On a tragic summer day, July 31, 2021, the life of 27-year-old Charlisa Turner was violently cut short in Saint Louis, Missouri. The young woman, a mother to three small children, was ambushed and fatally shot outside her parents' home. The brazen attack occurred as she arrived to pick up her children, who were inside the house at the time.
The perpetrator was swiftly identified as her ex-husband, Christopher Turner.
In a chilling sequence of events captured by a home surveillance camera, he approached Charlisa and shot her multiple times. After the initial shots, he walked back to his vehicle to retrieve more ammunition before returning to fire at her again. Her father attempted to pursue him as he fled the scene but was unsuccessful. Charlisa was pronounced dead at the location of the shooting.
A history of domestic turmoil plagued the former couple's relationship, which had ended in divorce in 2019 after six years of marriage. Friends and family recalled a pattern of jealousy and violence. This history of abuse had previously led to Christopher Turner's arrest for domestic assault, during which he had threatened Charlisa with a gun.
In the days following the murder, Christopher Turner was apprehended by law enforcement. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. A woman named Tameah Foley, a forensic technician with the St. Louis County Police Department crime lab, was also arrested and charged with hindering prosecution. It was revealed that she had helped hide her boyfriend, Christopher Turner, for three days while he was evading police.
During his trial, the harrowing surveillance footage was presented to the jury. Despite his claims of self-defense and allegations of video tampering, the evidence was overwhelming. The jury found Christopher Turner guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. As a result of his conviction, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, ensuring he would spend the remainder of his life behind bars for the cold-blooded murder of his ex-wife.
