DEDHAM, Mass. (Court TV) — A Massachusetts doctor accused of killing his wife wants access to her medical records for breast enhancement surgery, arguing they will aid in his defense in his upcoming murder trial.
Dr. Ingolf Tuerk appeared in Norfolk County court last week for a hearing to address evidentiary and logistical issues before a trial scheduled for March. Tuerk is accused of strangling to death wife Kathleen McLean in their Dover home in May 2020 and dumping her body in a nearby pond.
Dr. Ingolf Tuerk appears in court Feb. 12, 2025. (Court TV)
Tuerk’s defense has argued in court documents that McLean died during a drunken fight between the two over their relationship. The couple had recently dropped efforts to divorce each other, according to defense filings, and were attempting to reconcile after a tumultuous period that included McLean reporting Tuerk to police for physical abuse and Tuerk’s suspicions that McLean was cheating on him.
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Special Judge Mark Hallal heard several requests from Norfolk County prosecutors and the defense at the hearing, including Tuerk’s motion for medical records concerning breast enhancement surgery that McLean underwent with Tuerk’s financial support.
Tuerk’s lawyer, Kevin Reddington, said the records were necessary to defend Tuerk against the Commonwealth’s claims that Tuerk physically abused and isolated McLean from friends and family, making her financially dependent on him. Reddington said Tuerk loaned McLean the money for the surgery and she repaid him, suggesting that McLean was not as helpless as she portrayed herself to family, friends and law enforcement.
“I have a right to show the nature of the relationship,” Reddington argued. “All of this goes into state of mind… and whether there was an intent to kill.”
Assistant District Attorney Lisa Beatty urged the judge to deny the request, calling it the defense’s latest attempt to smear and “objectify” McLean with titillating details from her personal life.
“This is a broad motion for medical records about a woman’s personal decision to have elective surgery,” Beatty argued. “It serves to objectify and shame her for surgery she had every right to have.”
Beatty questioned why the defense wanted to use McLean’s medical records instead of bank records to show the transaction. The judge also suggested financial records could make the same point without intruding on McLean’s private health information.
Tuerk’s defense also asked to move the trial from Norfolk County to neighboring Suffolk County based on prejudicial pretrial publicity, a request the Commonwealth opposed. The Commonwealth said it intended to file a motion requesting a jury view of relevant locations in the case. The defense said it would not oppose the motion.
Judge Hallal said he would issue rulings on the requests in the coming days.
