Infamous murder case comes back to light

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - A notorious murder case in Bay County is coming back to light now that one of the two people convicted is walking free.

Canadian Air Force Major David Turenne was murdered in February 1996 outside his Panama City home. His wife Monique Turenne and her lover Ralph Crompton were convicted.

“It was a brutal homicide,” Major Jimmy Stanford said. “Monique had gotten her boyfriend to come there in the middle of the night and kill David. In the middle of the night, she sent her husband to the store to purchase something for her, and Crompton waited in the bushes and attacked him when he came back.”

Stanford was the Chief Panama City Police Investigator working the case. He currently works for the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. Stanford said the murder was carefully planned out by Monique and Crompton.

“He called in sick that day,” Stanford said. “He did a lot of things to try to cover his tracks for coming down here. He rented a car and put a Do Not Disturb sign on his motel room [door].”

Monique returned to her home in Canada after the homicide. Stanford said the case got more complicated.

“When we were investigating it, she gave bad information and led us in different directions that we didn’t need to go,” he said. “Then, she fled the country and fought to come back here.”

It took years to get Monique extradited back to Bay County to stand trial. She was finally sentenced to second-degree murder and a 20-year sentence in 2005. NewChannel 7 interviewed her shortly after her trial where she claimed her innocence.

Monique was released from prison last Friday after serving 18 years behind bars.

“18 [years] is just not enough, and I’m kind of saddened by that,” Stanford said. “Certainly, I think she should’ve been charged with first-degree [murder].”

Crompton was convicted of first-degree murder and is still serving a life sentence.

We reached out to some of Crompton’s family members for comment, but we’re waiting to hear back. A few years ago they put up billboards trying to get his case appealed. However, he’s still in prison.

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