South-Carolina
South Carolina father filmed finding 5-year-old son’s body in 1989 charged with his murder
Investigators long thought a 5-year-old South Carolina boy found strangled in 1989 was killed by his father and stepmother. But it took 34 years of scientific advancement to link microscopic fibers found on the boy’s shirt to a ligature that investigators located at the couple’s home, a sheriff said.
Victor Lee Turner, 69, and Megan R. Turner, 63, have been charged with murder in the death of 5-year-old Justin Turner, Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis said at a news conference Wednesday.
The boy’s body was found inside a cabinet in a camper behind the Turner home in March 1989.
Investigators immediately thought the killing scene had been staged and caught the couple in lies, including that he had gotten on the school bus the morning he disappeared, Lewis said. Megan Turner was charged with murder shortly after the boy’s death, but prosecutors dropped the charge, with the condition that they could refile it if more evidence emerged.
Scientific advancements, combined with evidence collected in 1989, was the push needed, the sheriff said.
Tiny fibers from a ligature that investigators found at the home shortly after the boy’s disappearance were found to match those found on the boy’s shirt, sheriff’s deputies said in the arrest warrants.
“That enabled us to tie in the murder weapon that we believe was used to strangle Justin to clothing and fabric on his clothing at the time of his death,” Lewis said.
Investigators suspected the Turners from the beginning, based not only on the ligature, but the couple’s behavior. Other possible evidence was that food from a dinner the family had eaten the night before Justin was reported missing was found during an autopsy to be only partially digested. Investigators said that indicated the boy was killed not long after he ate. The couple said the last time they saw Justin alive was the next morning as they got him ready for school.
The child’s body was found two days after he was reported missing. Just as a massive search was getting underway, Victor Turner entered the camper as a TV camera filmed him and seconds later said he found the body among the many cabinets and drawers in the camper, deputies said.
Turner didn’t check to see if the boy was alive, instead backing out and saying someone had hurt him, according to the statement.
“He looked dead. I could feel something was wrong with him. I did not touch him,” Turner later told investigators.
Before the body was discovered, a witness said Turner asked a law enforcement official what might happen to a family member who had harmed the boy, deputies said.
Deputies said the couple do not have lawyers. They are being held without bail at the Berkeley County jail after being arrested at their home in Laurens County, about a three-hour drive away.
The sheriff said deputies gave them ample time to talk during the ride after reading them their rights, but they chose not to.
“I never got one phone call — one phone call — from his daddy or his stepmother. ‘What are y’all doing about my son’s death?’ Not one. What does that tell you?” Lewis said.
Several members of the boy’s family were at the news conference, including Amy Parsons, who was 8 when her cousin died. She said while many of her relatives grieved and cried and demanded justice — including the boy’s mother, who has since died — the Turners moved away and disconnected.
“Put these two people where they deserve to be because they walked for 34 years,” Parsons said. “They had freedom for 34 years while our family suffered.”
South-Carolina
Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver named South Carolina Sheriff of the Year: SCSA
GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Georgetown Sheriff Carter Weaver was selected as the South Carolina Sheriff’s Association’s 2026 Sheriff of the Year, the association announced Monday.
Sheriff Weaver was nominated by Horry County Sheriff Phillip Thompson, who said of Weaver, “I have followed Carter throughout his career, from SLED to Sheriff. I am so proud that he has matured into a progressive leader that has brought the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office far beyond what we ever imagined.”
Weaver started his law enforcement career back in 1986 with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, before joining the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office in 2001 as the Assistant Sheriff. He was elected as Sheriff of Georgetown County in February of 2020.
Having earned a bachelor’s degree from Coastal Carolina University and a Juris Doctor from the Charleston School of Law, Weaver also graduated from the FBI National Academy and serves as Commissioner for the National Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
Sheriff Weaver has introduced several initiatives to better serve the community, such as the T3 initiative. The Truth with Transparency Builds Trust initiative was launched in response to public concern following the George Floyd case.
Under Weaver’s leadership, the GCSO launched the “Reentry 2.0” program, which offers life skills workshops, certifications, and other educational offerings to Georgetown County inmates.
Weaver has also successfully lobbied the county council to increase pay and benefits for law enforcement, as well as for construction on a new detention center, scheduled to open in Spring 2027.
The Sheriff of the Year Award will be presented to Sheriff Weaver at the Sheriff’s Association’s Annual Conference in Myrtle Beach from July 12 – 15. The award is sponsored by Moseley Architects, a full-service design firm.
“We are extremely proud of Sheriff Weaver,” said Todd David, vice president for Moseley. “He has worked tirelessly to protect and serve the citizens of Georgetown County and through his leadership and commitment he continues to move the county forward.”
