Chester Dewayne Turner

Serial Killer

Chester Dewayne Turner: The South Los Angeles Serial Killer

Overview

Chester Dewayne Turner is an American serial killer and rapist convicted of murdering 14 women in Los Angeles, California. His known crimes occurred between 1987 and 1998, primarily in disadvantaged neighborhoods of South Los Angeles. Most of the victims were sexually assaulted and strangled before their bodies were abandoned in alleys, vacant buildings, school grounds, roadside areas, and other isolated locations. Turner operated during a period when numerous women were being murdered in South Los Angeles by several unrelated offenders. Because many victims were homeless, experiencing substance dependency, engaged in sex work, or living with mental illness, the killings did not initially receive the attention or investigative coordination that might have revealed the pattern sooner. Several perpetrators active during this period were collectively and inaccurately described in the press as the "Southside Slayer." DNA evidence eventually established Turner as one of the most prolific serial killers identified in Los Angeles. He was convicted of 10 murders in 2007 and four additional murders in 2014. He received separate death sentences for the two groups of killings.

Early Life and Background

Chester Dewayne Turner was born on November 5, 1966, in Warren, Arkansas. He moved to Los Angeles with his mother while he was still a child and later dropped out of high school. As an adult, he lived at several addresses near the Figueroa Street corridor where many of the murders occurred. He supported himself through temporary or low-paying employment, including work as a pizza delivery driver and security guard. Turner accumulated a criminal record involving theft, narcotics offenses, assault, and sexual violence. His movements frequently placed him near the locations where victims were last seen or discovered. Investigators later reconstructed his addresses and found that many of the crime scenes were only a few blocks from places where he lived. ...

Confirmed Victims: (15)

Diane Johnson Age: (21), Date of Death: 1987-03-09

Suspected Victims:

Itisha Camp Age: (22), Date of Death: 1998-09-24

Chester Turner - Wikipedia