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A South Carolina judge has dropped murder charges against Victor Lee Turner and Megan Renee Turner, who were arrested in January over the 1989 cold case death of Justin Lee Turner, Victor’s son. The judge questioned the viability of evidence in the case, leading to the charges being dropped on Friday.
According to CNN’s previous report, the discovery of the body of a 5-year-old boy near his family’s home resulted in the father and stepmother being charged after approximately 35 years.
According to The Associated Press, Circuit Judge Roger Young has ruled that due to the original detective in the case changing his interpretations of the evidence and with over 20 witnesses either deceased or unable to testify, the couple was unable to present a fair defense and cross-examine witnesses who alleged they made self-incriminating statements.
According to the AP, the couple can never face charges again as the judge has prohibited the prosecutors from doing so.
After the charges were dropped, the Turners maintained their innocence and expressed their relief outside the courtroom. Victor Turner stated, “I’m glad it’s over with. I’m still saddened by the situation, but that’s all I can say for now. However, I can hold my head up a little bit.”
Megan Turner firmly denied any involvement, stating, “We didn’t do it.”
According to the AP, Young stated in his ruling that the case relied on circumstantial evidence, which includes statements supposedly incriminating the defendant made to third parties. He also noted that the unavailability of these witnesses for cross-examination would greatly prejudice the defense. The case was investigated in 1989 by a detective who was recently rehired by the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office to review cold cases.
In a statement, the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office praised Judge Young for upholding his oath of office by adhering to the law. The office cited the unavailability of witness testimony and evidence due to the passage of time and highlighted that mistakes made 35 years ago could not be rectified. Testimony at the motions hearing revealed these details about the case.
Earlier this year, documents revealed that the investigation concluded that the Turners were the last and only individuals to have seen and interacted with their son before his death.
On Friday, Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis released a statement expressing disappointment over the outcome of a case involving crimes from years ago. Despite not achieving the desired outcome, Lewis acknowledged the difficulties of prosecuting cases with such a time gap.
“The evidence overwhelmingly points towards those responsible for Justin’s death having had the opportunity to face justice in this world, yet they chose to remain silent and leave the ultimate judgment to God. The truth remains, but justice has not been served.”
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