Man kills 4-month-old day before paternity test, stabs his ex 100 times, officials say
A man killed his 4-month-old infant and the mother of his child the night before he was scheduled to take a paternity test because he was trying to “evade his paternal responsibilities,” Tennessee officials said.
He’s now been ordered to serve two consecutive life sentences in prison.
McClatchy News reached out to Turner’s attorney but did not immediately receive a comment May 14.
When baby Bentley Cook was born in 2019, his mom, Heather Cook, pursued legal means to establish that her ex-boyfriend was the child’s father, according to a news release from the Shelby County district attorney.
A paternity test was scheduled for Sept. 14, 2019, officials said. But the day before, Enoch Turner, who was 25 at the time, is accused of breaking into Cook’s house and heading to the upstairs bedroom.
He stabbed her 100 times, stabbed the baby 10 times, then set the house on fire and fled, prosecutors said.
“A family member found the house filled with smoke,” but the fire appeared intentionally set, officials said in an earlier news release.
When police said they found Turner later that day, he initially denied he was at the home. Then he said he had been there, but he “found them like that,” the DA’s office said.
He was indicted in July 2020.
Prosecutors said they initially pursued the death penalty but agreed to two sentences of life without parole after Turner, now 29, was convicted on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated arson and especially aggravated burglary.
“The family wants everyone to remember that being a mom meant everything to Heather; and even though (Bentley) only lived four months, everyone could tell that his mom meant everything to him,” Deputy District Attorney Paul Hagerman said in the May 13 release. “It has always been our mission to ensure from that date on that Turner never gets out of jail.”
In a statement shared with WMC, Cook’s family described her as a “devoted single mother.”
“A college graduate and professional, Heather was dedicated to Bentley’s every happiness, sharing her joy daily with her family and friends with videos and pictures posted to social media,” her family told the outlet. “Bentley was an incredibly happy baby, full of smiles and laughter.”
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