35 years after 5-year-old SC boy’s murder, father and stepmother arrested

The father and stepmother of a 5-year-old boy found dead in a box under a dining table in a camper in Berkeley County almost 35 years ago were recently arrested and charged with murder.

Victor Lee Turner, Justin’s father, and Megan Renee Turner were arrested at their home in Laurens County Monday and taken to Berkeley County jail.

Megan Turner had told deputies in March 1989 that her stepson, Justin, left for school and was not seen after that. He never arrived at a neighbor’s house where he would wait for the bus.

She said she was taking a shower when he left. Victor Turner said he was at work that morning,

Justin’s body was not found in the initial search of the camper. About 100 officers turned out two days later to scour the property surrounding the home. That was when Victor Turner found his son’s body.

The coroner revealed the boy had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

Megan Turner, then known as Pamela, was a suspect from the start and was arrested but charges were dropped for lack of evidence.

In a news release Monday, Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis said the department’s Cold Case Unit In April 2021 reviewed physical evidence collected at the scene and Justin’s autopsy and submitted the information to forensic pathologists and SLED lab for analysis. That information led to the arrest of the couple, he said.