Los Angeles, California – A notorious serial killer responsible for the deaths of 14 women in Los Angeles from 1987 to 1998 has now been charged with another murder in Utah. Chester Turner, 57, is currently serving time in a California state prison for the gruesome killings along Figueroa Street.
Initially labeled by prosecutors as the city’s most prolific serial killer, Turner’s victims mainly included sex workers and homeless women, with one being pregnant at the time of her death. On Friday, the Salt Lake City District Attorney’s Office announced that Turner is facing a new charge for the murder of Itisha Camp in Utah in 1998.
Itisha Camp’s body was discovered behind a business in September 1998, and authorities believe she was strangled. The connection between Camp’s murder and Turner was established through DNA evidence, linking him to the crime scene back in 1998 when he was on parole in California.
Despite being convicted in 2007 for 10 counts of first-degree murder and later sentenced to death for the other four killings in 2014, Turner’s appeal for those four murders is still pending. Turner has been convicted of murdering several women across different years, all of whom were strangled to death.
Living in close vicinity to each crime scene, Turner’s dark deeds were brought to light after his arrest and conviction for raping a woman in Skid Row in 2002, leading to the discovery of his involvement in the string of murders. It remains uncertain when or if Turner will be transferred to Utah to face trial for the most recent murder charge.
The resurgence of Turner’s criminal past has brought closure to the families of his victims and the community at large, shedding light on the decades-long quest for justice. As the legal proceedings unfold, the deep wounds left by Turner’s heinous acts are being addressed, promising a path towards accountability and resolution.