Chester Turner

Overview

Chester Dewayne Turner, born on November 5, 1966, in Warren, Arkansas, is an American serial killer and sex offender whose heinous acts led to his death sentence for the brutal sexual assault and murder of fourteen women and an unborn baby in Los Angeles between 1987 and 1998. Turner, infamously dubbed "The Southside Slayer," is regarded as one of the most prolific serial killers in the history of Los Angeles.

Quick Facts

• Born: November 5, 1966 (age 58)
• Birthplace: Warren, Arkansas, U.S.
• Other Names: "The Southside Slayer"
• Convictions: First-degree murder with special circumstances (15 counts; 1 later overturned)
• Criminal Penalty: Death
• Details of Victims: 15–16+
• Span of Crimes: 1987–1998
• Countries: United States
• States: California (known), Utah (alleged)
• Date Apprehended: September 30, 2003

Turner’s life was marked by instability; he spent much of his adult life homeless and was incarcerated for unrelated crimes during his murder spree. In 2002, he was sentenced to eight years in prison for raping a woman earlier that year. While incarcerated, DNA analysis linked him to numerous unsolved murders and rapes, ultimately leading to his death sentence in July 2007 for ten murders, followed by an additional four murders in June 2014.

Early Life

Chester Turner’s childhood was tumultuous. After his parents separated, he moved with his mother to Los Angeles when he was just five years old. He attended public schools, including Locke High School, but dropped out. Turner worked various jobs, including as a cook and delivery person for Domino's Pizza, and lived with his mother until she relocated to Utah. After her departure, he drifted from one homeless shelter to another.

In 1992, Turner entered a relationship with Felicia Collier, with whom he had one child. Throughout his life, he fathered a total of four children with different women, many of whom were cared for by his mother after his arrest. His criminal history began in the 1980s, with multiple arrests for theft and drug possession, and included a conviction in 1995 for car theft, followed by charges of assault on an officer and animal cruelty in 1997.

The Murders

Turner’s reign of terror was primarily concentrated in a four-block corridor in South Los Angeles, particularly along Figueroa Street between Gage Avenue and 108th Street. DNA evidence would later link him to at least fourteen murders, with several occurring outside this corridor.

1987–1989: First Set of Murders

Turner's first confirmed murder victim was Diane Johnson, a 21-year-old whose body was discovered on March 9, 1987, in a roadway construction area. She had been raped, strangled, and stripped of her clothing.

In June 1987, Elandra Joyce Bunn, 33, was found dead, nude, and lying in trash—a tragic discovery made by an 11-year-old boy. An autopsy revealed that Bunn had suffered severe trauma, with battered eyes and multiple abrasions and bruises. Later that year, on October 29, Annette Ernest, 26, was found partially nude and strangled by the side of a road. Her mother was friends with the mother of Turner's fifth victim, adding a chilling layer to the case.

The following year, in January 1989, Anita Fishman Breier, 31, was found dead outside a garage, while on September 23, Regina Nadine Washington, 27, was discovered strangled in a garage, six months pregnant; the death of her fetus was ruled a homicide.

1992–1993: Second Set and Wrongful Conviction

The gruesome killings resumed in November 1992 with the murder of Debra Williams, 32, whose body was found in the 400 block of West 98th Street. A month later, Mary Edwards, 41, was found on the 9700 block of South Figueroa Street.

In April 1993, Andrea Tripplett, 29, was found strangled behind a vacant building, and in May, Desarae Ellemae Jones, also 29, was discovered in a backyard, similarly strangled. Tragically, during this period, David Allen Jones was wrongfully convicted for the murders of Williams and Edwards, based largely on coerced confessions and circumstantial evidence.

1995–1998: Final Murders

The final series of murders occurred from 1995 to 1998. On February 12, 1995, Natalie Joan Price, 31, was found strangled next to a vacant residence. In November 1996, Mildred Williams Beasley, 45, was discovered partially nude along the 110 Freeway. The killings continued with Cynthia Annette Johnson in February 1997 and culminated with Paula Donnell Vance, 38, who was found on February 3, 1998, in Azusa. Security footage captured parts of her murder, showing a "dark shadow" that would later be identified as Turner.

