Tattooed arm in Illinois lake leads police to freezer with slain man’s head, neck and torso
An Illinois man fatally stabbed his half-brother during an argument before working with the victim's wife to dismember and hide the remains by freezing the head, neck and torso and dumping the other body parts in a lake, according to authorities.
James Adams, 26, and Robin Turner, 62, are charged with concealment of a homicide and dismembering a human body in last month's death of Dalewayne Turner, 38, according to Illinois State Police.
On June 28, boaters observed part of a human arm in Lake Mattoon, and investigators later found additional human remains.
The remains were later identified as Dalewayne Turner through distinct tattoos on the arm.
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Adams and Robin Turner were quickly identified as potential suspects and taken into custody.
According to court documents released on Monday, Adams admitted to fatally stabbing his half-brother, and the victim's wife failed to contact law enforcement after the killing, Fox 32 reported.
Adams had claimed he killed the victim in an act of self-defense, and Robin Turner said the two men were arguing in the living room when Adams stabbed her husband multiple times, the documents said.
"The one thing I will say is that I did it, but I did it out of self-defense. I will tell you guys that," James said, according to the documents.
The two suspects are accused of taking several steps to conceal the crime, including using bleach to clean the home and mask odors, repainting parts of the house, removing and burning wood paneling in a fire pit and disposing of rugs, the documents said.
Robin Turner told investigators the repainting and remodeling were part of renovation work completed between June 21 and June 30.
Some parts of Dalewayne Turner's dismembered body were found in a freezer, investigators said.
On Wednesday, investigators searched the home and found a downstairs freezer with what appeared to be a bloodstain dripping from a drain hole, according to court records, Fox 32 reported. Investigators opened the freezer and discovered a torso, neck and head but no limbs.
Investigators said the remains were placed in trash bags, weighted down, sealed with duct tape and dumped in Lake Mattoon. But prosecutors said one weighted bag tore apart, allowing the victim's tattooed arm to rise to the water's surface.
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Subsequent searches revealed additional weighted bags containing human remains in the lake, authorities said.
The two suspects are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday for a detention hearing.
A GoFundMe created to cover funeral expenses had raised more than $1,300 as of Tuesday afternoon.
"Our brother Dalewayne E. Turner was tragically taken away from us, leaving our family heartbroken," the fundraiser reads.
