Princess Anne’s dog trainer shot dead estranged woman, Inquest hears

Princess Anne’s dog trainer, John Zurick, shot dead his estranged wife, Deborah Zurick, before turning the gun on himself, an investigation has found.

Deborah Zurick was killed in Exmoor, southwestern Somerset on February 22, 2020 when she returned to the marital home to collect her belongings and two dogs.

Lizzie Murphy, a friend of the couple who accompanied Deborah Zurick to the cottage the day she was murdered, gave police a 130-page report on the time before the shooting The guard.

Senior coroner Tony Williams read extracts from her report in front of Taunton Coroner’s Court on Wednesday and found that Deborah Zurick left her husband in late 2019 and started a relationship with a man in Ireland.

On February 5, 2020, John Zurick was stopped for drink driving. The police confiscated nine of his weapons and his wife’s firearms and withdrew his gun license The guard.

Later that month, Deborah Zurick flew to England from Ireland to collect her belongings from her former home. She asked her friend Murphy to come with her, fearing “John might be angry.”

The investigation learned that the estranged couple was walking the dogs while Murphy stayed in the cabin.

“The next thing Lizzie knew was that John threw the door open with a shotgun over his arm,” said the coroner. “John said, ‘I shot Debbie.’ He was very excited. “

Murphy told Murphy that his estranged wife “broke his heart” and then locked Murphy in an outhouse, hearing the investigation.

John Zurick was quoted as saying, “Please tell everyone I’m sorry. If I can’t have them, no one can.” Then he pointed the gun at himself.

Murphy said that after hearing a muffled bang, she escaped and called for help.

That same day, another family friend, Heidrun Humphries, had sent John Zurick a message saying she hoped the meeting with Deborah went well.

The exam overheard him reply, “Didn’t go so well, I’m sorry.” The guard reported.

The coroner said John Zurick ended his wife’s life in “very calculated ways” and concluded that she was unlawfully killed when she was “shot twice in the back”. The coroner also ruled that John Zurick died of suicide.

Deborah and John Zurick, renowned breeders and trainers of hunting dogs, have been active in the Working Clumber Spaniel Society, of which Princess Anne is the patron. He reportedly trained a dog named Sparkle for the princess.

In February 2020, a spokesman for Princess Anne said Hello! Magazine: “The Princess Royal is sad to hear of Mrs Debbie Zurick’s death. She is sorely missed as Secretary of the Working Clumber Spaniel Society.”

If you have thoughts of suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is free for confidential help. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line can be reached 24 hours a day.