You can’t make this stuff up, but it certainly sounds like something out of a Hollywood movie. A Las Vegas bartender, a former Playboy bunny, a quasi-psychotic boyfriend and a 71-year-old psychiatrist with the psychiatrist becoming a murder victim. The former three all assumed to be involved in his murder, and two are now behind bars.
Kelsey Nichole Turner, a 25-year-old former Playboy bunny was living in Salinas, California, in a home leased for her by the psychiatrist, Thomas Kirk Burchard. Over a two-year period, he also allegedly gave her as much as $300,000.
Turner relocated to Las Vegas and rented a home with her boyfriend, Jon Logan Kennison, 30-year-old casino bartender Diana Nicole Pena and Pena’s boyfriend, who wasn’t named. Burchard reportedly traveled to Las Vegas from Salinas on March 1 to visit Turner, unaware that she was had, and was living with, a boyfriend.
The following day, an unidentified inebriated female showed up and began arguing with Turner. Burchard intervened and took the female away so she could calm down. Turner reportedly became concerned, while he was away, that the female would tell Burchard of her boyfriend, which could cause her to lose her honey pot.
The following day, according to police, Burchard was murdered and his body stuffed inside the trunk of his car. It was found March 7 and, in the vehicle, police found the fingerprints of Turner, Kennison and Pena, as well as Pena’s business card from Caesars Palace. However, none of the trio were located at the time.
That all changed a few weeks later. Turner, who has appeared in Playboy Italia and Maxim, was arrested in California on March 21 after fleeing to the Golden State with her boyfriend. She was extradited to Las Vegas this past Saturday and Pena was arrested the same day. Kennison, who wasn’t initially considered a suspect, wasn’t taken into custody with Turner and his involvement only became clear after her arrest. He is still at large. All three are charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The fourth roommate, Pena’s unidentified boyfriend, isn’t suspected to have been involved.
