No Bail For Doctor Charged With Killing Wife In Dover

DEDHAM (CBS) – A well-known urologist charged with killing his wife was ordered held without bail Monday. Ingolf "Harry" Tuerk, 58, pleaded not guilty in Dedham District Court to a murder charge in the death of Kathleen McLean, a 45-year-old mother from Dover.

McLean had last been seen in her Valley Road house Thursday night. Around 11 p.m. Saturday, police found her body in a small pond off Walpole Street in Dover, not far from the couple's home. Police believe she was killed during an argument between her and her husband.

During the arraignment Monday, prosecutor Lisa Beatty said the medical examiner found "injuries and bruising consistent with strangulation." Beatty said statements from Tuerk to police led them to McLean's body.

Tuerk was arrested Saturday night and charged with his wife's murder. Police found him unresponsive in a Dedham hotel. They had to revive him with Narcan, which is used to revive those suffering from opioid overdoses.

At the hospital, Tuerk allegedly told police he strangled McLean and then panicked when he realized she was dead, dumping her body in a pond near the home.

Tuerk was once the head of urology at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Brighton. Steward Health Care, the parent organization of St. Elizabeth's Hospital, released a statement over the weekend saying "Dr. Tuerk has not seen or treated patients as part of Steward Medical Group for more than a year. He was formally terminated in February."

The couple got married in December, but McLean accused Tuerk of abuse several times dating back to the same month. In one incident, McLean told police she thought she was going to die when he strangled her and threw her head back into a head board.

In January, McLean filed a report saying Tuerk threw her to the ground asking if she was cheating on him. In February, she filed a restraining order against him.

Tuerk is due back in court for a status hearing on June 10.