner of death — not whether anyone is criminally responsible for it.
Eberhart will preside over the inquest, question witnesses and ultimately charge the jury with deliberating.
Unlike a criminal jury, the five jurors will not need to reach a unanimous decision. A simple majority will determine the outcome.
Whatever they decide, Eberhart said she will accept it.
At that point, she plans to amend Turner’s death certificate to reflect the jury’s determination.
Andy Turner released this statement on Friday August 14.
“Our family is deeply disappointed in Lindsey Eberhart Fuller—not only because of her decision to pursue this inquest, but because of the continued incompetence she has demonstrated in carrying out the responsibilities of the office to which she was elected.
“Her initial report contained crucial mistakes that had serious consequences. Those mistakes fueled social-media speculation and resulted in brutal bullying directed toward our family. When the findings of a medical doctor, the GBI, the special task force, the Sheriff’s Department, and other trained professionals contradicted her conclusions, instead of accepting the findings of the experts who actually have the training and expertise to investigate these matters, she chose to challenge them.
“That is deeply concerning.
“The larger problem is with the position itself. In our state, someone can have virtually no medical, forensic, or investigative qualifications and still be elected coroner. That should not be acceptable. The coroner’s office carries enormous responsibility, and there should be minimum qualifications, education, certification, and ongoing training required before someone is entrusted with making findings that can have life-changing consequences for families.
“In our case, we witnessed what we believe was a shocking lack of basic competency. The coroner did not initially identify which side of the head contained the entrance wound—something that should be fundamental to properly documenting a death scene. She also failed to recognize the stippling on the wall when she first entered the home. Had she properly examined the surrounding scene and recognized the same evidence elsewhere in the house, some of the statements and conclusions that followed could have been avoided.
“This is not simply about someone making an honest mistake. The problem is what happened after those mistakes were identified.
“Her stated position is that it is her duty to report what she saw and allow the experts to conduct the investigation. We agree that experts should investigate. And they did. Medical professionals, forensic experts, detectives, the GBI, the special task force, and the Sheriff’s Department have all conducted their work and reached findings that contradict the conclusions initially presented by the coroner.
“At some point, an elected official has to recognize when the professionals with the appropriate training and expertise have established that their original conclusions were wrong.
“Instead, we believe this has continued because the coroner was publicly challenged about the accuracy of her work and is unwilling to accept that she made serious mistakes. The continued pursuit of this matter has created additional attention, expense, and turmoil for a family that has already endured more than anyone should have to endure.
“Meanwhile, our family has had to deal with the consequences of social-media attention, including bullying, death threats, vandalism, property damage, and genuine concerns for our safety.
“That is not something we take lightly.
“When an elected official’s actions and public statements contribute to an environment in which a grieving family becomes the target of harassment and threats, there must be accountability. The office cannot become about defending one’s reputation or proving a point. It has to be about getting the facts right and doing what is best for the families involved.
“This entire situation has exposed a serious problem that goes far beyond one individual.
“The office of coroner needs stronger regulations and meaningful qualifications.
“We should not have a system where someone can be elected coroner without the education, medical knowledge, forensic training, and investigative competency necessary to perform this job properly. The consequences of incompetence in this position are far too serious.
“A coroner should not have to learn the fundamentals of death-scene investigation after being elected to the position. The public deserves better. Families deserve better. And our county deserves a coroner who is properly qualified to do the job.
“Our family is not asking for special treatment. We are asking for accountability, competence, and reform.
“Because when incompetence in an elected office can contribute to misinformation, public harassment, threats, and additional trauma for an already devastated family, the system itself needs to change.
“In conclusion, this boils down to the self-absorption she is gaining from social media for personal and political gain at the expense of our family.
“Our last concern for the inquest is , with all the media it’s impossible to find any jury member here who hasn’t heard the negative comments generated due to the errors caused in the initial report, this inquest should be moved far from here.”
SOURCE LIST
https://www.solvethecase.org/case/2017-6/heather-turner
https://andydonovanturner.wixsite.com/habak-co/team
https://legalclarity.org/andy-turner-dallas-ga-the-heather-turner-death-case
https://www.liteseyfh.com/obituary/4217477
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/timeline-death-heather-turner-investigation
https://www.facebook.com/JusticeForHeatherNicoleTurner
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/coroner-discuss-new-review-heather-turners-2017-death