Prosecutors in the attempted murder case of a former St. Charles man want jurors to hear details of domestic violence allegations from his first marriage, according to recent court filings.
Scott Turyna, 66, is free on $1 million bail accused of beating his wife and then firing several gunshots in her direction during a May 2016 dispute which started inside their home and spilled into the streets of the area near Hunt Club Drive and Steeplechase Road in St. Charles.
Prosecutors allege Turyna attacked his wife of 26 years after sharing dinner with her. He then held her down and beat her severely enough to cause broken bones and a concussion, prosecutors said. When she fled the house, Turyna followed her outside and fired at least five gunshots in her direction before he was subdued by a passerby until police arrived, according to authorities.
Turyna, now living in Elburn, has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and aggravated domestic battery charges and is scheduled to stand trial in June.
With an eye on the trial, prosecutors filed a pair of motions April 7 tied to information they would like to present to the jury – allegations of abuse during his first marriage and statements made during the 911 call about the shooting nearly a year ago.
In the first motion, prosecutors describe instances during a six-year marriage that began in 1976 in which Turyna is accused of mental and physical abuse. In one instance, he physically kicked his then-wife out of a vehicle, while in another he ripped a shirt and bra off her body before subduing her in a bathroom for two hours, the filing states. Turyna also strangled the woman and threatened to kill her when she mentioned divorce, prosecutors claimed, noting she said she gave up child custody because of his threats.
The second motion, which relates to the 911 call in the 2016 incident, seeks to inform jurors about what Turyna’s wife and a second woman said at the time of the shooting. The motion does not indicate what the women specifically said during the call.
Turyna’s attorney has not yet responded to the motions. A May 11 hearing has been set by Kane County Judge D.J. Tegeler to consider the requests.
Dan Campana is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News