PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — One of two suspects accused in the shooting death of a Philadelphia police officer’s son turned himself in to authorities Friday, days after law enforcement released surveillance video of the crime.
Authorities said Levar Turner is accused of robbing and killing Hyram Hill, 23, outside Maria Mini Mart near the corner of North Broad Street and West Allegheny Avenue before 5 a.m. on January 24. Hill was shot in the chest, belly, back, and arm.
Philadelphia police said officers spoke to Turner and the other suspect during a domestic incident 15 minutes before the shooting, about a mile away. A police body camera captured that conversation. Investigators credit the public who phoned in tips after seeing that video of the shooting and heard the voice of the suspect on police body-worn camera video.
Police also released surveillance video from the mini-mart. It shows one suspect with a limp, dressed in a blue jacket with unusual striping working in tandem with a second man believed to be Turner, 23.
Turner faces murder, robbery, and conspiracy charges.
He has two prior gun-related charges, one in Philadelphia which was a negotiated deal of a single gun conviction in exchange for three years probation. The agreement happened the day after Hill was murdered.
The other case is still open in Montgomery County where Turner posted bail. It includes gun charges and terroristic threats, with intent to terrorize another person.
The second suspect had not yet been identified as of early Friday afternoon.
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"I want to thank God for giving me 24 years and two weeks with Hyram Lance Hill, Jr.," said an emotional Edwenna Ferguson, a 17-year veteran of the Philadelphia police force who spoke to the public Friday.
"The news that I got this morning was overwhelming."
She offered gratitude to those who helped her son in his last moments after being shot.
"I want to thank those police officers and the medic unit that picked my son up off the ground, not knowing who he was, and giving it their all to save him," she said.
She also shared appreciation for members of the public and the investigators whose contributions led to the arrest of one of the two suspects involved.
"I want to thank you for allowing this case to be solved without any more bloodshed," she said.
"The city needs a lot of help. We need to get these guns off the street. When it hits home, it hits home."
Editor's update, Aug. 20, 2024
Levar Turner sentenced
During a surprise hearing last week, Levar Turner pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in a negotiated deal with prosecutors. Turner admitted to being one of the two men who shot and killed Hyram Hill in January 2022 during an attempted robbery. Turner pleaded guilty not only to third-degree murder but also robbery, conspiracy and a gun charge. He was sentenced to 18 to 40 years behind bars and was ordered to pay about $15,000 in restitution.
A second suspect in the case has not yet been arrested.