Tainted Love: The Case of Gailen Eugene "Gene" Thurnau II

WILDCIDE

By 2006, Gailen Eugene “Gene” Thurnau II was an accomplished man who had a successful stint in the Air Force and was in the midst of a successful career as an air traffic controller. He had just moved from Nebraska to St. Petersburg, FL to be closer to family. He was in a new, loving relationship with his co-worker Juanita “Jaye Jaye” Defrenze, and was in a good place in life. Gene was extroverted, friendly, and gregarious so he naturally struck up a friendship with his colleague Robert “Bob” Peterson. After years of working together and a friendship built amongst Gene, Jaye Jaye and Bob, tragedy would strike. On November 1, 2006, Jaye Jaye returned home to an empty house finding Gene’s bloody clothes, a bullet on the ground and an envelope addressed to Gene with a letter enclosed: a letter that detailed unrequited love, sexual desires, and demands for erotic exploration. This case is unfathomable and tragic for everyone involved. It really challenges the preconceived notions of social norms, boundaries and the emotional turmoil of hindsight being 20/20.

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​​Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. Editing/Production for the podcast by Bltzwolff ([e-mail]).

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References:

Beyond Crime. (2017, December 9). Stranger in my home | S2E1 | star-crossed murder. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPz1qPdRzBc

Pace, G. (2019a, December 9). Bob kept his love for gene secret until tragic end. Tampa Bay Times. https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2007/03/16/bob-kept-his-love-for-gene-secret-until-tragic-end/

Pace, G. (2019b, December 9). Mystery grows as bodies found. Tampa Bay Times. https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2006/11/04/mystery-grows-as-bodies-found/

Robson, M. (2022, October 12). The most stressful job in the world? what it’s really like to be an air traffic controller. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelerobson/2020/05/29/the-most-stressful-job-in-the-world-what-its-really-like-to-be-an-air-traffic-controller/

Hillsborough Obituaries. (2006, November 8). Galen (gene) Thurnau, II obit. Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/article/tampa-bay-times-galen-gene-thurnau-ii/21766294/

Makara-Studzińska M, Załuski M, Jagielski P, Wójcik-Małek D, Szelepajło M. An Exploration of Perceived Stress, Burnout Syndrome, and Self-Efficacy in a Group of Polish Air Traffic Controllers and Maritime Navigators: Similarities and Differences. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 23;18(1):53. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18010053. PMID: 33374735; PMCID: PMC7793528.