Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office says arrests made in 1989 cold case involving death of 5-year-old Justin Turner

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – It has been nearly 35 years since a 5-year-old Berkeley County boy went missing and was found dead days later inside the cabinet of a small family camper.

That child’s father and stepmother are now facing charges in connection with his death.

The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) announced Wednesday that Victor Lee Turner and Megan R. Turner, who was formerly known as Pamela K. Turner, have been charged with murder in the disappearance and 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.

HOW THE ARRESTS HAPPENED

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.

Turner’s case filed was reviewed in April 2021 for the possible application of new or unused technology. Deputies said physical evidence collected at the scene of the crime and the autopsy were reevaluated and submitted to forensic pathologists and SLED lab for analysis.

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

“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.”

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 and are being held at the Hill Finklea Detention Center.

TURNER’S DISAPPEARANCE

The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) previously reported that Justin Turner had left his home on the morning of March 3, 1989, to catch the school bus at a neighbor’s house.

His stepmother, Pamela Turner (now known as Megan), was in the shower at the time and did not accompany him outside, the sheriff’s office said in 2019 when searching for new tips in the case. When she met the bus later that afternoon, the woman realized the boy was not on the bus, nor had he gone to school that day.

“The neighbor whom Justin was supposed to meet that morning had gone outside with her grandson to meet the bus but never saw Justin that morning,” said BCSO in 2019.

Multiple law enforcement agencies and volunteers launched a search in Turner’s neighborhood. It did not yield any immediate results. But search crews remained determined to find the little boy.

During an early morning search two days after the boy’s disappearance, his father discovered the child inside the family’s camper. “My son’s in there,” the man can be heard saying in WCBD archive footage.

The search came to an end. Justin was dead.

Then-Berkeley County Sheriff M.C. Cannon said that an accidental death was ruled out and the coroner’s office said at the time that an autopsy report revealed the boy was sexually assaulted and strangled to death. The case was ruled a homicide.

Justin Turner was killed and among the suspects were members of his own family.

“We haven’t ruled out anybody,” said Sheriff Cannon in the days that followed. “We’re taking a hard look at everybody and we’re just going from one to another. Every time we get a lead, we’re going to be knocking on the door.”

Investigators gathered around a television at WCBD’s studios in 1989 to view videotaped footage that was shot during the search and discovery of Turner’s body.

“The photographer for Channel 2 was constantly taking film and we’re here to view the film and see if there’s anything that we might have missed in person,” said BCSO Lt. Syndey Wrenn many years ago.

As the investigation continued, Justin’s parents became uncooperative with law enforcement.  

The day after the couple took a polygraph test at SLED headquarters, they hired Charleston attorney Dale Cobb to represent them. Cobb refused to let the Turners speak with investigators.

“Our purpose for meeting is trying to work some workable solution with the attorneys so that we could finally eliminate the Turners from being possibly involved or anybody else for that matter,” Lt. Wrenn said at the time.   

Cobb, in turn, alleged that the sheriff’s office was also withholding information. At the time, he said he had been trying for more than a week to get the autopsy results of Justin’s death and the search warrant used to collect evidence.  

“I’m representing both of them and they consented to the search, and we haven’t gotten a copy of the search warrants yet,” he said.

When asked whether there was any evidence to indicate involvement by a person not living on the property, Lt. Wrenn said there was none.

Pamela Turner was initially arrested but there was not enough evidence to hold her at the time.

“The Berkely County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, SLED, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, and all of the investigators who previously worked on this case.”

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