Woman Physical Education Teacher Murdered in Lyle

Sharon Turnbull, 33, a math and physical education instructor at the high school in Lyle, Minnesota was killed Thursday, August 5, by a 22 caliber bullet wound in the head. She was sitting in her living room with the door open.

Turnbull was described by the school receptionist as "a single girl" when asked if she had ever married. She had been in Lyle for eight years.

Mower County authorities (near Albert Lea in southern Minnesota), have arrested a 14 year old male. The youth was arrested for spray painting harassment messages on Turnbull's car last year. Charges were however dropped by Mower County Judge Paul Kimball. That was but one act in a series by the youth against Turnbull.

All Lyle High School officials were "out of town for the weekend" by Friday morning and the local Sheriff would not return our calls. No one else at the police department was "authorized" to say whether homophobic blurbs were scribbled on Turnbull's car or used in the boy's hatred against her.

School officials did tell other press members that the youth had taken one class from Turnbull which he passed.

Lyle is a town of about 500 persons.