Seduced to Slay: What happened to Michael Turpin?

The cold-blooded murder of Kentucky resident Michael Turpin brought the town of Lexington to a shocking halt as his body was discovered days later from Jacobson Park Lake in Lexington's Lakeside Golf Course. The 22-year-old was brutally stabbed over 19 times by his wife's colleague, Keith Bouchard, who was allegedly paid for the job.

Michael and Elizabeth Turpin were married for merely six months when Elizabeth became involved with one of her colleagues, Karen Brown. She then devised a plan to get rid of Michael to get hold of his $60,000 of his insurance money for which she was the sole beneficiary.

The Seduced to Slay episode, titled Three-Ring Murder, showcases the 1986 murder of Michael Turpin. The synopsis for the same reads:

"After a whirlwind romance at college, Michael and Elizabeth marry. But when Michael's body is found on a local golf course, the dark truth emerges."

This episode is expected to air on January 15, 2024, at 10 pm EST on Investigation Discovery.

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Elizabeth Turpin reported Michael Turpin missing on February 3, 1986

Michael and Elizabeth Turpin were a newly married couple residing in Lexington, Kentucky. It had been barely six months when Elizabeth reported Michael missing to the Lexington Police Department on the morning of February 3, 1986. The Homicide Unit Sergeant Fran Root recalled Elizabeth providing an oddly detailed alibi for the night.

She mentioned that she had left home at 7:15 pm on February 2, 1986, to visit her friends from the Superior Nissan dealership - her place of work. She reportedly spent the night at her colleague Karen Brown's place as she had been drinking. She mentioned being a poor driver at night, adding that it had rained.

She told the police that Michael Turpin had been dealing drugs under the street name of "Shark" and hung out with a gang called "The Family." She additionally accused him of embezzling money from his workplace. While Michael's family denied any such claims, Karen Brown showed up at the police station two days later to corroborate Elizabeth's story. Brown added that Elizabeth was physically abused by Michael.

With witness statements pointing to a secret affair between Elizabeth and her colleague, Karen Brown, the investigators learnt of the $60,000 insurance payout Elizabeth was entitled to upon Michael's death. Moreover, Karen Brown's roommates come forward with evidence of Michael's blood in Karen's car.

They mentioned Brown and another co-worker, Keith Bouchard, cleaning her car on February 3. They also added discovering a bloodstained pair of boxers. A search warrant revealed Karen Brown's car to be covered in bleach and Michael's blood.

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What happened to Michael Turpin? Details Explored

Michael Turpin's body was recovered from Jacobson Park Lake in Lexington's Lakeside Golf Course, per Lex18 News. The autopsy determined that he had been stabbed at least 19 times in the face and neck.

On the night of February 2, Elizabeth, Karen and Keith were at The Circus smoking cannabis when they found Elizabeth's car in a different parking space than where it was initially parked. Considering Michael was the only one with a spare key, the incident reportedly triggered the murder plan into action.

Karen failed to get hold of a gun from her friend, Don Souleyrette, under the pretext of self-defence. She and Elizabeth then settled on paring knives as they discussed their plan at Keith Ronald Bouchard's trailer at Jessamine County.

Elizabeth provided the duo with a spare key to her apartment and Karen drove Keith to the Turpin residence. The duo knocked on the door and attacked Michael Turpin as soon as he had answered. While Karen pinned him down, Keith allegedly stabbed him repeatedly.

It eventually came to light that Karen and Elizabeth had planned to split the insurance money among themselves and had paid Keith for the job. All three of the perpetrators have been convicted of first-degree murder and are serving life sentences.