Darryl Turner

Serial Killer

Darryl Donnell Turner: The Washington, D.C. Serial Killer

Background

Darryl Donnell Turner is an American serial killer and serial sexual offender whose known crimes occurred in Washington, D.C., during the 1990s. Turner preyed primarily on vulnerable women, including women struggling with drug addiction or involved in prostitution. His attacks commonly involved sexual assault followed by strangulation, after which he abandoned the victims in vacant buildings, open lots, or other isolated locations. Turner lived on Princeton Place NW in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C. At the time, Petworth contained numerous vacant or deteriorating buildings that could be entered without attracting immediate attention. Several women were found dead in or near these abandoned properties during the 1990s, creating fear among residents and leading investigators to consider whether a serial killer was operating in the area.

The Petworth Murders

The investigation that ultimately led to Turner centered on the deaths of Jacqueline Teresa Birch and Dana Hill. Both women were sexually assaulted and strangled in late 1997. Their bodies were found less than two weeks apart, and the similarities between the crimes suggested that the same offender was responsible. Birch was found in a vacant row house on Princeton Place NW, only a short distance from Turner's residence. The proximity of the crime scene to his home later became an important part of the investigation. Hill was discovered in another vacant building in Northeast Washington. Biological evidence recovered during the investigations eventually connected Turner to both women. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Toni Ann Burdine Age: (32), Date of Death: 1995-05-04

Suspected Victims:

Mary Haskins Ferguson Age: (29), Date of Death: 1994-02-14

Priscilla Mosley Age: (49), Date of Death: 1997

Lateashia Blocker Age: (28), Date of Death: 1997-05-08

Emile Dennis Age: (42), Date of Death: 1997-08

Jessica Cole Age: (41), Date of Death: 1997-04

D.C.'s last serial killer: The Princeton Place murders