Apology for DUI death meets with little sympathy from family

Bill Gang

Tuesday, June 22, 1999 | 10:55 a.m.

A Henderson man who pleaded guilty to felony drunken driving over a collision that killed a popular third grade teacher already knew that he was going to get the maximum sentence.

Monday's sentencing hearing, however, gave Cindi Turner's family a chance to publicly mourn her loss and to confront 40-year-old Jeffrey Marples about the devastation his drinking and driving caused.

It also gave Marples, who was given eight to 20 years in prison, a chance to apologize, although there seemed to be little sympathy from the family and friends of the victim. Some of those in District Judge Jack Lehman's courtroom choked back tears. A few sobbed openly.

Turner's father, Jack Rants, told how the violent death caused "unbelievable sorrow" not only for the family but also for her students who must learn the meaning of the word "death" at too young an age.

Lehman told how he had sat in his office on Saturday and cried as he read the 80 letters telling him about Turner and the impact of her death.

In court, Dorothy Rants, the victim's mother, looked down from the witness stand at Marples and commented, "You must be a very unhappy person to spend your days drinking in a bar."

Marples' blood-alcohol level after the Feb. 25 crash at Valle Verde Drive and Clearwater Canyon Drive was tested at 0.28 percent, nearly three times the 0.10 percent that is the minimum to prove drunken driving.

Turner's two children, 3-year-old Kelsea and 5-year-old old Dustin, were with her and suffered serious injuries.

The victim's husband, Curt Turner, fought back tears as he lamented how difficult it will be for the children to grow up without a mother.

"You've changed my children's lives forever," he told Marples.

"There isn't a word in the English language that can express how sorry I am," Marples said, his voice cracking with emotion.

When he pleaded guilty last month, Marples explained that he was trying to retrieve a fallen water bottle when his truck crossed into oncoming traffic and slammed into the teacher's car.

In a plea bargain, Marples took responsibility, but the three original DUI charges were consolidated into the single count, and three counts of reckless driving plus one count of involuntary manslaughter were dismissed.