Seduced to Slay: Why was Elizabeth Turpin denied parole?

The 1986 murder of Lexington accountant Michael Turpin led to the life imprisonment of his wife Elizabeth Turpin, who was also the mastermind behind the plot. Her co-workers at the Superior Nissan dealership, Karen Brown and Keith Bouchard, were also sentenced to life on charges of first-degree murder of Michael Turpin.

While Bouchard pleaded guilty in exchange for life imprisonment with no possibility of parole, Brown and Turpin were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Even though the two have served their 25 years, the Kentucky Parole Board denied their parole for the seriousness of the crime.

The upcoming Seduced to Slay episode, titled Three-Ring Murder, chronicles Michael Turpin's 1986 murder, and is scheduled to air on January 15, 2024, at 10 pm EST on Investigation Discovery. The synopsis 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."

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Why the Kentucky Parole Board deferred parole for Elizabeth Turpin, Karen Brown, and Keith Bouchard

Michael Turpin’s wife, Elizabeth Zehnder Turpin, was convicted of the 1986 murder of her husband and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years along with her then-girlfriend, Karen Brown. Turpin had allegedly convinced Brown and her co-worker at Superior Nissan, Keith Bouchard, to have her husband killed to get hold of the $60,000 insurance money.

The Kentucky Parole Board deferred Elizabeth's parole by 10 years on February 18, 2019. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, the reasons behind the deferment were that "a life was taken and that violence and a deadly weapon were involved."

The prosecutors argued that Elizabeth Turpin had been the mastermind behind Michael Turpin's murder - one of the most sensational murder cases of 1986 in Kentucky. The board was unable to reach a decision and deferred the judgment till the time the full board was in agreement.

The ruling was similar to Karen Brown's ruling, as she was denied parole for five more years in 2015 after she had served the required 25 years. On the other hand, Keith Bouchard had appealed for parole twice and was turned down both times.

According to a Lexington Herald-Leader report, during the parole hearing, Turpin mentioned that she had earned two associate degrees while incarcerated and was working on a bachelor’s degree. She also added that she had started a service dog training program at the prison and would like to work for Catholic Charities in Louisville, if released.

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Elizabeth Turpin and Karen Brown denied parole indefinitely in 2020 and 2021, respectively

On December 21, 2020, the Kentucky Parole Board decided that Elizabeth Turpin would be required to serve out her full life sentence for the 1986 murder. The decision would not be overturned without a court action, per news reports.

During the hearing, Elizabeth Turpin's behavior in prison was highlighted. She had allegedly convinced her new husband to send her money which she used to have people assaulted within the prison. She had also convinced a teacher to dig up information about three other inmates, which led to his termination.

The lead detective in Michael Turpin's murder case and the former Fayette County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson argued that Elizabeth Turpin was one of the most manipulative women they had ever come across and the fact that she had trained dogs in prison could not change that.

Michael's father, Don Turpin, recalled standing in a pool of Michael's blood and further stated:

“We’ve had to live the last 35 years without a son, brother, grandson and friend to many. The only thing that makes it worse is living in fear that these killers may escape or be set free by a sympathetic board or even a governor’s pardon on his exit out the door with no accountability, as with the past governor.”

On February 1, 2021, Kentucky Parole Board ordered Karen Brown to have her full sentence served without the chance of parole.