Falmouth woman’s mysterious death still under investigation four years later

PENDLETON COUNTY, Ky. (FOX19) - Relatives of a Falmouth mother-of-three believe they still do not have justice four years after she was found dead.

It’s been a difficult four years for Tara Turner’s family. They say there is rarely a day they do not feel the pain of their loss.

“It’s hard, and it’s hard for all of us," Jessica Rapier, Turner’s sister, said.

Turner was found dead along Snag Creek on February 28, 2016, about a month after she was reported missing.

RELATED | 3 years after Falmouth woman’s death, family fights for justice

Relatives say she was last seen with a man with whom she was close at the time.

The Falmouth woman’s official cause of death, per the coroner, was drowning. Turner’s family considers it an odd finding since she died in the middle of winter.

“Someone put her in that water, ya know," Rapier said. "The last individual that was with her lied five times for some reason.”

Although Kentucky State Police have called it a “death investigation,” Rapier says there’s much more to the story.

In Rapier’s eyes, her sister’s death was not an accident. She believes she knows the person responsible.

“We know she was murdered," Rapier said. "We know she was because you don’t wind up in a creek fully clothed.”

Investigators have not revealed much about the case, but Turner’s loved ones say they are fighting for answers on their own.

They have been painting and placing rocks that read “Justice for Tara” all over town. Rapier said they also recently put up a new billboard in Pendleton County to remind the community about the $30,000 reward for information.

Rapier says she’s even started her own podcast about her sister’s death and is working on launching a safety app to protect people like her sister.

Kentucky State Police have not released new information about the case.

Turner’s family is hosting a memorial event in her honor on Friday, February 28 from 5 to 6 p.m. at 1111 Chipman Street in Falmouth.

Copyright 2020 WXIX. All rights reserved.