CROSS HILL, S.C. – A breakthrough in a decades-old cold case has led to the arrest of the father and stepmother of a 5-year-old boy who went missing in 1989. The authorities have announced that Victor Lee Turner, 69, and Megan R. Turner, 63, will be charged with the murder of the young boy.
The Turners were taken into custody at their residence in Cross Hill, located about 3½ hours north of Berkeley County, where the crime occurred. They have been booked on a murder charge and are currently being held at Hill-Finklea Detention Center in Moncks Corner, S.C.
Justin Turner’s body was found in a camper near the couple’s home, and the sheriff’s office has stated that he was asphyxiated. The arrest of the Turners comes after evolving DNA and forensic evidence technology helped to match a ligature to a shirt collar the victim was wearing, according to investigators.
Authorities believe that Justin was fatally strangled with the ligature shortly after consuming his last meal on March 2, 1989. Megan Turner reportedly provided inconsistent details about her whereabouts during the time frame for the murder, and she told witnesses that she had an altercation with the victim before he was last seen.
In a press conference, Sheriff S. Duane Lewis expressed his disbelief at the lack of interest shown by the Turners in the investigation throughout the years. The case was kept alive by Justin’s cousin, Amy Parsons, who was only 8 years old when Justin was killed. Parsons expressed gratitude for the case’s closure and stated that the Turners shouldn’t have been free for 34 years.
The Sheriff emphasized the profound impact of the killing on the close-knit community, calling it a tragic and horrendous murder that robbed Justin of his entire future. The Turners have not yet retained a lawyer for their defense and the public defender has not provided a comment on the matter.