Matt.

I just wanted to express my gratitude in a small way by saying that the outpouring love and support for Preslee and me has truly knocked me off my feet. I can't believe what I am seeing in regards to the amount of people that are constantly praying, to the people that are willingly donating and contributing to make sure that our Preslee is taken care of!

There is no way that I can even explain how I am feeling right now. I am a planner and this was definitely not in my plan but I know that it's part of God's plan and I am trying my best to trust in it. I know that having Preslee by my side will get me through this unbearable pain. And I am thankful that she is too young to understand and she will grow up seeing how much everyone loved her father!

I am in just complete shock right now but know that very hard times are ahead. Your prayers are getting me through this initial phase but I will need God to give me strength to get through the next months ahead.

I plan to continue to blog as much as possible not only to benefit my family to keep up with Preslee but to share with others who have shown their love to me through the blogging & social media world. Matt loved that I blogged and he loved to proof read my post and give me a hard time about how "incorrect by news standard" my writing would be! I told him I love exclamation points and didn't care if I had run on sentences! Ha! Then he always wanted to read the comments to see what everyone said. I even just found myself thinking that I should have him read this before I hit publish.

I can hardly make sense of what has happened. All we know is that something must have happened to him to cause him to be unconscious because the car behind him said he never hit his breaks as he traveled over 500 feet off the road before hitting a concrete post. The first to his tahoe couldn't get him out but they said he was definitely not awake before his car caught fire.

Matt was always thinking ahead and actually had something written to me in his phone notes in case anything ever were to happen to him. My first request was for someone to please try to get his phone. I HAD to have that phone! At the time, they weren't sure that they could salvage anything after the fire but the only thing that I have received so far was his phone!! He had a lifeproof case on it and it withstood a fire and was laying in a puddle of water but his phone is perfectly fine! I thank the Lord for letting me have that phone so I could read those words that he wanted me to read!!

Once again, I can never say thank you enough for your prayers, love and support during this heartbreaking tragedy!


-I am attaching Matt's obituary for anyone who doesn't live around here to read it in the papers.

Matthew Gary Turner, 32, of Little Rock went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, October 6, 2012 following a car accident. Matt was born January, 8 1980 in Arkadelphia, AR. He was the first son of Lisa and the late Gary Turner.

He attended Arkadelphia High School where he played football and baseball. Matt began his college career at University of Southern Mississippi before transferring to his hometown where he played quarterback for Ouachita Baptist University. He graduated with degree in Mass Communications.


Matt met the love of his life, Julee Bell in their hometown of Arkadelphia and began dating in September 2000. They were married January 13, 2007 at Third Street Baptist Church, where his father was a long time pastor. His dream of a family was fulfilled when his daughter, Preslee Bell was born November 29, 2011.  

Matt started his media career by doing high school play-by-play, serving as an intern at Hootens Football Magazine and KATV Sports. He was hired by KNWA (NBC) in Northwest Arkansas in 2003. He first covered the Razorbacks and then was promoted to nightly news anchor in 2006 before moving to Little Rock to work as the nightly news anchor at Today’s THV in August of 2012 (CBS).

Matt was voted best news anchor by several publications, was named to the Arkansas Business Journal's "40 Under 40" list for achievement in business, and won first place for a sports story by the Arkansas Society of Professional Journalists. He was considered a rising star in the television news business.

He volunteered his time at numerous charities and had a heart for cancer research after losing his dad to cancer seven years ago.

Matt always loved and protected his family and his greatest asset was his love for his daughter Preslee.  He always put his family and friends ahead of himself and was constantly thinking ahead and planning on their behalf. Matt was proud of his hometown and never missed a chance to return home to visit family and friends. Matt was a man of integrity and had a strong faith in God.

He is survived by his wife Julee of Little Rock and his daughter Preslee. He is also survived by his mother Lisa Turner of Arkadelphia and brother Andy Turner (Chelsey) of Benton and his grandparents, Ray and Hilda Wingfield of Arkadelphia and E.T. Pruitt of Gurdon.

Visitation with the family is Tuesday, October 9, from 6-8 p.m. at Third Street Baptist Church in Arkadelphia.

A Memorial service honoring Matt’s life will be Wednesday, October 10, at 1p.m. at Third Street Baptist Church.

A private burial service for family will follow.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been set up at Summit Bank and Southern Bancorp for Julee and Preslee Turner.