Father, stepmother accused of murdering Justin Lee Turner in 1989 want charges dropped

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A father and stepmother accused of murdering their 5-year-old son more than 30 years ago hope to have the case against them dismissed.

Victor Lee Turner and Megan Renee Turner appeared in a Berkeley County courtroom on Thursday morning. Their attorneys motioned for the charges against the Turners to be dismissed based on a pre-trial delay.

Attorneys spent much of the morning discussing why they believe the charges need to be dismissed, claiming there is no new evidence and that it has been 35 years since the crime happened.

They said investigators have been looking at it for many years, even going as far as pressing charges and still unable to get a conviction.

The deputy who arrested the Turners in January also delivered testimony where he went over various factors in the case. One of the key issues is the fact that so many people who would be testifying in the trial have already passed away.

They also discussed some evidence in the case, including a leash and potentially a collar that could have been used to strangle the child. The judge asked prosecutors to verify whether there was a collar.

Experts said the collar and leash would have been used together to create the wounds on Justin Turner from the strangulation.

Victor and Megan, known at the time of the child’s death as Pamela, were arrested at their home in Laurens County in January for their roles in the March 1989 disappearance and death of Justin Lee Turner.

They were brought back to Berkeley County and granted a $50,000 surety bond each. The father, Victor, was ordered to not have any contact with Justin Turner’s family, nor are they allowed to travel out of state.

Justin Turner went missing on the morning of March 3, 1989. Victor found the boy’s body inside a camper on the family’s Berkeley County property after a two-day search that involved multiple law enforcement agencies.

A videographer from WCBD was following along that morning when the discovery was made. An affidavit shows Victor found Turner’s body “within seconds” of entering the camper during search efforts the morning of March 5, 1989.

The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office used new technology and that video as part of a fresh investigation into Turner’s disappearance and death. It led them to arrest Victor and Megan at their Upstate home.