GUILTY MA - Kathleen McLean, 45, murdered, Dover, 14 May 2020 *doctor/husband arrested*

He was very, VERY grateful to get off the stand.
Goodness, this defense attorney is going hard at the ex-husband, too. What is the point?
IMO.
Dude. Seriously. What is the point of all this. Last week was very victim shaming I thought and carried over to today. Completely irrelevant if she is flirting with the neighbor. That said, I like the defense atty, thinking he’s a good defender of his client.
 
Dude. Seriously. What is the point of all this. Last week was very victim shaming I thought and carried over to today. Completely irrelevant if she is flirting with the neighbor. That said, I like the defense atty, thinking he’s a good defender of his client.

I believe the defense attorney is trying to get the jury to think the victim was so "bad" that you can't blame someone for flying into a rage and killing her. It is very victim shaming at the heart of it.
 
I believe the defense attorney is trying to get the jury to think the victim was so "bad" that you can't blame someone for flying into a rage and killing her. It is very victim shaming at the heart of it.
But isn’t the “story” self defense? How does any of this have to do with what happened that night? Or he was in such despair being kicked out of HIS house (which btw is gorgeous), having lost his job (will Medicaid fraud be brought into the trial), his new wife is a gold digging Raki instructor, and they argued and …….and what? He appears to be a pretty fit guy back then. Not sure her size, but she looks much smaller. What’s the catch?
 
-- The former (IT) doctor claimed he killed his wife during a heated alcohol-fueled argument
-- Allegedly, KM struck him on the head w/a glass object, during the confrontation due to their troubled relationship.
-- IT claims he reacted impulsively by choking her until she passed out, only realizing afterward that she had died.
-- Claiming he panicked, he did not pre-mediate this act.
-- He grabbed her, after she hit him and she went limp.


-- IT's defense argued that its wasnt 1st-degree murder but potentially a lesser charge, more like voluntary manslaughter because of the spontaneous nature of the incident and his emotional state of mind at the time.

-- After KM's death, IT admitted to disposing of KM's body in a nearby pond, weighing it down w/rocks, which he attributed to a "fight or flight" reaction rather than to a calculated cover-up.

-- This account contrasts w/the prosecution's narrative, which portrays the killing as intentional strangulation followed by deliberate efforts to conceal the crime.


5/19/2020
 
But isn’t the “story” self defense? How does any of this have to do with what happened that night? Or he was in such despair being kicked out of HIS house (which btw is gorgeous), having lost his job (will Medicaid fraud be brought into the trial), his new wife is a gold digging Raki instructor, and they argued and …….and what? He appears to be a pretty fit guy back then. Not sure her size, but she looks much smaller. What’s the catch?

The "story" does include a "she hit me first." But I don't know if it's self defense they are arguing so much as emotional state of mind. I.e. he has been so "mistreated" by the behavior of this person that suddenly and spontaneously snapped. I have not watched all of day 3 testimony yet.
 
The "story" does include a "she hit me first." But I don't know if it's self defense they are arguing so much as emotional state of mind. I.e. he has been so "mistreated" by the behavior of this person that suddenly and spontaneously snapped. I have not watched all of day 3 testimony yet.
Yes, his atty does seem to be fixated on the Dr’s state of mind. I totally get it. It seems outrageous that a lady marries him quickly and then kicks him out of HIS house during Covid to boot. And his pesky Medicaid billing fraud has cramped his lifestyle too. I bet he did lash out in anger (understandable), but it escalated and he should have stopped. Ya can’t just kill your wife when she pi$$e$ you off.
 

DAILY TRIAL UPDATES​

DAY 3 – 3/31/25​

  • Curt Pfannenstieh, a neighbor of Tuerk and McLean, returned to the stand. His sexts with McLean were detailed on cross-examation.
    • WATCH: Sexts Between Tuerk’s Neighbor & Wife Read in Court: ‘I Wanna See Your 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
  • Officers who searched for McLean and found Tuerk unresponsive in a hotel room took the stand.
  • Steven Rocca, McLean’s ex-husband, testified helping search for McLean after receiving a text from her friend about Tuerk’s “devil text message.”

3/31/2025

Tuerk was a urologist at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston until he was terminated over accusations of fraudulent billing to Medicaid, reported The Associated Press. McLean ran Birch Tree Energy and Healing, an alternative healing service.
 
The "story" does include a "she hit me first." But I don't know if it's self defense they are arguing so much as emotional state of mind. I.e. he has been so "mistreated" by the behavior of this person that suddenly and spontaneously snapped. I have not watched all of day 3 testimony yet.
His comment of "she hit me first" is so typical of an abuser. moo
 
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DAILY TRIAL UPDATES​

DAY 6 – 4/7/25​

  • Proceedings resume Monday, April 7.

