BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – A decades-long mystery has finally been solved as the father and stepmother of a 5-year-old boy who went missing in 1989 are now in jail and facing murder charges for his death.
Victor Lee Turner, 69, and Megan R. Turner, 63, were arrested at their residence in Cross Hill, South Carolina, about 3½ hours north of Berkeley County, where the crime took place. They have been booked into Hill-Finklea Detention Center in Moncks Corner on a murder charge, with bail yet to be determined, according to jail records.
The body of Justin Lee Turner was found in a camper next to the couple’s home, and it was determined that he had been asphyxiated, according to statements and court documents from the sheriff’s office.
Authorities have long suspected the Turners, with Megan Turner, formerly known as Pamela K. Turner, previously charged in the case. However, the complaint was withdrawn without prejudice, leaving open the option to prosecute in the future.
The investigation was revisited in 2021, and with the help of evolving DNA and forensic evidence technology, authorities were able to match a ligature to a shirt collar the victim was wearing. This, along with inconsistencies in Megan Turner’s account of events, led to the arrest of the couple. Additionally, witness statements indicated that Megan Turner had an altercation with the victim before he was last seen.
The case, which shocked the close-knit community north of Charleston, has finally provided closure to the family of the victim. Justin Turner would have turned 40 years old today had he not been tragically taken away. His cousin, Amy Parsons, who was 8 when he was killed, expressed gratitude for the case’s closure, stating that the Turners shouldn’t have been free for 34 years.
The tragic murder of a 5-year-old boy has haunted the community for decades, but with the arrest of the Turners, there is hope for justice and closure for the family.