Going beyond the tropes of a generic investigative documentary, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Father to a Son About His Father is deeply personal and frustratingly tragic, and it doesn’t have a happy ending. The 2008 Dear Zachary documentary is directed by Kurt Kuenne, who began filming when his childhood friend Andrew Bagby mysteriously died in 2001. While Kuenne’s research mainly focused on how Andrew’s ex, Shirley Turner, was a prime suspect, matters grew tenser when she revealed that she was pregnant with Andrew’s baby, the тιтular Zachary. What happened next not only shattered the lives of Andrew’s parents but also the filmmaker of the Dear Zachary documentary.

The buildup to Dear Zachary’s harrowing end is still impactful more than a decade after the documentary’s premiere. While several true crime documentaries go too far with shock value, Kuenne’s investigative work and emotional voiceover make Dear Zachary stand out. Andy’s death and the subsequent chaos at the end of the Dear Zachary documentary reveal how a personal tragedy can leave a lasting impact on everyone involved. As well as investigating the ripple effect of trauma, the documentary’s inconclusive end also turned it into a larger commentary on the American and Canadian legal systems.

What Happens In Dear Zachary’s Ending

A Dedicated Movement Emerges To Ensure The Events Of The Dear Zachary Documentary Aren’t Repeated

At the end of Dear Zachary, Andrew’s parents, David and Kathleen, fight to get justice for their son, whom they are convinced was sH๏τ in cold blood by his ex-lover, Shirley. To make matters worse, after getting out on bail, Shirley gains custody of her son, Zachary, eventually dying with the child in a murder-suicide. The final scenes reveal an open-ended conclusion, implying that Andrew’s parents and friends will forever remain traumatized by Shirley’s final act. There are glimmers of hope as David and Kathleen never give up their battle to pressure the Canadian authorities for bail law reforms.

As Shirley Turner was able to roam free after resettling to Newfoundland, the aftermath of the case also reveals that the Newfoundland Ministry of Justice admitted in 2006 that their handling of her case was inadequate. The conclusion based on the legal facts and Kuenne’s own views confirms that better legal handling and research into Shirley’s criminal history could have prevented Zachary’s death. Ultimately, Dear Zachary serves as not just an obituary for a beloved man, but also a warning for the authorities to тιԍнтen their investigations in cases such as these.

What Did Andrew’s Parents Do In The End?

Grief And Resilience Push David And Kathleen Forward

Upon hearing the news of Andrew’s death, David and Kathleen Bagby were fueled by grief to such an extent that they had even thought of taking their own lives. While Andrew and Zachary’s deaths continue haunting the couple, they endure in their legal activism. David even wrote a memoir called Dance with the Devil, which became a bestseller in Canada.

The Dear Zachary documentary’s final frames show David and Kathleen still displaying a level of sadness on their faces that will probably never go away. With the documentary ending with a dedication note to them, Kuenne succeeds at directing a fitting tribute to Andrew’s parents and their legal struggles.

Could Zachary’s Death Have Been Avoided?

Retrospect In Dear Zachary Highlights The Mistakes That Were Made

When Kurt Kuenne presents his findings in his documentary Dear Zachary, his voiceover seems to be intentionally fast at times to build tension. This is most obvious toward the end of the film as he talks about how Shirley Turner already had multiple criminal charges against her and how Andrew had already complained about her to the police.

These facts become very significant as the story reaches a dark end as they offer a chance for the police officers to self-reflect on how they could’ve stopped Shirley and how even her court-prescribed psychiatrist — who was later found guilty of misconduct — could have been more stringent.

Where Did Dear Zachary’s Earnings Go?

The Movie Encourages The Audience To Take Action

Despite the tragedy of the movie, the final text screens of Dear Zachary offer some optimism about the larger cause that the team had been striving for. The filmmakers encourage the viewers to write to the Canadian Parliament in support of bail reform to honor Andrew and Zachary.

It is also mentioned that all earnings from the documentary would go to charity programs in honor of Andrew, such as the Dr. Andrew Bagby and Son Zachary Andrew Memorial Bursary at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. A website was created for such charitable causes. It is clear how personal and non-commercial a project Dear Zachary is for Kuenne.

How The Dear Zachary Documentary Changed Canadian Laws

The Movie Added To Its Own Story After Its Release

The ending of the tragically disturbing documentary Dear Zachary does not include the influence it has had on actual Canadian laws since its release provided that impact. However, there have been significant updates to the story since the film was finished.

The documentary eventually succeeded in putting enough pressure on the Canadian Parliament to introduce a bill in 2009. Canadian MP Scott Andrews was so moved by Dear Zachary that he drafted and moved Bill-C464, also known as “Zachary’s Bill,” the aim of which was to provide more effective protection to children involved in bail hearings and custody battles. The bill was signed into law in 2010.

Dear Zachary’s Letter Format Explained

The Intention Of The Format Changed With The Tragic Outcome

As is evident from the тιтle, Dear Zachary plays out as a moving letter. With Kuenne addressing the film’s event directly to Zachary in the narration, the documentary becomes an epistolary work.

However, it’s interesting how the documentary covers the changing nature of Kuenne’s research, which is also reflected in the change of narration. In the beginning, viewers hear the director addressing the documentary to Andrew as he attempts to know more about his friend’s adulthood. But with new findings like the custody dispute over Zachary and his death, the end product becomes a letter that Kuenne would have given to Zachary if he were still alive.

How The Ending Of Dear Zachary Was Received

The Documentary Was Compared To A Thriller

Though documentaries are intended to inform and educate their audience, to encourage understanding about different topics, one of the biggest complaints about documentaries is that they can be very dry. There is a tendency for documentaries to impart facts without allowing the audience to emotionally connect with them in the way they might with the techniques employed to tell a fictional story. That is not the case here. Critics praised the direction of the documentary for appearing more like a thriller, allowing the audience to remain engaged with the information right up until the relatively open ending.

The New York Sun called Dear Zachary, “one of the most mind-blowing true-crime movies in recent memory,” and cited the tendency to “borrow[s] some narrative dramatic tricks” as the reason for its success. Like many other critics, the New York Sun also compared the documentary to a thriller, saying it:

…has so many unexpected developments that it plays like a first-rate thriller. … and the film is so unsettling that it will stay with viewers for a long time.

Variety also praised the editing of the documentary as a way to emotionally engage the audience. According to the publication:

The way Kuenne presents the material, with an aggressive style that lingers less than a second on most sH๏τs, it’s impossible not to feel emotionally exhausted.

The connection so many felt to the story of Zachary and his father is likely why, even long after bills were signed into motion, Keunne made a follow-up documentary. Though the documentary is short, it takes the audience behind the scenes of making the original documentary and sees the process through of actually changing Canadian law. It is currently available to watch for free on Kuenne’s YouTube channel.

The Real Meaning of Dear Zachary’s Ending

The Dear Zachary Documentary Is A Tribute Rather Than An Investigation

Unfortunately, by the end of Dear Zachary, nothing is entirely resolved, as Shirley Turner has taken her own life to evade the law. Andrew and Zachary can never come back, despite David and Kathleen’s continued fight for their memory and legacy. Still, the ending comes on a bittersweet note, and in an age that is obsessed with true-crime content, it continues to be impactful.

Political consequences aside, Kurt Kuenne’s interviews with family and friends also reveal how touched they all had been by Andrew. Thanks to Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, Andrew Bagby and his influence on people will never be forgotten.