DAY 5 – 4/2/25​




4/2/2025

 

DAILY TRIAL UPDATES​

DAY 8 – 4/9/25​

DAY 7 – 4/8/25​

  • John Hoffman, Harry’s second divorce attorney took the stand.
    • Sent letter to Katie informing her of representation.
    • Emails with updates from Tuerk during Covid:
      • Concerned about returning from Germany and Covid exposure.
      • Requested motion to return home due to hardship.
      • Mentioned staying in a camper in Florida.
      • Continued requests to move back into his house.
      • Expressed desperation about having nowhere to go.
    • Confirmed new deed signed, making Katie co-owner.
    • Noted that Katie and Harry signed a post-nuptial agreement.
    • Discussed attorney retainer, negotiations, and payment details.
    • Katie hired her attorney once aware of Harry’s divorce representation.
    • Katie’s priority was to stay in the house for the children.
    • House was contentious during divorce negotiations.
    • Attorney emailed Katie’s attorney regarding Tuerk’s wish to reconcile.
    • New deed provided equal ownership for both parties.
    • Confirmed that upon divorce completion, Katie would receive half of the house.
    • Stated no grounds for alimony given the short duration of the marriage (5 weeks).
  • Dr. Elizabeth Laposota, retired forensic pathologist, was a witness.
    • Former Chief Medical Examiner in Rhode Island for 12 years.
    • Reviewed medical examiner’s file, police reports, and medical records.
    • Cause of death: Asphyxia due to strangulation.
    • Body found floating face down in a pond, last seen 12 hours earlier. Hemorrhaging observed in the back of the neck.
    • No injuries to the back of the head.
    • Evidence of manual strangulation, with a thumb mark from the assailant.
    • Opinion: Only one hand used for strangulation; bruising in the back of the head occurred from being face down in the water.
    • Dr. Laposota has performed thousands of autopsies.
    • To obstruct the jugular vein, 2-3 pounds of pressure is needed; to obstruct the carotid artery, 10-20 pounds.
    • Compression on the neck causes asphyxia.
    • No scratches, fingernail marks, or defensive wounds on the victim’s neck.
    • Opinion: Death was caused by a single, forceful, one-handed application of pressure to the neck.
  • Dr. Ingolf “Harry” Tuerk, Defendant
    • Received education in E Germany, then went into the Air Force.
    • Entered med school in E. Berlin, then specialized in urology.
    • Pioneer surgeon in robotic surgery.
    • Met Katie Nov. 2017 on a dating website.
      • In April 2018, Katie moved into the house, and they lived together for 2 years.
      • In November 2019, Katie and Tuerk got married in Las Vegas at a drive-thru chapel.
      • Three weeks later, Tuerk met with a divorce attorney. It became clear that the relationship wasn’t going where he wanted it to.
      • While Tuerk was sleeping, Katie looked in his phone and found the divorce communication. Then she got a restraining order against Tuerk.
      • May 7, 2020, had indirect contact with Katie via Curt during this time. Curt became a go between Tuerk and Katie.
      • Katie asked Tuerk to come back home, said she “loved” him.
      • May 10, went back to the house after the restraining order was vacated.
      • Katie asked to put her name on the deed; she signed a post-nup agreement.
      • May 14: The day was beautiful. Worked in the yard. Katie started making martinis during a break. Both started drinking.
      • Had dinner as a family, then we played a board game with the kids.
      • Tuerk told Katie, an old friend of his sent him a text. Katie was always jealous of her. Katie got extremely angry.
      • Katie took Tuerk’s phone and looked at the texts. She screamed at Tuerk.
      • Says he begged her to stop. She said “F— you” and hit him with a glass.
  • Describing the killing, Tuerk said:
    • “I snapped. I grabbed her… on the neck.”. “She fell, we fell on the floor together. She want not responsive,” “please Katie wake up.”
    • “I was just sitting there and crying… I panicked” “I wanted to kill myself” I decided I needed to put her somewhere else” “I drove to the pond”
    • “I put her in the water” “I came across the rocks”
    • Went back to the house to get his phone.
    • Then went to the hotel and texted goodbye to some friends. Curt and few other friends. That’s when he sent that “devil” text.
    • Tuerk said he tried to take his own life when he went back to the hotel. He didn’t remember being taken to the hospital.
    • WATCH: Tuerk Describes Moments After Wife’s Death: ‘I Wanted To Kill Myself’

DAY 6 – 4/7/25​

  • Forensic scientist Matthew Sheehan testified about blood found at Tuerk’s hotel room and processing the house. Sheehan noted blood and broken glass in the bedroom and blood in a Jeep.
  • The state rests.
  • The defense’s first witness, Richard Covitz, briefly testified that he let Tuerk move in with him in Boston during the COVID pandemic before he moved to Florida.

 
At about marker 1:41:00 (YT day nine above) -- the question by Jurors was that they could not locate the autopsy and/or ME report (Dr. Michelle Matthews), and have questions because their recollection and notes vary.

The parties agreed this was not evidence made available to the Jurors and suggested the Court advise the jurors to rely on what they heard from the witnesses.
 

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