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An accused serial rapist who received preferential treatment by South Carolina’s court system is back in the headlines and (temporarily, at least) back behind bars. On Saturday, March 9, 2024, Bowen Turner of Orangeburg, S.C. was involved in a collision in Florence County resulting in five new charges being filed against him: Driving under the influence, open container, failure to wear a seatbelt, disorderly conduct and one other unnamed, pending charge. He is currently being held in the Florence County detention center.
Jail records (.jpg) list the arresting agency as the S.C. Highway Patrol (SCHP).
Reports indicate Turner was “grossly intoxicated” at the time of the collision and combative with nurses and staff. Apparently, the 21-year-old fortunate son was undeterred by the intense supervision he was purportedly placed under after his release from prison less than four months ago.
Turner’s erratic, violent behavior – described as a danger to the community – has been a recurring theme throughout his troubled history with the law. His controversial case has once again brought to light the circumstances surrounding his release from the custody of the S.C. Department of Corrections (SCDC) last November after serving 16 months behind bars.
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Described as a “poster boy for the injustice of influence,” Turner’s case has highlighted the leniency South Carolina’s system shows to well-connected defendants – especially those with powerful lawyer-legislators representing them. Over a period of a little more than a year in 2018-2019, Turner was accused of three sexual assaults against three different young women in three different counties. He was ultimately sentenced by former S.C. circuit court judge Markley Dennis to five years of probation after the charges were whittled down to one count of first degree assault and battery in Orangeburg County. Prosecutors in the office of S.C. second circuit solicitor Bill Weeks failed to bring charges against Turner over another sexual assault that allegedly occurred in Calhoun County.
Despite facing serious charges at the age of sixteen – charges which could have led to a maximum sentence of thirty years apiece – Turner managed to avoid prison (and the sex offender registry) .
Even after his sweetheart deal, Turner could not stay out of trouble. On Mother’s Day 2022, he was arrested in Orangeburg, S.C. after allegedly getting drunk, trying to lure a woman into a vehicle, lying to police and threatening to bite off the finger of a deputy. Turner was charged with public disorderly conduct, violation of probation, threatening a public employee and being a minor in possession of alcohol. It was this incident which ultimately led to Turner’s probation being revoked in July 2022.
(Click to View)
While Turner has evaded consequences for his behavior, his alleged victims have not. On November 14, 2021, Dallas Stoller took her own life – a result of the emotional and psychological injuries she sustained after being assaulted by Turner in 2018 (and due to the bullying she received at the hands of many in Orangeburg).
Turner was represented on his sexual assault charges by powerful S.C. Senate minority leader Brad Hutto. In fact, Hutto gained infamy when he slut-shamed one of Turner’s alleged victims. Court records suggest that multiple attorneys, judges and solicitors were part of the process that led to Turner’s lenient sentencing and subsequent re-offenses. His case first appeared before now-retired judge Casey Manning – who has since been at the heart of several “Palmetto Injustice” scandals.
Count on this media outlet to keep close tabs on Turner’s case as his latest offenses make their way through the justice system that has continued to coddle him at the expense of public safety.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Callie Lyons is a journalist, researcher, and author whose investigative work can be found in media outlets, publications, and documentaries all over the world – most recently in the Parisian newspaper Le Monde and a German documentary for ProSieben. Lyons also appears in Citizen Sleuth – a 2023 documentary exploring the genre of true crime.
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4 comments
If ever there was a dude who deserved a “three strikes” law, Bowen Turner is him.
Maybe we ought to punish judges who allow a guy to “walk” as many times as Bowen has, when the “serious jail time” deserving defendant, “repeat offends”. Really, how many times has this @$$ clown been busted for drinking/underage drinking/public intoxication – in conjunction with other far more serious offenses? Does he have to actually kill someone (else) before he’s held to account in a meaningful way?
Diagnostic Criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder:
A. There is a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 15 years, as indicated by three (or more) of the following:
1.
failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest
2.
deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure
3.
impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
4.
irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
5.
reckless disregard for safety of self or others
6.
consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations
7.
lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.
B. The individual is at least age 18 years.
C. There is evidence of conduct disorder with onset before age 15 years.
D. The occurrence of antisocial behavior is not exclusively during the course of schizophrenia or a manic episode.
This loser is a psychopath and needs to be jailed for life without parole
This guy needs to be thrown UNDER the jail!
Dear FitsNews. PLEASE, PLEASE, go interview the parents. If they decline, please let us know.