Skeletal remains found in Van Buren County identified

Skeletal remains that were found in a Van Buren County wooded area, in February 2020, have officially been identified as those of Jason Gene Turner, of Lincoln County.

According to a press release issued by Sheriff Murray Blackwelder, of Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, the investigation is continuing in the disappearance and murder of Turner, who was last seen Nov. 27, 2015, at a residence, on Cedar Circle, in Lincoln County.

At the time of his disappearance, Turner was described as a 34-year-old, white male, standing 5 feet 9 inches, with brown hair, blue eyes, and wearing prescription glasses or contacts.

Turner’s skeletal remains were located after information from a confidential source was reported to law enforcement officials.

Medical examiner's office investigators and anthropologists traveled to the Van Buren County scene where the skeletal remains were recovered and then transported to the State Medical Examiner's Office, in Nashville. The University of North Texas Center for Human Identification positively identified the skeletal remains as those of Turner.

According to the press release, as the investigation continues, additional evidence is being evaluated, and persons of interest have been identified (by law enforcement officials) who are connected to Turner’s disappearance and murder.