Investigators after careful examination of the home determined two separate fires were ignited inside the two-story home by Mr. Turnbull. The fires were started in a basement storage room and inside the bedroom of the deceased. Turnbull perished in the 8:00 a.m. one-alarm fire. His mother Ceciliae Turnbull, 54 years of age was able to escape the fire after being awakened by the smoke alarm sounding.

Turnbull’s body was later found by firefighters inside the basement of the home. His body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore where an autopsy was performed. The cause of death was determined to be smoke inhalation and thermal burns.

Investigators are continuing with their probe into determining the motive for the fire. No evidence of foul play was found.

LEONARDTOWN — St. Mary’s Sheriff Tim Cameron told ST. MARY’S TODAY that detectives are investigating the death of a woman found by John Lawrence in a residence on Duke Street in Leonardtown.

The woman was found dead on Tuesday in a residence which police believe she and Lawrence were moving into and at this time police believe the death was due to a heart ailment and no foul play is suspected.
The woman was identified as Dana Lynn Herrity, 45.

Woman’s Death at St. Mary’s Hospital Not a Suicide

LEONARDTOWN — St. Mary’s Sheriff Tim Cameron reports that the Maryland State Medical Examiner has ruled the death of a woman at St. Mary’s hospital on July 29th to not be suicide but accidental due to her illness.

The grandmother of a woman who was on the phone chatting with her one morning from her room at St. Mary’s Hospital where she had been taken for psychiatric evaluation but was found dead two hours later in a restroom with a bar of soap and a shampoo bottle stuffed down her throat is questioning how she died.

While police initially believed the death to be a suicide, the State Medical Examiner’s Office still has not yet signed off on this death pending the outcome of a toxicology report, St. Mary’s Sheriff Tim Cameron told ST. MARY’S TODAY.
While many deaths are routinely questioned at the hospital, more for the standard of care, the ability of a person who is supposed to be in the psycho ward due to being possibly crazy or imbalanced also makes family members wonder exactly what does it take to get proper care for a loved one suffering from depression or other conditions.

The family of this woman is upset that St. Mary’s Hospital failed to take care of their family member and then failed to account for what happened to the woman.

College Staffer Busted for Drugs

LEXINGTON PARK — Maryland State Police report that a staffer of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where weed is rampant among students, showed that the college staff can join in with the Deadhead Crowd as well.

Police say that on Friday, August 1, 2008 at 8:40 pm, Edward Arthur Kelii Morasch, 50, of Lexington Park was arrested by Tpr. G. Thompson for possession of Marijuana and possession of a CDS smoking device. Morasch was operating a silver Ford Bronco when he was stopped on Willows Road in Lexington Park for an equipment violation. Contact was made with Morasch and a mild odor of burnt Marijuana was emitting from the vehicle. Morasch was found to be in possession of a small baggie of Marijuana and a red metal smoking device. He was transported to the St. Mary’s County Detention Center where he was detained pending a bond review.

Old Gal Mary Jane Had Mary Jane in Purse When Busted for DWI

LEXINGTON PARK — Maryland State Police report that oOn Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 1:08 am, Mary Jane Barnard, 64, of Lexington Park was arrested by Tpr. M. Adams for possession of Marijuana and possession of a CDS smoking device. Ms. Barnard was operating a red Ford Ranger when she was stopped on Route 235 at Poplar Ridge Road in Lexington Park for speeding. Contact was made with Ms. Barnard and a moderate odor of an alcoholic beverage was detected while speaking to her. Roadside sobriety tests were performed unsatisfactorily and she was arrested for DWI/DUI.

Police say that a routine MVA check revealed her driving privileges were suspended. A search incident to arrest revealed Ms. Barnard was also in possession of a cellophane bag of Marijuana and a glass CDS smoking device. She was transported to the St. Mary’s County Detention Center where she was charged accordingly and held pending a bond review.

Bash and Dash Burglar Back in Business in 7th District

COLTON’S POINT — A longtime tradition of bashing into local homes where residents are not sitting in the living room with a cocked shotgun ready to fire claimed another victim this past week. Maryland State Police report that on Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 3:46 am, Tpr. E. Page responded to the reported Burglary in the 38000 block of Beach Road in Coltons Point. Upon arrival, contact was made with the male complainant, 63, who advised unknown suspect(s) broke into his residence while he was asleep. The suspect gained entry through a side door by prying the glass from the door and exiting through the front door. The complainant advised when he was awakened, he realized someone had been in the residence and both locks were locked on the front door when he went to bed. Nothing was observed missing from the residence and the investigation continues.