Breckenridge dispatcher assists arrest after murder suspect calls, receives Distinguished Service Award

BRECKENRIDGE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – When people think of first responders, they often picture firefighters, police officers, and paramedics. But behind every emergency, dispatchers work tirelessly to coordinate the response. During a deadly shooting incident, Breckenridge Dispatcher Katey Turnbull was directing first responders when she received a shocking call — from the suspect himself.

On November 22, 2024, Breckenridge Dispatcher Katey Turnbull was working dispatch alone when a homicide was reported in the 700 block of South Stoker. Breckenridge Police Chief Blake Johnson said she swiftly answered the call and sent officers to the scene.

“[She] dealt with all the chaos that comes in with that type of call,” Johnson shared during the January 7 City Commissioners meeting. “It was a defensive amount of call-outs and getting people going. There were still people continuing to give calls.”

When crews arrived on the scene, they found 64-year-old Vernon Lee Glenn of Breckenridge deceased. The suspect, his grandson, 25-year-old Logan Scott Bills, was nowhere to be found.

Later that evening, however, authorities received an unexpected call — Logan Bills, still at large, was on the line.

“Katey took that phone call and ended up staying with him on the phone for an extensive amount of time, assisting law enforcement. In this case, our neighboring county ended up coming out. With her assistance, she was able to keep him on the phone to get a location and was able to keep him on the phone until officers were able to get there,” Johnson explained.

Bills has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He is currently in the Stephens County Jail on a bond of $400,000.

Turnbull was honored with the Distinguished Service Award for going above and beyond the call of duty. The award was presented by Johnson, who expressed how fortunate he is to have her as part of the team.

“I’ve been very fortunate… Katey is probably one of the most intelligent and probably one of the best assets that we have within our communication center, and her excellence has not stopped at that point. She continues to do the things that make us a better community, and she represents the values of what the Breckenridge community is and what our core values are,” Johnson expressed.

Johnson shared that Turnbull had been working dispatch just 10 minutes before the meeting, joking about returning to finish her shift.

He added, “It’s an amazing thing when we’re all sitting at home or doing our things on the holidays. These are the people that are sitting up here, answering those phones and making us safe. We are very blessed to have committed people to our community, and Katey is the example of that.”

According to the Breckenridge Texan, BPD Dispatch Supervisor Emily Grenko wrote a letter as part of Turnbull’s recognition. She explained, “While (the Eastland) officers were in the area, Katey continued to instruct the suspect to follow their directions, keep his hands visible, and not to reach for anything… He was apprehended without incident. She did not have any communication with Eastland, but her efforts made it possible for their officer to go home safely that night.”