Police Officer Roy Gene Turner, Jr.

Roy Gene Turner, Jr.

Police Officer Roy Turner was shot and killed at the intersection of Moore Street and Hillsboro Street while on patrol at approximately 9 p.m.

Officer Turner was a member of the Neighborhood Improvement Team and was patrolling a violent, crime-intensive area when he was shot.

The killer was sentenced to death for Officer Turner's murder on Oct. 22, 2002. On December 13, 2012, the killer's death sentence was commuted to life. However, in January 2017 the death sentence was reinstated. On September 26, 2020, because racial bias was said to be a significant factor in his death sentence, his death sentence was again commuted to life.

Officer Turner had served with the Fayetteville Police Department for five years. He was a specialist in the U.S. Army and served during the Persian Gulf War. Officer Turner is survived by his son, parents, and brother. He is buried at the Fayetteville Memorial Cemetery.