48 Hours “Melissa Turner’s Closing Act” 9PM October 28 2023 Recap & Preview
At 10pm, CBS broadcasts the new “48 Hours: Murder by Clown“.
Melissa Turner, a resident of Hillsborough County, Florida, placed a 911 call on October 18, 2019, reporting the discovery of her fiancé, Matthew Trussler, lying unresponsive near their swimming pool. Trussler was pronounced dead at the scene, and a subsequent autopsy determined that he had died from stab wounds. At first, Turner informed detectives that the couple had been drinking on the prior night, but she could recall very few details. However, a security camera above a neighbor’s garage door provided crucial evidence that prompted Turner to alter her account of the events. According to prosecutors, an audio recording from the camera captured Turner screaming at Trussler. She claimed to have stabbed him in self-defense when he allegedly attempted to strangle her. Turner was subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree murder with a weapon.
In an interview with 48 HOURS correspondent Erin Moriarty, Turner defended her actions, asserting that she believed her life was in danger and that she had stabbed Trussler lightly in the back to defend herself. She denied the allegations made against her and expressed her determination to fight her case, even if it meant going to prison.
“Melissa Turner’s Closing Act,” a 48 HOURS episode, explores Turner’s claims of self-defense and delves into the investigation surrounding Trussler’s death. It will be rebroadcast on October 28, 2023, on the CBS Television Network and is available for streaming on Paramount+. The episode is produced by Asena Basak, with development producers Ryan Smith and Marc Goldbaum, field producer Jordan Kinsey, and editors Phil Tangel, Wini Dini, and George Baluzy. Anthony Batson serves as the senior broadcast producer, while Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor, and Judy Tygard is the executive producer.
