What happened to Justin Turner? Father, stepmother arrested 35 years after 5-year-old boy found dead in cabinet

On March 5, 1989, 5-year-old Justin Turner was found dead inside a cabinet in his family's small camper. He was found by his father, Victor Lee Turner, while the vehicle was parked near their residence. He was reported missing two days prior to the discovery.

A press release by the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office stated that after over three decades since the discovery, on January 10, 2024, authorities apprehended Justin's father, Victor Lee Turner, and stepmother, Megan R. Turner, who was previously known as Pamela K. Turner. They were apprehended at their residence in Cross Hill, South Carolina.

According to a press release by the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office, the couple remains in custody at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center and has been charged with murder in reference to the death of Justin Turner.

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Justin Turner's cause of death was ruled to be strangulation

CBS News reported that following Justin Turner's disappearance, authorities and community members undertook an extensive search for him. Footage of a news segment, which was captured by reporters at an NBC affiliate station based in Charleston, WCBD, shows Victor Turner opening the doors to the family camper, getting inside, and growing upset.

He then came out of the vehicle and told the search crew:

"My son's in there."

CBS affiliate WCSC reported that the official cause of Justin's death was ruled to be strangulation with a ligature on or around the early morning of March 3, 1989. A ligature, which is believed to be the murder weapon, was located at their residence.

The alleged murder weapon matched the ligature marks on the 5-year-old's body, and the fibers found on it were uniform with the material of his shirt collar.

According to the report by WCSC, authorities are speculating that the body of Justin Turner was hidden inside the camper for a brief period of time following his death.

CBS News reported that on the afternoon of March 3, 1989, authorities visited their residence when his parents informed them that Justin never came back home from school. However, according to witnesses, the 5-year-old did not board the bus to school and was marked absent from classes.

The report from WCSC stated that as per court documents, a forensic pathologist's report mentioned the possibility that the child died close to the time he was last seen alive.

CBS News reported that Megan Turner claimed to not have seen her son leave the residence that day to board the bus to school like she usually did as she was taking a shower. She informed the authorities that her stepson was last spotted alive earlier in the morning before he left and that they had an argument.

WCSC reported that the warrant for the couple's arrests read:

"[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 report by CBS News stated that Justin Turner's father was seen crying on television when his deceased body was found during the filming of a 1989 news broadcast.

According to the report by WCSC, the parent's arrest warrant highlighted the inconsistencies in Victor Turner's behavior, particularly in the filmed sequence where he located the body of his son, Justin Turner.

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Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office's Cold Case Unit reviewed Justin's case file, which led to the arrests

ABC News reported that on January 10, 2024, Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis addressed the case. Sheriff Lewis said:

"I can't think of a more tragic, horrendous murder."

The press release by the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office stated that the Cold Case Unit re-evaluates cases for "new information or the application of new technology" that may be useful in solving cases. In April 2021, the cold case file of Justin Turner was reviewed for the potential application of new or unused technology.

The physical evidence gathered from the crime scene and the autopsy were re-examined and submitted to forensic pathologists and the SLED lab for analysis. Sheriff Lewis said:

"We have dedicated detectives who are committed to reviewing and investigating criminal cases where factors have prevented a timely resolution of justice. 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."

In the press release, the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office thanked the Laurens County Sheriff's Office, SLED, the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, the Ninth Circuit Solicitor's Office, and all of the investigators who formerly worked on Justin Turner's case.