In the small community of Chetek, Wisconsin, 17-year-old Natalie Turner, a White female, tragically lost her life on Friday, October 27, 2017. A senior at Chetek-Weyerhaeuser High School, Natalie was an honor student with a bright future. She was an active and engaged member of her school community, participating in numerous clubs, sports, and organizations.
On that fateful evening, the Barron County Sheriff's Department received a distressing 911 call from a female seeking help from a
residence in Chetek. When deputies arrived at the home, they discovered a grim scene. Inside, they found the bodies of Natalie, her 55-year-old mother, Brenda Turner, and 55-year-old John Hengst. It was Natalie who had made the call for help before her death.
The investigation that followed revealed a tragic case of domestic violence culminating in a double murder-suicide. Authorities determined that Hengst, who was Brenda Turner's ex-husband and Natalie's former stepfather, was the perpetrator. An altercation is believed to have begun in an upstairs bedroom before moving downstairs, where Brenda was found.
Preliminary autopsy results indicated that all three individuals died from single gunshot wounds. Brenda Turner also showed signs of blunt force injuries. Investigators concluded that Hengst shot and killed Brenda Turner and then went upstairs to fatally shoot Natalie in her bedroom. Afterward, he went back downstairs and took his own life. The deaths of Natalie and her mother were ruled homicides, and Hengst's death was ruled a suicide. No other suspects were sought in connection with the incident, and no arrests were made as the case was closed as a murder-suicide.
