He Cried On TV After Finding His Son’s Body. Now He’s Charged With Murder.

 

  

A South Carolina man who was filmed crying after finding his 5-year-old son’s body has been arrested for the boy’s murder.

Victor Lee Turner, 69, and his wife Megan Turner, 63, have been charged with the murder of 5-year-old Justin Turner, whose body was found in the couple’s camper back in 1989, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post. The office said that its cold case unit reopened Justin’s case in April 2021 and reviewed it to see if new or unused technology could be applied. Physical evidence collected at the scene and Justin’s autopsy was sent to forensic pathologists and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s lab for analysis.

“We have dedicated detectives who are committed to reviewing and investigating criminal cases where factors have prevented a timely resolution of justice.” Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis said in the post. “These detectives have worked hard to be sure that the life of Justin Lee Turner is remembered and that his murderers are brought to justice.”

Justin was reported missing on March 3, 1989, and an extensive search was launched at the time, CBS News reported. On March 5, 1989, reporters with WCBD-TV filmed part of the search, which involved Victor entering the doors to the family’s camper, which was parked near the home, and quickly backing out of the vehicle while saying: “My son’s in there.” Victor can then be seen crying and repeating the words over and over again as the cameras continue to film.

Justin’s body was found in a cabinet of the small camper and showed signs of strangulation and sexual assault.

“We know for a fact that Justin was strangled to death. There were ligature marks on his neck. We recovered what we believe to be evidence of the murder. We have a lot of forensic evidence. We got here because of new technology and forensic medicine,” Sheriff Lewis said at a press conference on Wednesday, according to WCBD.

Lewis said detectives were able to use new technology to narrow down the time of Justin’s death.

“We are able to use some forensic testing that was not previously available, enabling them to tie in the murder weapon believed was used to strangle Justin to clothing and fabric on Justin’s clothing at the time of death,” Lewis said, according to the outlet.

An affidavit reviewed by WCBD said detectives found fibers from a ligature in Justin’s home that matched the fabric of his shirt when he was found.

During a 1989 broadcast following the discovery of Justin’s body, WCBD stated that investigators had searched the camper several times before Justin’s body was found, indicating he had been placed there after he was killed.

Sheriff Lewis suggested that in a statement to WCBD, saying, “You have to make that determination for yourself. But that is what it appears to us.”

Lewis added that the archived footage was key to determining that Justin’s father and stepmother knew more than they told police at the time of his disappearance.

Lewis also said that there were inconsistencies in the Turners’ initial statements and that the crime scene appeared staged. The Turners initially told police that Justin had never returned home from school, but witnesses stated that he never got on the bus and was marked absent.

“He never got on that bus. He never got on that bus because he was dead inside that house,” Lewis said at the Wednesday press conference. “I can’t think of a more tragic, horrendous murder. A 5-year-old boy.”

Megan Turner reportedly told police she didn’t see her son leave home that day because she was in the shower.

“[She] provided misinformation to investigators about her specific whereabouts on the morning of Friday, March 3, 1989, and provided inconsistent information about her activities,” the warrant for the Turners’ arrest said, according to WCSC.

Victor and Megan are currently being held at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center and will face a circuit court judge for a bond hearing within the next 30 days.