Former Playboy and Maxim model arrested for murder of California doctor

Elise Solé


The FBI arrested a former Playboy and Maxim model for the murder of a child psychiatrist.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said Kelsey Turner, 25, was arrested on March 21st in Stockton, Calif. by the FBI’s Safe Street Task Force. A witness had found the body of Thomas Burchard, 71, a child psychiatrist from Salinas, Calif., in the trunk of an abandoned car on State Route 147, near Las Vegas.

A spokesperson from the Clark County Sheriff’s Coroner confirmed to Yahoo Lifestyle that Burchard died from blunt force injuries to the head in the manner of homicide.

On March 16th, Burchard’s reported girlfriend Judy Earp wrote on Facebook, “We are absolutely devastated by the brutal murder of our loved one, Dr. Thomas Burchard. We ask at this time that our privacy is respected as we grieve and try to process this heinous event. We will have a memorial service to allow family and all those whose lives were touched by Dr. Burchard, to remember him and his many great contributions to so many here in Monterey County. The time, date and location will be announced in the near future.”

Turner’s mother Samantha told KSBW that her daughter and Burchard had been friends for a long time and the doctor was paying rent on a Salinas home where Samantha, Turner, and her children all lived. Yahoo Lifestyle could not locate Turner’s mother.

Neighbor Marcelino Alejandro told KSBW that police were called often to the residence, which hosted parties. An anonymous source added that Turner had moved out after Burchard stopped funding the rent, and that he paid Turner and her mother, “Anywhere from two-four thousand dollars a week, easily.”

According to the source, Burchard said that Kesley was having problems with her Las Vegas boyfriend, who was allegedly abusive, and that Burchard felt “partially responsible” for her situation.

Yahoo Lifestyle reached out to Turner’s boyfriend and a neighbor of Turner but did not hear back for comment.

Turner once told Maxim, “I’m actually a very talented r&b and blues singer. I would consider this a secret talent because I decided pretty early on that I wanted to preserve my music as a personal and private hobby. I have a keyboard in my room and record in studios often.”

The model, who competed to land a Maxim cover and a $25,000 prize, told the magazine how she would spend the money. “Responsibly enough I would probably pay off my student debt first and then help my family in any way that I could.”

On Friday, a GoFundMe page raised only $120 of $50,000 for Turner’s defense. The petitioner (who did not return a message from Yahoo Lifestyle) called her a “loving mother, caring friend, and hardworking young model.”

Turner reportedly will appear in court on April 8th in San Joaquin County.

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