June 7th 2024.
On a Friday in South Carolina, a judge made a decision that would bring an end to a decades-old case. Murder charges against a father and step-mother were thrown out due to a lack of new evidence. The judge, Roger Young, concluded that the original detective in the case had changed his interpretation of the evidence. With over 20 witnesses either deceased or unable to testify, the couple was unable to defend themselves and question those who claimed they had made incriminating statements. As a result, the judge barred prosecutors from ever charging the couple again.
This decision came after the recent conviction of Amanda Knox, who has vowed to "fight for the truth" after being wrongfully accused of murder. The father of the victim, Victor Turner, expressed relief that the case was over, but also expressed frustration that the true killer may never be identified. He believed that the focus on him and his wife from the start of the investigation hindered the chance of finding the real perpetrator.
In March of 1989, Justin Turner, a five-year-old boy, was found dead in a cabinet in a camper behind his family's home in Berkeley County. He had been strangled. At the time, investigators believed that the scene had been staged and they suspected the boy's father and step-mother, Victor and Megan Turner, of being involved. In January of this year, murder charges were officially filed against the couple in what had become a cold case.
However, this was not the first time Megan Turner had been charged with murder in connection to Justin's death. In 1990, a grand jury refused to indict her. Megan shared that the suspicion surrounding her since her step-son's death had been overwhelming. She was afraid to speak to anyone, fearing that her words would be twisted by the police in an attempt to unjustly convict her. She tearfully expressed her relief that the case was finally over after 30 years, but also her frustration that the investigation had gone so wrong from the beginning.
According to defense attorney Shaun Kent, the investigators involved in the case had tunnel vision and relied on assumptions and poorly gathered evidence. They were convinced that the Turners were guilty and any rumor or suspicion was enough to keep the case going. Kent argued that the case was not based on any solid evidence, but rather on rumors and innuendos.
The evidence that was eventually brought to light was thanks to the Virginia School of Law's Innocence Project. They provided Kent with evidence that connected serial killer Richard Evonitz to the murder. Evonitz was stationed on a US Navy ship in nearby Charleston at the time of Justin's death. The evidence and method used in Justin's case matched three other kidnappings and killings of children in Virginia that Evonitz was linked to. Unfortunately, Evonitz killed himself in 2002 and his body was cremated, making it impossible to match his DNA with evidence in the South Carolina case.
The original detective who investigated the case in 1989 was rehired by the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office in 2021 to review cold cases. He testified that they were able to determine that fibers from a ligature found at the home matched those found on Justin's shirt. However, Kent argued that this should not be considered new evidence and that using a microscope does not make it any more reliable.
When the couple was arrested this year, the deputies changed their theory on how the boy was killed. They claimed that he was strangled with a dog collar attached to a leash, instead of just the leash. This new theory only came about after deputies bought a collar and tested it on a mannequin. The judge pointed out that the collar and dog would have been available in 1989, but not now. Despite detectives digging up the dog's remains, the collar has yet to be found.
Justin Turner's body was found two days after he was reported missing. The investigation took a turn when Victor Turner entered the camper as a TV camera filmed him and seconds later announced that he had found the body. Additionally, the couple had made strange statements and exhibited suspicious behavior, leading officers to question their involvement. However, these statements were made over 30 years ago and many of the witnesses are now deceased or unable to testify.
In his ruling, Judge Young stated that having over 20 witnesses who were used to build the case in 1989 unable to testify today is not fair to the couple. He argued that the evidence relied heavily on supposed incriminating statements made to third parties and that the unavailability of these witnesses for cross-examination would be highly prejudicial to the defense.
Prosecutors accepted the judge's ruling, with Solicitor Scarlett Wilson expressing her disappointment in the mistakes made by investigators 35 years ago in collecting and preserving evidence. She stated that it is rare for prosecutors to say that nothing more could have been done to conduct a more thorough investigation. The family of Justin Turner also issued a statement, expressing their belief that the justice system had failed and that the true perpetrators would ultimately face justice from a higher power.
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