Hearing Denied for Gerald Turner

Fond du Lac County Judge Anthony Nehls Tuesday denied a motion for another “probable cause hearing” for Gerald Turner the so-called “Halloween Killer.”

The state continues its efforts to have him committed as a sexual predator. The judge’s denial was based in part on the fact that the defense’s motion wasn’t filed until 26 months after the probable cause hearing. The judge said it was “untimely.” The next step will be a four-day jury trial which will be scheduled.

The 76-year-old Turner is currently being held at the Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center in Mauston. Turner is seeking release from that facility.  A petition for release in 2022 was denied.

Turner was convicted of the Halloween 1973 rape and murder of 9-year-old Lisa Ann French in Fond du Lac. She was trick-or-treating that night in Turner’s neighborhood. Turner completed his prison sentence in 1994.

His parole was revoked in 2013 for possessing sexually explicit material. He completed that sentence in 2018 but was found to be a sexually violent person and has been at a supervised living facility ever since.