Springfield Man Gets Life in Prison for Killing Parents in Marcola Home

Christopher Allan Turner was asleep on a couch, surrounded by bottles of alcohol, when his sister arrived at the family's home on the 36000 block of McGowan Creek Road and found their parents dead. Deputies who responded that day, Feb. 23, 2025, initially received a 911 call for three bodies, because Turner was thought to be dead too.

When Turner woke up, he told his sister he was "sorry he messed up." According to court documents, he also said: "Too much fighting and too much drinking."

Turner, 59, had been living with his parents, Paul Turner, 89, and Beverly Turner, 84, for several years before shooting them in their bed at their Mohawk Valley home near Marcola. On March 20, he pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after serving a minimum of 30 years. Lane County Circuit Judge Charles Zennaché, who imposed the sentence, described the killings as "inexplicable."

Prosecutor Matthew Wojcik of the Lane County District Attorney's office told the court that Turner had shot his parents multiple times while they were in their bed. "While they were in bed, [Turner] shot at them multiple times, causing their deaths," Wojcik said. A firearm recovered at the scene is believed to have been used in the shooting, according to Lane County District Attorney Christopher Parosa.

Turner was arrested at the scene the same day deputies responded. A Lane County grand jury indicted him on two counts of first-degree murder on June 12, 2025. The guilty plea and sentence came after negotiations between prosecutors and Turner's defense attorney.

As part of the sentence, Judge Zennaché ordered Turner to pay $12,500 in restitution through the crime victims compensation fund, a portion of which went toward the funerals of Paul and Beverly Turner.