Melissa Turner case: Did a neighbor’s safety digital camera seize the ultimate moments of Matthew Trussler’s lifestyles? by way of NewsFlicks

Oct. 17, 2019, started as a regular day for Matthew Trussler and Melissa Turner. The couple went buying groceries at House Depot and Publix, after which had lunch on the house they shared close to Tampa, Florida. Hours later, Trussler used to be discovered lifeless by way of their pool.

Turner stated she frantically referred to as 911 when she came upon Trussler’s useless frame day after today. 

“He’s chilly,” she informed the 911 operator. “He isn’t responsive.” 

When investigators arrived on the crime scene, they temporarily went to paintings. Turner agreed to visit the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Place of work for wondering. Turner informed investigators she didn’t know the way Trussler died. 

As investigators canvassed the group, then-sheriff’s detective Ryan LaGasse stated he spotted a neighbor’s surveillance digital camera going through the path of Turner and Trussler’s house. He reviewed the pictures, wherein he heard loud voices coming from their house. 

“After which I pay attention what seems like screaming, yelling,” LaGasse informed “48 Hours.”

LaGasse famous that as he endured taking note of the audio from the digital camera, he heard words comparable to “Rise up now,” and “So f****** die,” that he stated gave the impression to be the voice of a lady. 

Again on the sheriff’s place of work, investigators faced Turner concerning the voices and screams coming from their house during the evening. To start with she stated she had no reminiscence of screaming and yelling, but if pressed by way of detectives, she recalled the argument. 

“He woke me up and we were given in a controversy over that, as a result of he used to be nonetheless up at 4 within the morning ingesting,” she informed detectives.

Turner additionally informed detectives that the argument grew to become bodily, and Trussler strangled her. She claimed she grabbed his knife and stabbed him. 

“I believed he used to be gonna kill me,” Turner informed “48 Hours.”

Right through the interview, detectives came upon a big lower on Turner’s hand. She informed them she were given the lower when she picked up a damaged glass previous that morning.

Turner shared extra of her tale with “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty in “Melissa Turner’s Last Act,” now streaming on Paramount+.

There can be every other construction that will lend a hand investigators: the invention of an ADT digital camera within the couple’s house that recorded Turner and Trussler’s actions that evening. 

“He is strolling evenly, unarmed within the ADT movies, and he or she’s following hunched over offended,” prosecutor Chinwe Fossett informed “48 Hours.” 

Prosecutors additionally consider the recording presentations blood on Turner’s hand from that lower, which they are saying came about when she stabbed Trussler.

Regardless of Turner’s model of occasions, she used to be arrested and charged with second-degree homicide with a weapon. Two years later, on Feb. 14, 2022, Turner went on trial.

During the trial, Turner maintained she acted in self-defense. 

“I believed he used to be going to kill me, and I used to be seeking to get him to prevent,” Turner informed jurors. 

“And I cherished him,” she added. 

Turner’s legal professional, John Trevena, introduced in an audio knowledgeable who testified that he concept the voices recorded at the neighbor’s digital camera have been quantity enhanced. 

“I in finding it extremely suspicious that Ms. Turner’s voice is screeching loud,” Trevena stated. “But if it got here to Matthew Trussler .. you might want to slightly pay attention mumbling.” 

However prosecutors denied the recording used to be manipulated.

On the finish of the week-long trial, a jury discovered Turner to blame of second-degree homicide. She used to be sentenced to twenty.5 years in jail.

“They may’ve walked clear of every different and began a special lifestyles,” Donald Goodwin, a juror in Turner’s trial, informed “48 Hours.” “Melissa Turner selected to kill Matthew Trussler.”