Virginia Beach, Va. – The mother of a man set for trial Monday for the murder of off-duty Norfolk officer Victor Decker said prosecutors will drop the charges.
Clerks in the Circuit Court confirmed the trial of Kareem H. Turner is no longer scheduled. Instead, it will be a motions hearing.
Several sources in the Virginia Beach criminal-justice system confirmed the mother’s account to NewsChannel 3. Prosecutors had planned to try Turner and Raymond Lewis Perry for the 2010 robbery and murder that happened outside an Oceana go-go bar. The main witnesses for the state were convicted felons, all of whom testified they were hoping to trade their cooperation for breaks in sentences. Defense investigators have been checking into their stories and statements, and have been unable to verify what they said. It is not clear how this will affect Perry’s trial scheduled for September.
Turner’s mother, Gloria Williams, said she got a call from her son’s attorneys while she was out with friends in Virginia Beach Friday afternoon.
“Tears, oh my God. I can’t even explain it,” she said. “Tears just started coming out of my eyes.”
The felons were going to testify against her son including a convicted drug dealer. He and others testified that either they saw Perry and another man near where Victor Decker died, or that Perry bragged about the killing. NewsChannel 3 has been unable to show you these witnesses because police have refused to release mug shots, and our cameras were barred from court when they testified at an earlier hearing.
The drug dealer told a judge he was at the Atlantis go-go bar to rob another drug dealer, he heard shots, and saw two men including Perry running from the crime.
Police have also admitted in court they could not confirm some of what the drug dealer told them and defense lawyers said he has a reason to lie. The man has admitted he wants to trade his testimony for a break on his federal sentence.
In fact, the only evidence prosecutors have ever disclosed in court came from a series of felons who all said they’re looking for breaks. Prosecutors in court have agreed there are no fingerprints, no DNA, and no forensic evidence. Police never found the gun.
Turner is expected to walk free after the hearing Monday. The father of two has no felony record.
“I just thank God someone believed in us,” his mother said. “I am so happy. I just want to thank God for that. I gave my faith to him because I know my son was innocent.”
Related:
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