A South Carolina father who many years in the past was filmed discovering his son’s physique is now charged with the 5-year-old’s homicide, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday.
Victor Turner was arrested alongside his spouse, Megan Turner, in Cross Hill in connection to the dying of Justin Turner, deputies stated. Talking at a press conference Wednesday, Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis stated that Victor Turner had strangled his son within the early morning of March 3, 1989.
Berkeley County Sheriff’s Workplace
Within the afternoon of that day, deputies responded to the household’s residence in Moncks Nook. Victor Turner and his spouse stated on the time that that they had not seen Justin leaving for or getting back from faculty, the deputies stated.
Based on a 2019 statement by the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, Justin deliberate to go to a close-by home to catch the varsity bus with a neighbor, however neighbors stated that he by no means made it on the bus that morning.
Deputies stated that Megan Turner, Justin’s stepmother, was within the bathe on the time and didn’t accompany him outdoors.
The search lasted two days and ended when Victor Turner discovered his son’s physique in a cupboard contained in the household’s camper, which was parked outdoors their residence, deputies stated.
Archival information footage of the search reveals the daddy peering contained in the camper earlier than breaking into tears and saying, “My son’s in there.”
“Slightly than react to discovering his son and personally checking for any indication of life in any respect, [Victor Turner] as a substitute backed out of the camper,” learn an arrest warrant cited by Charleston’s WCSC this week.
Investigators accused the couple of realizing “precisely” the place Justin’s physique was, describing their conduct through the search as “deliberate” and “apparent,” in line with WCSC.
Lewis stated that the crime scene appeared to have been staged when responding deputies first arrived.
Megan Turner, often known as Pamela Turner on the time, had initially been arrested in connection to Justin’s disappearance, the sheriff stated, however her case had been dismissed with out prejudice as a consequence of an absence of proof.
Lewis stated that after her case was dropped, the stepmother modified her title and the couple moved upstate.
“No person that I’m conscious of, from any of the household, has ever heard from them once more,” Lewis instructed reporters.
Many years handed earlier than investigators from the native chilly case unit started reviewing Justin’s dying in April 2021, implementing new forensic expertise and looking for further data on the incident.
Forensic evaluation and post-mortem outcomes revealed that Justin’s physique was put contained in the Turners’ camper shortly after his dying, and a ligature discovered at their residence matched wounds round Justin’s neck, in line with WCSC.
Berkeley County’s public defenders workplace and attorneys listed for the Turners didn’t instantly reply to JS’s requests for remark.
