James Turner

Serial Killer

James Turner: A Detailed Account of His Crimes

Overview

James Turner was a suspected serial killer linked to the deaths of several individuals between 1963 and 1975. His modus operandi often involved befriending victims, persuading them to name him as a beneficiary on their life insurance policies, and subsequently orchestrating their deaths to appear as accidents or suicides. Turner's crimes spanned across New York and Florida, targeting friends, coworkers, and family members.

Confirmed Victim

• Dwight Dees
  • Age: 20
  • Date of Death: January 21, 1975
  • Location: Near Rochester, New York
  • Details: Dees, Turner's brother-in-law, was found in a car at the bottom of a 20-foot embankment with his head nearly decapitated. Evidence suggested he was attacked behind a barn and then placed in the car to stage an accident. Turner was the beneficiary of Dees' $50,000 life insurance policy and was arrested on January 22, 1975, for the murder.

Suspected Victims

• Unnamed Sister
  • Date of Death: April 14, 1963
  • Location: Not specified
  • Details: Turner's sister suffocated during a fire in her apartment. Turner, who lived with her but was absent during the fire, collected $2,500 from her life insurance policies the day after her death.
• John Louis Brown
  • Date of Disappearance: June 1964
  • Location: Rochester, New York
  • Details: Brown, a coworker at the Nabisco plant, disappeared and was never found. He had a $5,000 life insurance policy naming Turner as the beneficiary. It's unclear if Turner collected on this policy due to the absence of a body.
• Frank Scialdone
  • Age: 18
  • Date of Death: November 19, 1968
  • Location: Rochester, New York
  • Details: Scialdone, a coworker at the General Motors plant, was found murdered with a bullet hole in the back of his head. He intended to buy a life insurance policy with Turner as the beneficiary but was killed before doing so. He was carrying $400 on the day of his death, intended for a car purchase.
• William Bradwell
  • Age: 23
  • Date of Death: May 1969
  • Location: Genesee River, New York
  • Details: Bradwell's partially decapitated body was found floating in the river. Before his death, he named Turner as the beneficiary of his $5,000 life insurance policy, which Turner collected.
• Lewis McDowell
  • Age: 29
  • Date of Death: December 2, 1969
  • Location: Rochester, New York
  • Details: McDowell was found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning in his garage, initially ruled a suicide. He had changed the beneficiary of his company life insurance policy to Turner shortly before his death.
• Horace Everett
  • Date of Death: July 1971
  • Location: Rochester, New York
  • Details: Everett, a General Motors employee, changed the beneficiary of his $9,000 life insurance policy from his wife to Turner. He was found dead behind an abandoned factory with a shotgun wound to the head. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company refused to pay Turner, deeming the beneficiary change fraudulent.

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Confirmed Victims: (1)

Dwight Dees Age: (20), Date of Death: 1975-01-22

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Suspected Victims:

Unnamed sister , Date of Death: 1963-04-14

John Louis Brown , Date of Death: 1964-06

Frank Scialdone Age: (18), Date of Death: 1968-11-19

William Bradwell Age: (23), Date of Death: 1969-05

Lewis McDowell Age: (29), Date of Death: 1969-12-02

Horace Everett , Date of Death: 1971-07

Serial Killer James Turner

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