Killing Girlfriend Lands Chesco Man Behind Bars

PHOENIXVILLE, PA – A 57-year-old East Pikeland Township man was sentenced to Friday to 20 to 40 years in stateprison for the fatal beating of his 45-year-old live-in girlfriend, Rachel Yeager, in 2018.

A jury convicted the defendant of third-degree murder in May 2022 following a trial before Chester County Judge Analisa Sondergaard .

“This case is a heartbreaking example of domestic violence at its worst, “ District Attorney Deb Ryan said after the sentence was imposed. “Mark Turner inflicted brutal, painful, and horrific injuries on Rachel Yaeger’s body, which resulted in her tragic death.

“Hopefully, this sentence gives a sense of justice to all those who loved Rachel. We are grateful to all the law enforcement agencies who assisted in this investigation.”

According to court records:

• Turner was drinking alcohol after work before returning home, where he found his ex-girlfriend sitting on a couch.
• Turner claimed he became enraged because he suspected the victim of cheating on him.
• He repeatedly punched her in the jaw and kicked her multiple times in the vaginal area with his steel-toed work boots.
• The defendant went to bed, leaving the victim sitting on the couch in the living room.
• Police found the victim unresponsive on a couch.

Efforts were made to resuscitate the victim before she was taken by West End Ambulance to Phoenixville Hospital. She was transferred to the trauma unit at Paoli Hospital. Doctors pronounced the victim dead.

An autopsy showed the victim died of blunt-impact head injury.