When Charleston residents and visitors opened their weather app over Fourth of July weekend, the first numbers they saw didn’t tell the whole story.
While meteorologists predicted a high of 94 degrees on Independence Day, the heat index, known as the “feels like” temperature, was projected to exceed 100. That’s what forecasters use to determine the actual heat risk and to issue advisories, watches and warnings.
The heat index is what stepping outside actually feels like to the human body when the temperature and humidity are combined. In Charleston, bouts of extreme heat indexes are hotter and longer than the region previously experienced.
Between 1979 and 2023, Charleston saw an increase of 19 days annually with a heat index over 80 degrees, according to Climate Central.
The National Weather Service office in Charleston uses the heat index to decide when to issue extreme heat warnings, watches and advisories. The determination is made from records maintained by the S.C. Department of Public Health, as well as the equivalent agency in Georgia, regarding EMS calls for heat-related emergencies.
The days with the highest number of calls were compared to conditions such as daily temperature and heat index. There were several cases where call volumes for heat-related illness were high, despite the heat index sitting below the advisory threshold at the time. Ultimately, the National Weather Service office lowered the requirements for a heat advisory to be issued.
Today, heat alerts fall into one of three categories:
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Heat Advisory: Issued when the heat index is between 108 and 112 degrees for at least two hours. During this time, people are encouraged to reschedule outdoor activities during the heat of the day. If being outside is necessary, people are encouraged to stay in the shade and drink lots of water.
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Extreme Heat Watch: Issued when the heat index is 113 degrees or higher for 24 to 72 hours. When this alert is issued, people should adjust their outdoor plans. In this case, the conditions for an extreme heat event are all there, but the timing and exact outcome are uncertain.
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Extreme Heat Warning: Issued when the heat index exceeds 113 degrees for at least two hours.
When this alert is issued, people should avoid outdoor activities during the heat of the day and stay in air conditioned spaces as much as possible.
In South Carolina, heat-related emergency room visits tend to peak during July. The most-recent data available from the state Department of Public Health indicates that Charleston County saw 713 emergency department visits for heat-related illness in July 2024.
Those most at risk, according to the state, are construction workers and landscapers, followed by postal carriers, recreation workers, farmers and lifeguards, among others.
Meteorologists expect a hot summer this year, as an “extremely strong” El Niño has formed in the Pacific Ocean. The global weather phenomenon is known to cause wetter conditions and a less-active hurricane season in the Southeast, as well as higher temperatures.
Climate scientists fear that the El Niño could thrust the world over the 1.5 degree Celsius, or 2.7 degree Fahrenheit, threshold of increased global surface temperatures above pre-industrial levels. Numerous scientific and political documents use that threshold when considering the turning point for climate change’s most intense and potentially irreversible impacts.
HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) – Horry County Fire Rescue crews contained three separate fires totaling roughly 13 acres overnight and into early morning, capping a busy Fourth of July for firefighters across the county.
Silvercrest Drive
Horry County Fire Rescue responded to the first fire at 10:32 p.m. Saturday at Silvercrest Drive in the Carolina Forest community.
The grass fire, estimated at one acre, threatened nearby structures, but crews contained it and protected the structures.
Smoke may still linger in the area Sunday.
Sunny Heights Road
Shortly after, around 11:10 p.m., firefighters responded to Sunny Heights Road in the Longs community for a woods fire.
The slow-moving fire grew to roughly 10 acres. No structures were threatened. The South Carolina Forestry Commission assisted crews on scene.
People in the area will continue to see smoke and possible flare-ups for an extended period. The fire was contained around 1:15 a.m.
Hardwick Road
At 3:32 a.m., Horry County Fire Rescue responded to the 10000 block of Hardwick Road in Nichols for a brush fire estimated at two acres.
The fire threatened nearby structures, but crews announced at 6:05 a.m. that the fire was contained and all structures were protected. The South Carolina Forestry Commission also assisted at this scene.
People in the area may continue to see smoke and possible flare-ups. Crews will continue to monitor the area.
Fireworks and Drought
In addition to the fires, Horry County Fire Rescue said crews kept busy throughout the evening with multiple calls, including outside fires reportedly started by the discharging of fireworks.
Ahead of the holiday weekend, HCFR had advised the community to skip personal-use fireworks and leave holiday shows to the professionals, citing dangerous dry conditions across the county.
Nearly all of Horry County, 99.3%, is currently under an extreme drought, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor data. Our First Alert Weather team has more on the expanding drought conditions here.
It is unclear if any of the three fires above were caused by fireworks.
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