Reward offered in killings of missing couple found in shallow graves

It's been nearly five months since the remains of a missing couple were found in a shallow grave in western Jefferson County, and now a reward is being offered for information that will lead lawmen to their killer or killers.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office on Monday announced a $5,000 reward is being offered by the office of Gov. Robert Bentley for each victim. The bodies of Dusty Turner, 39, and Jennifer Phillips, 30, were discovered on Oct. 1, 2016 and authorities have since ruled their deaths homicides.

"The main suspect in this case was murdered in an unrelated case,'' said Chief Deputy Randy Christian. "There are other suspects involved in our case and we are going to bring them to justice. Hopefully this reward will prompt someone with information to expedite those arrest for us."

Deputies were dispatched the rural area about 4:30 p.m. on that October Saturday. Christian said the discovery was made by a pair of volunteers helping family members search for a missing couple from Walker County.

The volunteers told deputies they were somewhat familiar with the area and had been provided a map by Walker County Sheriff's investigators that indicated the areas where the missing couple's cell phones were last used. They were walking the area and discovered the remains in the woods, Christian said.

Once on scene, deputies found one set of partially buried human remains in a shallow grave. Deputies also found an area of disturbed earth adjacent to it that is believed to be a second shallow grave. The scene was held until the following Monday morning for the coroner's Forensic Recovery Team.

Four members of the coroner's office spent three hours collecting the remains from the wooded area off of Oakdale Road near the Miller Steam Plant. Jefferson County sheriff's detectives, as well as a Walker County sheriff's detective, were present for the recovery.

Authorities haven't said what, if any, personal belongings were found during the recovery process and they have not disclosed how the couple died.

Volunteers spent that weekend searching for the missing couple, last seen at their home in Quinton, according to family members. A missing person's report was filed with the Walker County Sheriff's Office.

Turner's mother, Dessie Wall, had previously said believed the remains are that of her son and Phillips. "It's not far from their home and they're both together and they've been gone so long,'' Wall told AL.com on Sunday. "I'm just waiting on answers. It's been real hard."

"Somebody had to do this to them and I just don't understand how somebody could do this to them,'' Wall said. "I just want anybody to know what happened to come forward. We need answers and closure."

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at 205-325-1450 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777

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