In the early morning hours of August 10, 2021, a burst of rapid gunfire shattered the quiet of a Northeast Portland neighborhood, ending the life of 50-year-old Black / African American male Odion Turner. Known in the music world as 12 O'Clock, Turner was a rapper affiliated with the iconic hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan. The tragic event unfolded around 5:19 a.m.
in the Madison South neighborhood, where Turner and his cousin, 45-year-old David Turner, were inside a tan RV trailer.
According to family members, the violence began with a simple knock on the RV's door. A man was outside asking for cigarettes. When David Turner, who went by the name Murdock, opened the door, a hail of bullets was unleashed upon them. Both Odion and David Turner were killed instantly. The Oregon State Medical Examiner later confirmed that both men died from gunshot wounds and ruled their deaths as homicides. The shooting also left four other people wounded, one with life-threatening injuries. Surveillance footage from the area reportedly captured the sound of nearly 20 gunshots and a car speeding away from the scene on Northeast Milton Street.
The news sent shockwaves through the hip-hop community and devastated his family. Odion and David were cousins of the late Wu-Tang Clan founding member, Ol' Dirty Bastard. Family members, including Turner's son, expressed their grief and shock publicly, stating they believed the attack was an "assassination" motivated by "jealousy, lust, hate and greed." In a bittersweet and tragic turn of events, the same day Turner was killed, his oldest daughter gave birth to a child. His wife of over 20 years lamented how a single day could bring both immense joy and profound pain.
As of the latest reports, the Portland police are actively investigating the double homicide. Officers who responded to the scene searched the area but did not locate any suspects. Despite the ongoing investigation and pleas for information from the public, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified in the shooting deaths of Odion and David Turner. The case remains unsolved, leaving a painful void for a family and a community still seeking answers and justice.
