Jury to decide Heather Turner’s manner of death in 2027

PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. - The Paulding County coroner has called for a coroner's inquest into the 2017 death of Heather Turner to bring clarity to the long-disputed case.

Paulding County death investigation

What we know:

Paulding County Coroner Lindsey Eberhart Fuller held a news conference on Thursday to discuss her decision to review the 2017 death of Heather Turner and announce details regarding an upcoming coroner's inquest.

Turner's husband, Andy Turner, found her inside the couple's Paulding County home on May 4, 2017, with a gunshot wound to the head. The case remained unresolved for years before the Paulding County Sheriff's Office announced in February that investigators had closed their investigation and determined Turner's death was a suicide.

Despite that conclusion, Fuller has said she is not prepared to support changing Turner's death certificate from undetermined to suicide.

"Heather Turner was more than how she died. She was not a headline. She was not a case file. She was not a case to close. She was a person," Fuller said during Thursday's press conference.

To resolve the matter, Fuller announced that the inquest is set for January 2027 in the jury assembly room at the Paulding County Courthouse, noting she blocked off significant time to ensure jurors are not rushed. 

Five jurors and one alternate will be selected through the court system to evaluate case materials, examine evidence, and hear sworn testimony. 

Emphasizing the importance of an impartial process, Fuller stated that she has no predetermined outcome, does not assume a specific manner of death, and will accept and follow whatever verdict the jury returns. 

"I was not entrusted with this office to borrow someone else's judgment. I was entrusted with it to exercise my own responsibility," Fuller added regarding her decision to convene the jury. "That is not a criticism of another agency. It is an acknowledgment that each of us has different responsibilities within the death investigation process, and I am accountable for mine." 

Family reacts

What they're saying:

"For nearly a decade Heather Turner's death has been discussed publicly, analyzed in pieces and viewed through competing opinions," Fuller said.

"The sheriff's office still stands by our original decision. If there was someone to arrest it would have happened long before now," said Jordan Yuodis with the Paulding County Sheriff's Office.

Fuller noted the inquest is not a criticism of any agency, stating, "I can't promise closure to Heather's family. What I can promise is clarity through a fair and lawful process."

Heather Turner's family supports the decision, stating, "Our family will continue seeking the truth, not out of anger, but out of love for Heather."

Why the coroner is taking another look

The backstory:

Fuller was among the officials who responded to the Turner home in 2017.

Her initial observations included questions about a missing bullet and an area of a wall that appeared to have been washed. An autopsy later located the projectile.

The medical examiner initially classified Turner's manner of death as undetermined but later changed that determination to suicide following a meeting in January.

Timeline: The death of Heather Turner and the investigation

Fuller has said she was not included in key meetings surrounding that change and argued that later forensic findings do not erase observations made when the death was first investigated.

"Based on the information reviewed to date, I am not prepared to initiate or support an amendment of Heather Turner's death certificate from undetermined to suicide," Fuller previously said.

Sheriff's office closed its investigation

Local perspective:

The Paulding County Sheriff's Office announced Feb. 20 that it had closed its investigation after reviewing the case with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, medical examiners and local prosecutors.

Investigators publicly presented evidence supporting their conclusion that Turner died by suicide, including portions of the original coroner's report.

But the disagreement over Turner's official manner of death did not end there.

About two weeks ago, Fuller announced she would convene a coroner's inquest, creating a formal process for another review of the evidence.

What is a coroner's inquest?

Dig deeper:

A coroner's inquest is not a criminal trial and does not determine whether someone should be prosecuted.

Instead, a civil jury hears sworn testimony, examines evidence and reaches its own determination about the manner and circumstances surrounding a person's death.

"A coroner's inquest is not a criminal prosecution and is not conducted to accuse, indict, establish guilt, or imply the criminal responsibility of any person," Fuller previously said. "Its purpose is to allow an inquest jury to hear sworn testimony, consider the relevant evidence, and determine the manner and circumstances of Heather Turner's death."

Under Georgia law, a coroner's inquest can not be legally impaneled until the official law enforcement investigation has formally completed and closed. Once closed in February, Fuller exercised her discretion to call the inquest.

The sheriff's office has said it will cooperate with the coroner as the process moves forward.

Previous stories

• Forensics vs. rumors: Inside the final ruling of the Heather Turner cold case
• Heather Turner 2017 death: Paulding County DA promises future updates

What we don't know:

It's unclear the exact day, in January 2027, the inquest will happen and when it will conclude. Fuller stressed that this was a complex case that has gone on for nine years, and that there were a lot of pieces of information with the case for the jury to review.

The full witness list or specific evidence that will be submitted to the jury is unknown, as Fuller declined to preview specific evidence to protect the integrity of the upcoming proceeding. 

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