The murder of Professor Oscar B. Turner stunned Louisiana State University.
Turner’s body was discovered inside the university’s Agronomy Building, badly mutilated by blows from a small ax. His face, head, and chest had been hacked so violently that identification was difficult.
Near the body, investigators found what they believed to be the most important clue: the ax itself, its handle marked with the bloody imprint of a hand.
In response, police prepared to take the hand prints of every student at Louisiana State University.
Turner was not a distant or disliked figure on campus. He had earned his bachelor’s degree only two years earlier and had remained at the university as an instructor. He was remembered as modest, quiet, popular with students, and active in church work. That made the theory forming around his death even more disturbing.
Police believed the murder may have been tied to stolen final examination papers. According to their reconstruction, someone had taken papers from Turner’s desk, copied them, and returned to the Agronomy Building early Sunday morning to put them back.
The killer may have carried the ax to pry open drawers. But before he could leave, Turner entered his office to work on a new set of papers.
A struggle followed. The office was found in disorder, drawers turned out, and Turner dead from repeated ax blows.
With examination papers stolen, a bloody hand print on the weapon, and suspicion falling upon the student body itself, the campus became the center of a grim investigation.
Professor Is Hacked By Ax Slayer
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana. — The hand prints of every Louisiana State University student will be taken today in an effort to solve the murder of Professor Oscar B. Turner.
Turner’s mutilated body was found yesterday in the university Agronomy Building.
On the handle of a small ax, found near the body, was the imprint in blood of a hand. That is the chief clue.
Body Mutilated
The body was badly mutilated. Turner’s face, head and chest had been hacked. Identification was difficult.
Turner had been instructor at the university since obtaining his bachelor degree two years ago. He was popular with the student body, was modest and quiet in his habits and was an active church worker.
Police thought they had an important clue when a bloody handkerchief was found near the body. It bore the laundry mark of “Allon” but the only student with that name gave an alibi that was accepted by police.
Papers Stolen
Evidence points to a student having committed the murder, police say. A set of final examination papers were stolen from the professor’s desk Saturday and later replaced.
Search for the murderer will be made among the student body, police said.
Police reconstructed the story of the murder as follows:
The murderer, after copying the stolen examination papers, went to the agronomy building at 6 a.m., Sunday, to replace them. He carried an ax to pry open drawers. Just as he was about to leave, Turner entered his office to work on the new set of papers.
Evidence of Fight
A fight probably followed and the murderer did not hesitate to use his ax. The office was in disorder, indicating a terrific struggle. Most of the drawers had been turned out.
All students in the agronomy department – 33 – had passing marks, an examination of Turner’s examination papers today revealed.
Source: The Washington Daily News. Washington, D.C. June 8, 1925.
