LOS ANGELES (CNS) — A man who murdered 14 women in Los Angeles from 1987-98 has been charged with killing another woman in Utah, authorities said this week.

Chester Turner, 57, is currently in state prison in California for killing 14 women in a several-mile area along Figueroa Street south of the 10 Freeway. The victims were mostly sex workers and/or homeless women, and one of them was pregnant.

Prosecutors once called him the city’s most prolific serial killer, and said most of his victims were also raped.

On Friday, the Salt Lake City District Attorney’s Office announced that Turner was charged with the murder of Itisha Camp, whose body was found at the back of a business on Sept. 24, 1998 by three juveniles. Prosecutors say she was killed by strangulation; most of Turner’s victims in Los Angeles were strangled.

Utah authorities say they linked Camp’s killing to Turner through DNA evidence. They said Turner fled to Utah in 1998 in violation of his parole in California for auto theft and drug sales.

“It must have been profoundly difficult for Ms. Camp’s family and loved ones over the last 25 years, not knowing if the suspect in her murder was still out in the public,” Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said. “We hope the filing of this charge brings some relief to Ms. Camp’s loved ones and our entire community, knowing that the defendant is already behind bars.”

Turner was convicted in April 2007 of 10 counts of first-degree murder, and was subsequently convicted and sentenced to death in 2014 for the four other killings. His appeal for those four murders is still pending.

Turner was initially convicted of murdering:

— Diane Johnson, 21, who was found dead in March 1987;

— Annette Ernest, 26, who was killed in October 1987;

— Anita Fishman, 31, who was murdered in January 1989;

— Washington, 27, who was visibly pregnant when she was slain in

September 1989;

— Desarae Jones, 29, who was killed in May 1993;

— Andrea Tripplett, 29, who was strangled April 2, 1993, in South Los

Angeles;

— Natalie Price, 31, whose body was found outside a home on Feb. 12, 1995;

— Mildred Beasley, 45, whose body was found in a field on Nov. 6, 1996;

— Paula Vance, 38, who was strangled on Feb. 3, 1998, during the

commission of a rape, which was caught on grainy black-and-white surveillance

videotape in which the assailant’s face cannot be seen; and

— Brenda Bries, 37, who was found dead in the Skid Row area on April 6, 1998.

Turner lived within 30 blocks of each of the killings — with Bries’ body discovered in downtown Los Angeles just 50 yards from where he was living at the time.

He was linked to the strangulations through DNA test results after being arrested and convicted of raping a woman on Skid Row in 2002.

He was subsequently convicted in 2014 for the killings of 33-year-old Elandra Bunn in June 1987; 28-year-old Deborah Williams in November 1992; 42-year-old Mary Edwards in December 1992; and the February 1997 killing of 30-year-old Cynthia Annette Johnson in Watts.

It was not immediately clear if or when he would be sent to Utah to face the latest murder charge.

Copyright 2024, City News Service, Inc.

HERRIMAN, Utah — University of Utah quarterback Cam Rising has been busy this off-season, hosting his first-ever “Rising Stars” football camp at Herriman High School.

“I’ve been in Utah for quite a while now; it really has become home to me,” said Rising. “Utes fans always come out and show so much support for us, so we’re giving to the community and doing anything we can.”

His football camp was for all athletes, grades K-12, and special needs athletes got to be a part of the fun with the “12th man” portion of the camp.

“I just wanted to make sure everybody has the opportunity,” Rising said. “Football is sometimes only for a select few, and when you can invite more people to be involved with football, it just expands the horizon.”

Supported by GATS Entertainment, this football camp was more than just sport. There was also a semi-truck that was being loaded up with food to contribute to the “For The Kids” Foundation, plus a portion of the camp’s money raised will be given to Herriman High School.

Joining Rising at the camp were also some of his Utah football teammates, who said it was important to them to be there.

“I saw Cam was having a camp and he was just talking to us in the locker room and he said, ‘Come have fun,’ so I came out here,” said Utah cornerback Tao Johnson. “It’s an amazing opportunity to give back to those same kids who are in the stands on Saturdays.”

