Suspect faces trial in slaying of woman

Angela Soo

Thursday, Sept. 6, 2001 | 10:36 a.m.

A would-be local rap producer faces a trial in the slaying of the wife of a Henderson man he wanted to sign to a contract.

Justice of the Peace Stephen George ruled Tuesday that there is enough evidence to order James F. Turner Jr. to stand trial in the July 6 death of 21-year-old Miranda Johnson at her home in the Sienna Villas complex in Henderson.

Turner is charged with one count of murder with use of a deadly weapon and one count of burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon. He is scheduled for arraignment Sept. 14 in District Court.

Two other men are sought in the slaying. An arrest warrant was issued for Curtis Powers, who also goes by the names of "Gotti" and "Iceberg Slim." A third man has not been identified.

During a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Edward Wiggins, Johnson's husband, recalled threatening phone calls Turner made on July 6.

"He (Turner) called me on my cell phone with threats, saying he was going to physically harm my family," Wiggins said during questioning by Deputy District Attorney Ed Kane. "He left messages on my voice mail and said, 'I'm coming to your house. You better hope your wife isn't there.' "

Wiggins said he immediately called Johnson at home to warn her, but lost his phone connections with her during repeated attempts. In his last conversation with his wife, Wiggins said she told him the handle of their front door was being jiggled.

Henderson Police Officer Miles Costollo said he found Johnson lying on the bed with her feet touching the floor. He later noticed Johnson's 3-week-old baby boy sleeping by her feet, apparently unharmed.

The Clark County coroner's office determined that she died of a gunshot wound in the head.

Wiggins said Turner killed his wife because Wiggins would not sign a music contract with the would-be producer.

"He had some kind of label he wanted to get me to sign with," Wiggins said. "I told him no because I had a baby coming and I didn't want to get into rap. He got really ugly."

Neighbors testified they saw three suspicious men parked near the apartment complex shortly before the killing. When the neighbors heard a noise that sounded like gunfire, they saw the same three men leave the general area of the murder site and drive off.

The car they drove, a maroon or burgundy 1988 Cadillac with chrome rims, belonged to Turner's cousin, Thomas Turner. The two men were living together at the time and James Turner had access to the car.

"I woke up that day and realized my car was missing," Thomas Turner said.

Deputy Public Defender Drew Christensen said that other people also had access to the Cadillac. He also pointed out that no one saw Turner, nor the other two men, leave Johnson's apartment.