SLCo DA Charges Convicted Serial Killer with Aggravated Murder

Today, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announced an aggravated murder charge filed against Chester Turner for the alleged murder of Itisha Camp in 1998.

On September 24, 1998, three juveniles flagged down a Salt Lake City Police officer after they found the body of Ms. Camp at the back of a business at 165 East and 900 South in Salt Lake City. There was a scarf around Ms. Camp’s neck when she was discovered. The medical examiner determined that Ms. Camp was killed due to strangulation. Investigators obtained DNA with a sperm fraction on the crotch of Ms. Camp’s pants and her back. DNA was also located on the scarf tied around Ms. Camp’s neck. The DNA was entered into CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) and returned as a match to the defendant.

Detectives learned that the defendant was on parole in California in 1998 and absconded to Utah. Law enforcement officers were also able to locate a report where the defendant was the victim of an assault in Salt Lake City in 1998.

Mr. Turner is charged with one count of first-degree felony aggravated murder.

The defendant has been convicted of 14 murders in California and is currently in California. The defendant was convicted for 10 murders in 2007, and 4 additional murders in 2014, all took place in Los Angeles County, CA.

“It must have been profoundly difficult for Ms. Camp’s family and loved ones over the last 25 years, not knowing if the suspect in her murder was still out in the public. We hope the filing of this charge brings some relief to Ms. Camp’s loved ones and our entire community, knowing that the defendant is already behind bars,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. “We appreciate the dedicated work of Salt Lake City Police detectives who pursued this cold case until the necessary investigative work had been done that could lead to this charge being filed. All persons accused of wrongdoing are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.”