Hilltown Township Police. Photo by James Short.
A scheduled press conference to discuss the ongoing homicide investigation into the death of an 89-year-old Hilltown Township woman was abruptly canceled Thursday afternoon, shortly after it was announced by the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
Officials said the cancellation was due to “new developments” in the case and stated that more information would be shared “at the appropriate time," according to the Bucks County Herald.
The investigation centers on the July 10 shooting death of Anne Miller Turner, who was found in her Rickert Road home around 7:20 p.m. that evening. The Bucks County Coroner’s Office said Turner had been shot in the chest and back.
Hilltown Township Police said there was no evidence of forced entry into the residence, though investigators noted signs that they described as potentially “suspicious.”
Turner, a lifelong resident of the region, was remembered by her family as a devoted mother and community member.
According to her obituary, Turner was born in Abington and graduated from Abington High School in 1953. She raised three children and was active in local volunteerism, including efforts with Meals on Wheels, Grand View Hospital and the Presbyterian Church of Deep Run in Perkasie, where she was a member.
She was married to the late Robert W. Turner and previously to Charles Dale Hartshorne, with whom she traveled extensively during his service in the U.S. Air Force. Her family said she was known for her warmth, hospitality, homemade desserts, and her love for people and pets alike.
She is survived by her children James Hartshorne and his wife Linda Wells, of Marshfield, Vermont, Suzanne Hartshorne and her companion, Nancy Nase, of Hilltown, and Scott Hartshorne and his wife Melissa Dillon, Las Vegas Nevada; a granddaughter, Erica Fowler and her husband Jeffrey St John and two great grandchildren, Gavin and Kendall Anne Fowler.
A celebration of life service will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Presbyterian Church of Deep Run or the Bucks County SPCA.
The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is urged to contact Hilltown Township Police or the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
