A man was acquitted of her murder in 1998. Years later, he shot another woman dead and turned the gun on himself — a pattern that has never stopped haunting the case.
Shirree Ann Turner, 22, was fatally stabbed in Marion, South Australia, in the early hours of June 6, 1993. Her case remains formally unsolved.
A Night Out That Ended in Tragedy
Shirree was last seen by friends at the Charles Sturt Tavern on Hindley Street around 10:30 p.m. on June 5, 1993. When her friends stepped away to dance, leaving her holding their handbags, she disappeared from the venue. Witnesses reported seeing her in Hindley Street and Rundle Mall until around 3:10 a.m. the next morning.
Discovery
At 7:50 a.m. that Sunday, Shirree's body was found at the front door of a house in Minchinbury Terrace, Marion. Investigators believe she had been stabbed elsewhere and dragged herself to the house seeking help before she died.
A Reward, and a Tip Two Years Later
The South Australian government offered a $100,000 reward as the investigation stalled. In September 1995, an informant came forward naming Frank Mercuri, then 26, with a documented criminal history, as the man responsible, claiming Mercuri had told friends he'd stabbed a woman during a fight with another man.
Trial and Acquittal
Mercuri, who was already serving a prison sentence in Victoria, was arrested on a warrant in October 1995. At his Supreme Court trial in March 1998, the two witnesses' testimony didn't hold up to scrutiny, and he was acquitted of Shirree's murder that same month. It later emerged that his separate 1994 conviction for attempted rape and stabbing an unrelated woman in Melbourne hadn't been mentioned during his trial for Shirree's death.
A Civil Case Dropped
In September 1998, Shirree's father, Ken Turner, filed a civil wrongful death claim against Mercuri. He withdrew the action in October 1999, on the day the civil trial was set to begin.
A Later, Confirmed Killing
Years later, after moving interstate, Mercuri killed his partner, 36-year-old Rosemary Deagan, shortly after she filed an intervention order against him. A coroner found Mercuri shot Deagan in the kitchen of the Delahey home they had once shared when she returned to collect her belongings, then drove to Dandenong and shot himself. Deagan had reportedly continued to maintain, prior to her death, that Mercuri hadn't been responsible for Shirree's killing.
Still Unsolved
Because Mercuri was formally acquitted of Shirree's murder and died before facing any further legal proceedings related to her case, no one has ever been convicted of her death, and it remains officially unsolved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Frank Mercuri ever convicted of Shirree Turner's murder?
No. He was acquitted at trial in March 1998, and no one has ever been convicted of her death.
What happened to Frank Mercuri afterward?
Years later, he shot and killed his partner, Rosemary Deagan, before killing himself — a case confirmed and detailed by a coroner.
Is Shirree Turner's case still considered open?
Yes. It remains officially unsolved.