NAS Pensacola chief petty officer murder trial shaken up as defendant, doctor don't testify

Although trial attorneys have a game plan going into a trial, things can often change quickly.

That was certainly the case with Chief Petty Officer Bree Kuhn's murder trial strategy Wednesday when the defense rested their case early.

Kuhn, who is on trial for the first-degree premeditated murder of her husband Collin Turner in 2021, and Dr. Julie Harper planned to testify on behalf of the defense, arguing the defendant suffered from PTSD and spousal abuse.

However, after a long conversation with her attorneys, Kuhn told the judge she elected to remain silent. Kuhn's attorneys, Randy Etheridge and James Barnes, then said they would not call Harper to testify and would instead rest their case.

The attorneys and judge expect the jury's deliberations will begin Thursday rather than Friday as previously scheduled.

Bree Kuhn's brother testifies he heard abuse, shooting over the phone

One witness who did testify on behalf of the defense was Kuhn's older brother Eric, who testified he heard the lead-up to the fatal shooting over the phone on Sept. 8, 2021.

"I heard a lot of discourse − Collin screaming, things being hit, at one point he was on the phone with police," Eric Kuhn said on the stand. "I did hear his voice raised a few times, yes, and I heard children crying."

Eric Kuhn testified in open court he knew his sister had a gun during the argument the day of the shooting, but prosecutor Mark Alderman brought up a contradiction during cross examination.

While Eric Kuhn testified to knowing his sister had a gun to defend herself and her kids from Turner, Alderman argued the witness had never made those statements during his police interview in 2021, nor in his Zoom deposition in June 2024.

When asked about the difference in his testimonies, Eric Kuhn said he told investigators about the gun before they began recording his interview, but then he made no mention of it again as not to be "redundant."

Eric Kuhn also testified that technology issues with Zoom arose during his 2024 deposition that caused only his testimony about the gun to be unheard, nothing else.

911 provides real time picture of events

In a recorded 911 call played during the trial Tuesday, Turner is calming explaining to the dispatcher that Bree Kuhn locked him in the garage when suddenly a loud pop is heard.

"What was that?" the dispatcher asked.

"She just shot me!" Turner said. The call then picks up three additional shots followed by silence.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: NAS Pensacola chief petty officer murder trial shaken up as defendant, doctor don't testify