On a tragic Friday night in Chetek, Wisconsin, the lives of three people came to a violent end in what authorities would later describe as a double murder-suicide. John Hengst, a 55-year-old Caucasian male, was identified by the Barron County Sheriff's Office as the person responsible for the deaths of his ex-wife and her teenage daughter before he took his own life on October 27, 2017.
The victims were 55-year-old Brenda Turner and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie Turner.
The harrowing events unfolded inside a home on 26th Street where all three resided, a living arrangement that continued even after Hengst and Brenda Turner had divorced 14 months prior. An altercation is believed to have started in an upstairs bedroom and then escalated, moving to the downstairs area of the house. It was there that Brenda Turner was found, having been shot and killed. An autopsy would later reveal that in addition to the fatal gunshot wound, she had also suffered from blunt force injuries to her face, neck, and torso, including a fractured rib.
During the horrific ordeal, Natalie Turner, a senior at Chetek-Weyerhaeuser High School, made a desperate call to 911 for help. However, by the time law enforcement officers arrived and entered the residence, it was too late. They discovered Natalie in her upstairs bedroom, also a victim of a fatal gunshot wound. Downstairs, they found John Hengst, who had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Barron County Sheriff's Department investigated the case and concluded that Hengst acted alone. Officials stated that there was no ongoing danger to the public and that they were not seeking any other suspects in connection with the deaths. The incident was a case of domestic violence that ended in a devastating loss for the small community, leaving friends and classmates to mourn the senseless deaths of Brenda and Natalie Turner.
