In the early morning hours of April 26, 2013, a dispute in Bassett, Virginia, ended in the tragic death of 44-year-old Sonny James Turner. The incident occurred around 2:25 a.m. at a residence on Blackwell Road. An argument escalated into a physical confrontation, leading to Turner being fatally shot. Known to his friends and family as 'Bug,' Sonny was born on May 12, 1968.
The Henry County Sheriff's Office investigated the shooting and swiftly made an arrest.
The investigation led them to Thomas Dwayne Turner, the 36-year-old cousin of the victim. Thomas was taken into custody and faced charges of second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was held without bond at the Henry County Jail.
The community was left to grapple with the violent death and the fact that the alleged perpetrator was a member of the victim's own family. Sonny James Turner is survived by two daughters, a son, and several grandchildren. His funeral services were held at the Bassett Funeral Service Chapel, and he was laid to rest in the Old Center Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery.
