Family Files Lawsuit Against M.E.'s Office

NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A Garvin County family said they have filed a lawsuit to get justice for their daughter.

The family of Chanda Turner filed a lawsuit against the state Medical Examiners Office Tuesday because it refused to change her cause of death from suicide to homicide.

Chanda was found shot to death nearly a decade ago outside her home in Pauls Valley. At the time, her boyfriend was home and said he never heard a gunshot. The 23-year-old's death was ruled a suicide, but her parents insist she was murdered.

The lawsuit lists several experts who agreed, including Oklahoma's Former Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Collie Trant.

"We've been getting the runaround for three months. It's been a nightmare experience," said Donna Turner, Chanda's mother. "Today is Chanda's birthday, and by signing this lawsuit, I suppose it's a present for her.

A spokeswoman for the M.E.'s office said the agency stands behind the findings of its original investigation -- that Chanda Turner committed suicide.

More on News9.com:

• Family Plans to Sue Oklahoma Medical Examiner's Office Oklahoma
• M.E.'s Office Pathologist's Qualifications Called into Question
• Family Worries ME's Situation Will Delay Answers into Daughter's Death