Dusty Turner is finally free.
In January, the Virginia Parole Board Turner voted to release the Bloomington native from prison after he had spent 30 years behind bars for a murder another man committed.
Turner, now 50, was released the morning of March 5. His family was there to embrace him after he left the prison grounds
Turner left Bloomington more than three decades ago after graduating from Bloomington High School South. He joined U.S. Navy, then advanced to elite SEAL training.
Not long after that, he was charged with and later convicted of the murder of 21-year-old Jennifer Lea Evans, a killing his Navy SEAL buddy actually committed. Turner admitted helping Billy Joe Brown dispose of the woman’s body. Brown later admitted being the lone killer.
“Dusty’s long-overdue release marks a milestone in his fight for justice, following three decades of wrongful incarceration driven by a false narrative, ignored evidence, and decisions that prioritized finality over truth – making the moment one of deeply mixed emotions,” said a statement released by family and supporters who fought years to free him from prison.
“Dusty’s release allows him to reunite with his 78-year-old mother and his family, who never stopped fighting for the truth, and in due course to return home to Indiana.”
His mother, Bloomington resident Linda Summitt, said her son will come back to Indiana after a stint staying with friends in Virginia during the process of transferring his parole to Indiana. He will live near Columbus.
Supporters say they will continue to work toward having Turner’s murder conviction overturned.
“While his release brings long-awaited relief, parole is not freedom and it is not justice for the 30 years taken from him. His advocates continue to seek full exoneration and urge the public to support efforts to clear his name and expose similar miscarriages of justice,” the statement said.
Contact H-T reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington’s Dusty Turner released after 30 years for wrongful murder
Reporting by Laura Lane, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
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