Diocese of Catahoula, Louisiana (TCD) — A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting and murdering a missing woman he met online.
Family members last saw 19-year-old Sheryl Turner on Dec. 31, 2023, according to a news release from the Catahoula Parish Sheriff's Department. She texted her twin sister saying she had met someone in Washita and was planning to move there. Once Turner arrived in West Monroe, Louisiana, her sheriff's office said she notified a family friend of hers.
On January 24th, a hunter reportedly found a dismembered body in the Washita River. Investigators responded to the scene and collected DNA, confirming that the victim was Turner.
According to KLFY-TV, an autopsy determined she had been sexually assaulted and that someone had broken her neck. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Further investigation revealed that Turner was “in a romantic relationship via text messaging” with a man later identified as Anthony Holland, West Monroe police said.
Detectives reportedly learned that Holland last spoke to Turner on January 1. Holland brought Turner to Ouachita Parish after picking her up from her mother's home in a black 2023 Toyota Corolla, KLFY reported.
According to news sources, investigators obtained traffic camera footage showing Holland's car near where Turner's remains were found just days before the discovery.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Holland's home on April 23 and took him into custody without incident.
Holland reportedly admitted to police that he killed Turner during a sex act at his home. According to KATC-TV, Holland allegedly killed the victim, dismembered his body and placed it in a bag. He reportedly dumped her remains, the knife he used to dismember her, and her personal belongings into the Ouachita River.
Holland is being held without bail at Washita Correctional Center on a charge of second-degree murder.
According to her obituary, Turner was “a shining light to all who knew her with her kind and loving personality that shone through her beautiful smile and touched the hearts of those around her.”
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