Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office announces arrests in 1989 cold case

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) announced Wednesday a pair of arrests in a 1989 cold case.

Victor Lee Turner and Megan R. Turner (formerly known as Pamela K. Turner) have been charged with murder in connection with the death of 5-year-old Justin Turner.

Turner went missing on the morning of March 3, 1989. Law enforcement and volunteers spent two days searching for the child until he was found inside the cabinet of his family’s camper.

The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office has a Cold Case Unit that reviews cases for new information or the application of new technology that may be successful in solving cases. This procedure is especially useful with serious crimes against persons.

In April of 2021, the cold case file of Justin Lee Turner was reviewed for the possible application of new or unused technology. Physical evidence collected at the scene of the crime and the autopsy were reevaluated and submitted to forensic pathologists and SLED 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,” said Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis. “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.”

During the investigation into that cold case, detectives were able to charge Turner’s father, Victor, and stepmother, Megan, in his murder.

The two were arrested at their home in Cross Hill, South Carolina by Berkeley County detectives with help from Laurens County deputies.

They were brought back to Berkeley County.

This is a developing story. Keep checking counton2.com for updates.