The last known victim, Brenda Bries, 39, was found strangled in a portable toilet near Little Tokyo in April 1998, a mere 50 yards from the hotel where Turner was staying.

Arrest and Investigation

By March 2002, Turner was working as a security guard at a downtown Los Angeles homeless shelter. In that month, he assaulted Maria Martinez, a 47-year-old woman. His sentence for this crime subsequently led to the collection of a DNA sample, which would prove pivotal in his capture.

In September 2003, DNA evidence linked him to the murders of Vance and Bries, prompting detectives to delve deeper into his background. By October 2004, they matched ten additional unsolved murders to Turner through DNA analysis, culminating in his arraignment on December 22, 2004, on ten murder charges. He maintained his innocence throughout.

Overturning of Jones' Convictions

As detectives investigated further, they revisited the cases involving David Allen Jones, whose convictions for the murders of Williams and Edwards were now under scrutiny due to DNA evidence linking those murders to Turner. The LAPD Crime Laboratory re-evaluated the evidence, and it became clear that Jones had been wrongfully convicted. In March 2004, he was released and awarded compensation for his wrongful imprisonment.

Convictions and Sentencing

Turner’s first conviction came on May 10, 2007, when he was found guilty of eleven murders and subsequently sentenced to death on July 10, 2007. In February 2011, he faced additional charges for the murders of Cynthia Johnson, Elandra Bunn, Mary Edwards, and Debra Williams. DNA evidence again linked Turner to these killings, and on June 19, 2014, he was convicted of these additional murders, receiving another death sentence shortly after.

In November 2020, the California Supreme Court reversed Turner’s murder conviction regarding the unborn child but upheld his death sentences for the other fourteen murders. He currently resides on death row at San Quentin State Prison.

Media Coverage

Turner's chilling crimes have been featured in various media, including the Investigation Discovery show Evil Lives Here in 2019, which detailed his crimes in season 5, episode 6, titled "I Was His First Victim." Additionally, the series World's Most Evil Killers profiled Turner's case in season 6, episode 9.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Chester Turner
• Spano, John (May 1, 2007). "L.A. man guilty in 11 deaths". The Los Angeles Times.
• "Jury decides prolific L.A. serial killer should be executed". Los Angeles Times.
• Rocha, Veronica (June 19, 2014). "Notorious L.A. serial killer convicted in murders of four more women". The Los Angeles Times.
• Pelisek, Christine (May 15, 2007). "Death Penalty for Chester Turner". LA Weekly.
• "Serial killer charged in 1998 murder of Salt Lake City woman". Fox 13 Salt Lake City.
• Blankstein, Andrew; Winton, Richard; Leovy, Jill (October 23, 2004). "DNA Analysis Links Man to 12 Slayings". The Los Angeles Times.
• Blankstein, Andrew; Winton, Richard (October 31, 2005). "Serial-Murder Trial Hinges on DNA Evidence". The Los Angeles Times.
• "The Homicide Report: Elandra Bunn, 33". The Los Angeles Times.
• "The Homicide Report: Diane Johnson, 21". The Los Angeles Times.
• "The Homicide Report: Annette Ernest, 26". The Los Angeles Times.
• "Victim's nephew testifies in South L.A. serial killing case". The Los Angeles Times.
• "The Homicide Report: Regina Washington, 27". The Los Angeles Times.
• Blankstein, Andrew; Gorman, Larrubia (October 25, 2004). "How Wrong Man Was Convicted In Killings". Los Angeles Times.
• "California Supreme Court to Hear Case of LA Serial Killer Convicted of Slaying 10 Women". NBC Los Angeles.
• "California serial killer's conviction overturned in case of unborn baby, but death sentence remains for 14 other murders". East Bay Times. Associated Press.