Running back Jaylon Glover added: “Anything for Cam. This is what you live for, you know, coming to the next level you want to give back because I remember when I was in these kids’ shoes.”

One of the special needs campers, who got to hang with Rising, shared that the support was the best part.

“Oh, this was so fun,” he said. “To have all these people come and support you and help you be a part of what they do, it’s really the best feeling in the world.”

Utah opens its 2024 football season with Rising leading the way on Thursday, August 29, at home against Southern Utah.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Treasure hunters and adventure-seekers, grab your hiking boots and get ready. The fifth annual Utah Treasure Hunt kicks off today, giving the winner a chance to take home $25,000.

Saturday, June 15, organizers David Cline and John Maxim released this year’s riddle — with a twist. It’s all in Spanish.

“A lot of the movies and stuff that we came up with like ‘The Goonies’, for example, the treasure map is all in Spanish — so it’s not that weird for us to be like, hey, this time the treasure is in Spanish,” Maxim said.

Cline said they often try to change aspects of the hunt each time to keep it fresh. Every year, he said, they’ve received messages requesting a poem in Spanish and are excited to have now put one together. He said one word can have multiple translations, adding another layer of the riddle to solve.

The Utah Treasure Hunt has become a beloved event for treasure hunters since the first one in 2020, with a prize of $5,000. Each summer since, Cline and Maxim release a riddle for hunters to solve — leading them to a treasure chest with a QR code inside to claim the winnings. Whoever solves all the clues and finds the chest this year will win $25,000.

Cline said he first approached Maxim with the idea at the height of COVID when everyone was locked inside to get them a chance to have an activity where they could safely go out and adventure. Smiling, Cline said the two are truly kids at heart.

“We’re just students of ‘The Goonies’ and ‘Indiana Jones’, and we just thought it was the coolest thing ever. Like, what if we created some kind of event where you know, any age from, you know, kids to grandparents could all get outside and go treasure hunting together?” he said. “We just love that idea. That first hunt, 2020 was only $5,000, but it sparked this whole passion for the outdoors and for just treasure hunting.”

Maxim said over the years they’ve heard stories of what the Utah Treasure Hunt means to the community — with some treasure hunters falling in love on the hunt, others saying it helped their mental health, and families saying they bonded together as they went exploring.

“We did it that first time to get people out. COVID was such a downer, but since then, the impact we’ve seen it have on people and the treasure hunters has been phenomenal. And so it’s almost something that we feel like we can’t stop doing because it’s just so great for them and for us in hiding it,” Maxim said.

Last year was unique because hunters were eagerly searching for around two months — that was the longest it took for anyone to find the treasure. Overall, Cline and Maxim said it was a positive experience, and they look forward to creating another memorable summer with this year’s hunt.

“I hope people find adventure and discover parts of Utah that they’ve missed out on and being in, you know, fall in love with nature and those kinds of things,” Maxim said.

Cline said it can be a challenge to find the line between making the riddle possible, but difficult enough that the hunt stays fun for participants.

“Each year is getting tougher and tougher because…you know, people are getting smarter and they’re getting used to kind of how we think…This year we have another kind of switch up, which we’ll see how people take it, but we’re excited about it,” he said.

Cline and Maxim said safety is paramount when they choose locations for the treasure, so to keep that in mind, and know you won’t need to rock climb or dig — but do remember to bring enough water and sunscreen.

In addition to the riddle, fans can sign up to receive a clue each Friday until the treasure is found. To stay on top of the Utah Treasure Hunt, follow @the.cline.fam and @onthejohn on Instagram.

Utah Treasure Hunt 2024 Riddle

Si sufres dolor que se cura con oro
Busca el atajo donde canta el coro
Encuentra el lugar por el cual se nombra
Dale la vuelta y sigue la sombra
¿dónde aprendes a oler el helado?
¿O comimos langostas en el pasado?
Cuando vuelves a mirar el amanecer
Sigue derecho, lo puede hacer
Mira los números como si fueras un cuervo
La edad cuando el llegó es lo que observo
Ahora estás cerca, una última pista
Muévete al lugar con la mejor vista