Missing
Shelly Sue Turner
Turner, approximately 2006; Harold Barker
Date and time person was reported missing : 09/30/2006
Missing location (approx) :
Dayton, Ohio
Missing classification : Endangered Missing
Gender : Female
Ethnicity :
White
DOB : 07/29/1968 (53)
Age at the time of disappearance: 38 years old
Height / Weight : 5'5, 170 pounds
Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos
: Caucasian female. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Turner wears contact lenses or plastic-framed eyeglasses. Her hair was waist-length at the time of her disappearance, with bangs. She has a Cesarean section scar on her abdomen.
Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Turner was last seen with friends at Slugs Tavern in the 1900 block of Smithville Road in Dayton, Ohio on September 30, 2006. There may have been a minor altercation between her fiance and ex-boyfriend at the tavern that night. Turner has never been heard from again.
Her fiance, Harold Barker, later returned to Turner's mother's house alone. He said he and Turner had been leaving Slugs Tavern when Shelly saw someone drive up in a gray Pontiac Grand Am. Shelly called out, "Hi, Bill," went over to the car and began talking to the man. She then went back to Barker, took off her engAge at the time of disappearance: ment ring and gave it to him, then got into the Pontiac with Bill and rode away. Barker said that was the last time he saw her; she has never been heard from again.
Turner left behind all her belongings, including her Ford Explorer, her last paycheck and her two sons, one of whom was only an infant. The only thing that disappeared with her was her debit card, and there's been no activity on that card since she went missing. She was in good health at the time of her disappearance and had purchased pumpkins to carve for Halloween.
In 2009, Barker was charged with Turner's murder. At his August 2009 trial, two witnesses testified he had told each of them he killed her. Barker allegedly told someone he had murdered Turner, dismembered her body and buried it in a barrel. He also said he wanted to commit suicide because he'd done. Another witness, a female acquaintance, said Barker told him Turner accidentally died during an argument with him and he hid her body.
A Slugs Tavern bartender stated that, shortly before Turner's disappearance, Barker confided that he was going to do "something bad" which could return him to prison. The same bartender said Barker and Turner had seemed happy together and told her they were engAge at the time of disappearance: d, but one of Turner's coworkers said she wanted to end her relationship with Barker.
Barker was convicted of murder, assault and evidence tampering. He was sentenced to 28 years to life in prison.
Turner was employed at the Valley Thrift Store in the 1700 block of Woodman Drive in Kettering, Ohio at the time of her disappearance. It's uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning. Her body has never been found, but foul play is suspected in her case due to the circumstances involved.
Other information and links : ncy
Dayton Police Department
937-333-2677
September 2021 updates and sources
Dayton Daily News
ABC 22
WHIO Dayton
WDTN 2
The Supreme Court of Ohio
Ohio Attorney General's Office
Interactive Missing Person Search Map
