In 2019, Kelsey Turner’s son, Silas, who was just four years old, had no idea what had happened to his mother, a former Playboy model.
In the 20/20 ABC ‘A Model Murder‘ encore, a single mother, Kelsey Turner, had difficulty making ends meet when she met Dr. Thomas Burchard, a respected child psychologist on Hulu.
Highlights
- 31 Kelsey Turner found text messages between Dr Thomas Burchard and her mother about taking her son, Silas, away.
- When Turner was taken in custody, authorities placed Silas in the Mary Graham Children’s Home.
- Dr. Burchard’s fiancée Judy Earp said on Snapped that Turner often requested money for her son’s medicine.
He began helping her out with money for rent and insurance, but she soon started taking advantage of his generosity.
Once, Dr. Burchard visited the mother of Silas and Kiley, Kelsey Turner, who rented a four-bedroom home on Puritan Ave, which she shared with her four-year-old son.
That time, Turner took her son to a friend’s place and asked Burchard to give her space.
Burchard went to wait in the child’s room on the second floor. Then, the situation got out of hand when Dr. Burchard decided to stop giving her money.
After taking the life of the doctor, Turner, her son, and her boyfriend, Jon Kennison, then spent a night at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.
When they returned to the Puritan Avenue house, reportedly pregnant Turner called a cleaning service and told them a party had gotten out of hand.
But Diana Peña, one of the roommates, disagreed with the plan and tried to help Dr. Burchard by getting him to the hospital after he was attacked.
Kelsey Turner Didn’t Want Her Only Son, Silas, To Be Taken By Dr. Thomas Burchard And His Mother
The roommate, Peña explained that Dr. Burchard was struggling with his feelings and felt Kelsey Turner needed much help.
Although he cared about her, he was troubled by her d*ug and alcohol a*use.
Speaking with @ChrisConnelly, Diana Peña details what happened when Thomas Burchard was murdered by her housemates Kelsey Turner and Jon Logan Kennison in the garage of the Las Vegas house they shared. | Watch 20/20's 'A Model Murder' encore at 9/8c on @ABC. pic.twitter.com/7inwmL3PNi
— 20/20 (@ABC2020) August 30, 2024
Once, during a car ride, Turner found text messages between Burchard and her mother about taking her child away. This made Turner very angry.
She started kicking and hitting Burchard and yelled at him, feeling deeply betrayed.
On March 21, 2019, Kelsey Turner was arr*sted in Stockton, California.
Turner’s four-year-old son, Silas, was present at the time.
Authorities placed him in the Mary Graham Children’s Home, a facility for children in the custody of the police or social workers.
Judy Earp Didn’t Believe If Kelsey Turner Wanted Financial Help For Her Child
On April 5, 2019, warrants were issued for Jon Kennison and Diana Peña for their alleged involvement in the homicide.
Even Judy Earp, Dr. Burchard’s fiancée, mentioned on Snapped that Turner frequently asked for money, claiming it was for things like medicine for her son.
Kelsey Turner seemed made for Las Vegas: an Instagram model with a Playboy past. But her seemingly glamorous lifestyle would come quickly crashing down…
— 20/20 (@ABC2020) August 28, 2024
Watch our full 20/20 'A Model Murder' encore – Friday at 9/8c on @ABC. Stream on @hulu S45, E21. https://t.co/ZGewROXCaQ pic.twitter.com/2ujR7yyNWe
She warned Burchard that the situation was troubling and advised him to leave. He agreed and said he would tell Turner.
When Turner decided to move to Las Vegas with her four-year-old son at the end of 2018, Burchard covered her moving expenses.
According to Earp, despite her threats, Turner managed to gain Burchard’s sympathy.
After moving, Turner claimed she was too ill to work or care for her son, the only child she had custody of.
Wanting to verify her situation, Burchard decided to fly to Vegas.
Earp remembers warning him over the phone after his plane landed, telling him not to stay.
Additional Information
- Dr. Thomas Burchard was a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Behavioral Health Center in Monterey, CA.
- Now, his 9-year-old son, Silas, is under the care of Kelsey’s mother, Samantha Dawn Vaughn. Kelsey Turner is at the Florence McClure Women’s Correctional Center in Nevada.
- Kelsey Turner hasn’t clarified the identity of the baby’s father of her child, though many speculated to be either Dr Thomas or Jon Kennison.
