True-crime Friday: Chester DeWayne Turner, the Southside Slayer

Chester D. Turner, a serial killer and serial rapist, is also known as the Southside Slayer. Chester Turner reign of terror began in 1987-1998. He was convicted of murdering fourteen. He was caught, convicted and sentenced to death in California. DNA linked him to several rapes and murders. Chester Turner was finally brought to justice. Turner was active during the reign of several of California most prolific serial killers such as the Grim Sleeper, the Clairemont Killer, the Skid Row Slayer and the Sunset Strip Killers.

Chester D. Turner was born in Warren, Arkansas on November 5, 1966. He moved to Los Angeles with his mother after she divorced his father. He was five years old at the time of the divorce. Chester’s mother worked two jobs to support her family. He grew up during the latch-key kid era. Chester was not allowed to socialize with other kids in the neighborhood. He mostly stayed close to home and helped his mother around the house. During his time in high school Chester Turner was nick named “Chester the Molester.” He was known to harass and sexually assault young girls.

He attended school but dropped out when he was in high school. After dropping out of school, he took a job at Domino’s Pizza as a cook and delivery driver. For reasons unknown, his mother moved to Utah and Chester continued to live in Los Angeles where he was homeless for the majority of his life, and he stayed at shelters/missions. Chester was jailed seven times from 1995-2002 for six nonviolent offenses. In 1997, Chester attacked a police officer!

In 1992, Chester Turner began a relationship with Felicia Collier. The relationship was rocky from the start. Collier stayed in the relation because her father was convinced that Turner was a good man and a good father. During one violent confrontation Collier shot Turner. She spoke about her life with Chester Turner in an episode of ID’s crime show Evil Lives Here. 

The Victims of Chester D. Turner

Paula Vance, 24, found in a business park in Los Angeles. Paula Vance’s’ murder was witnessed by someone at a nearby trailer and was reported to the police. DNA was found on her body. Her demise was caught on video and the police could not believe what they were witnessing on the video.

Brenda Bries, 39, found in portable in the Los Angeles area.

Diane Johnson, 21, found March 1987 on a roadway construction.

Annette Ernest, 26, found lying on the shoulder of a road in October 1987.

Anita Fishman, 31, was found outside a garage in an alley in January 1989.

Regina Washington, 27, found inside a garage in September 1989. Since she was six months pregnant at the time the fetus was also considered a victim.

Andrea Tripplett, 29, found behind a vacant building April 1993. Turner showed up at the funeral of his victim to give his condolences and to partake in food being served.

Desarae Jones, 29, found next to a vacant residence in May 1993.

Natalie Price, 31, found next to a vacant residence in February 1995.

Tammie Christmas, found in September 1992 at the 97th Street Elementary School.

Mildred Beasley, 45, found left amongst the bushes in November 1996.

Debra Williams, 32, was found lying at the bottom of a stairwell that led to a campus boiler room in November 1992.

Mary Edwards, 42, was found inside a carport next to 97th Street Elementary School in December 1992. 

The Wrongly Accused and Convicted

Like so many other crimes committed by serial killers, the wrong people are sometimes arrested for crimes they did not commit. In their haste to solve this case and quell the concern of the general public David Allen Jones, 28, was wrongly convicted of three murders that occurred in the same area where Turner did his hunting.

Tammie Christmas, found September 1992 at the 97th Street Elementary School.

Debra Williams, 32, was found lying at the bottom of a stairwell that led to a campus boiler room in November 1992.

Mary Edwards, 42, was found inside a carport next to 97th Street Elementary School in December 1992.

David A. Jones was mentally impaired. He worked as a part-time custodian. Jones was questioned without an attorney and admitted using drugs with the victims in the areas where their bodies were found.

It came out during Jones trial that he had been convicted of a previous rape not related to the any of the 14 victims of Chester Turner. During his time in prison, a new investigation revealed that the blood-typing evidence did not match the blood types found at the crimes. Jones had spent 11 years in prison, and he was eventually exonerated because of the new DNA evidence.

After David Jones was released from prison, he filed a wrongful conviction lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles and was subsequently awarded $720,000 in compensation. 

The Less Dead at Play

The Less Dead is a term coined by Eric Hickey in his 2003 book, Encyclopedia of Murder and Violence Crime. As mentioned in my previous article these victims were homeless women, drug users and sex workers, their deaths did not get much media or police attention. In most cases, there is evidence that could be used to solve old sexual assault cases which in turn could prevent future crimes. But because of funding and priorities most of these kits are not tested. The police did test the kits in the Chester Turner case which yielded valuable DNA results. These results ultimately led the police to Chester Turner. He was already in jail for the rape of a woman he was serving an eight-year sentence for this crime.

Lady Justice

Turner was convicted of eleven murders on May 10, 2007. He sentenced to death on July 10, 2007. In February 2011, Chester D. Turner was charged with four additional murders, those of Cynthia Johnson, Elandra Bunn, Mary Edwards, and Deborah Williams. Authorities said that DNA linked Turner to the killings. On June 19, 2014, Turner was convicted of those murders and received another death sentence on June 26, 2014. It is believed that Turner could have committed as many as 20 murders if not more.

Chester DeWayne Turner is currently on death row at San Quentin State Prison.

Reference

Chester Turner | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

In 2019 Investigation Discovery show Evil Lives Here detailed Turner's crimes in season 5, episode 6, "I Was His First Victim".

The show World's Most Evil Killers profiled the case in season 6, episode 9.