The Murder of Justin Turner
Episodes 170 & 171
Justin Lee Turner
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Five year old Justin Turner said goodbye to his stepmother and headed off for the bus stop. It wouldn't be until hours later that she discovered the little boy never made it to the bus that day. As investigators arrived to begin searching for the child, it seemed like he'd been abducted sometime after leaving the house.
However, on the third day of searching, a grisly discovery was made. Justin's body was found not in a far away location, not in the woods or in a field, but in a trailer camper in his own backyard. What really confused police was; how did Justin end up in a location that had already been searched?
As the investigation progressed, focus began closing in around Justin's family. Had the little boy been the victim of a random, violent attacker, or was it more likely that someone in his own house knew more than they were telling?
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Five year old Justin Turner vanished on a Friday morning in March of 1989. Two days of searches organized and led by the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department turned up no trace of the missing child. Investigators began to theorize that the boy had been abducted while making his way to the bus stop until, early on the third day, his body was discovered in a location that was supposed to have already been searched.
While the focus of the investigation turned to Justin's stepmother, disputes between investigators and the coroner's office as well as the solicitor's office were sighted as hindering the case. Laws protecting spouses from testifying against one another were changed and a very public battle about the circumstantial nature of the evidence drew criticism from all sides.
Now, thirty-two years later, the case is in the hands of cold case investigators who hope new forensic technology can finally unlock the truth and identify Justin's killer.
Sources:
27 years later, Berkeley County family still seeks answers in 5-year-old boy's death | WCIV
07 Mar 1989, Page 11 - The Index-Journal at Newspapers.com
07 Mar 1989, Page 16 - The Index-Journal at Newspapers.com
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Aiken Standard, Mar 6, 1989, p. 19 | NewspaperArchive
Aiken Standard, Aug 22, 1989, p. 2 | NewspaperArchive
Newly-submitted DNA could help solve 5-year-old Moncks Corner boy's 1989 death | WCIV
29 years later, sheriff's office still asks: Who killed Justin Turner? | WCIV
Questions swirl around 1989 murder | News | postandcourier.com
Who killed Justin Turner? - The Berkeley Observer
Stepfather vows to find son's killer 25 years after his murder
22 years later, Justin Turner murder case still unsolved
1989 killing of Berkeley County SC boy, 5, remains unsolved | The State
29 years later, Justin Turner murder case still unsolved; deputies search for info
Murder of Berkeley Co. 5-year-old remains unsolved for 29 years
Mystery still surrounds '89 death of child found in camper cabinet; stepmother now lives in Upstate
Who Killed 5-Year-Old Justin Turner? | What Lies Beyond
Who killed Justin Turner? | Local News | Summerville Journal Scene | Summerville, SC
(20+) Justice for Justin Lee Turner | Facebook
Justin Turner Murder: "They Need To Get The Electric Chair" - The Berkeley Observer