Two suspects in doctor’s murder plead not guilty
Roommate has already admitted to lesser charge
A man and woman charged in the death of a California doctor pleaded not guilty in a Las Vegas courtroom Thursday.
Jon Kennison and Kelsey Turner, both 26, face murder and conspiracy charges in the killing of 71-yearold Thomas Burchard.
Earlier this week, 31-year-old Diana Pena, the couple’s roommate, pleaded guilty to an accessory to murder charge.
Pena, who was released on her own recognizance Tuesday, faces up to five years behind bars, but her attorney has said he would ask a judge to give her probation.
The psychiatrist’s body was found March 7 in the trunk of Turner’s abandoned 2017 two-door Mercedes-benz C300, parked on a high-centered dirt berm in a remote area east of Las Vegas. Turner’s and Pena’s fingerprints were found on the car, authorities have said.
Cellphone records indicate Burchard was last active on his phone March 3. The Salinas, California, man never returned to California on March 4, the day he had planned to go home.
Police have said Burchard traveled to Las Vegas on March 1 to visit Turner, with whom he had an intimate relationship.
Burchard had paid the roommates’ March rent in full and had previously been paying Turner’s rent in California, his longtime girlfriend, Judy Earp, told the Las Vegas Review-journal.
After Thursday’s brief hearing, Turner’s attorney, Brian Smith, spoke with reporters about Pena’s plea.
“It changes things, certainly,” he said. “It was not unexpected. So the change in circumstances is certainly something we can deal with.”
He added that “I think a lot of inconsistencies will come out” regarding Pena’s statements to authorities.
Turner and Kennison are being held in the Clark County Detention Center without bail.
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Find @randompoker on Twitter.