Catawba County man pleads guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter in traffic deaths

CATAWBA COUNTY, NC (December 12, 2016)…A 20-year-old Claremont man pleaded guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon during Catawba County Superior Court on Monday, Dec. 12, 2016.

Jacob Dalton Turner entered the plea in connection with the October 2014 traffic deaths of Alec Calvin Sigmon and Justin Michael Turner, a pair of 15-year-old high school sophomores, who were ejected from the vehicle driven by Jacob Turner and killed as a result of a high-speed, single-vehicle crash.

The sentence was left to the discretion of the Honorable Mark E. Klass, Superior Court Judge from Davidson County, and he imposed a suspended sentence of 29 to 54 months for Jacob Turner, requiring that he serve 36 months of supervised probation. The defendant also must spend 90 days in jail, served at the discretion of his probation officer, and he cannot drive for a period of two years. In addition, Judge Klass ordered that Turner speak to high school students about the consequences of speeding and reckless driving.

Jacob Turner briefly addressed the families of Alec Sigmon and Justin Turner, saying, “I am very sorry for the things I have put you through. I’ve had a hard time dealing with the consequences.”

Defense Attorney Scott Reilly, who represented Jacob Turner along with Mitch Walker, said, “This is a sad day for everybody involved. (Turner)’s going to live with this; he’s responsible … . He was in the wrong; he made a mistake. We hope (the plea) can provide closure to the families.”

Investigation by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol showed that Jacob Turner was driving a 2002 Mercedes Benz C-240 at a speed in excess of 90 mph when the vehicle went off the side of Riverbend Road, struck a ditch culvert and went airborne. The vehicle landed 72 feet and continued to travel out of control down an embankment, striking several trees and ejecting Sigmon and Justin Turner from the rear passenger area of the vehicle.

Seventeen-year-old Jessica Joy Sigmon and Chloe Allison Cordell also were injured in the crash. Cordell’s injuries required her to be taken to Wake Forest Baptist Regional Medical Center for extensive care.

Assistant District Attorney Lance Sigmon noted repeated warnings the defendant had been given regarding his erratic driving behavior and the impact the crash had on the families involved as he asked for the defendant to take responsibility for his actions.

“We can send a message to this defendant that his behavior is unacceptable and has far-reaching consequences,” Sigmon said. “We’ve heard about the defendant’s bright future, but Justin and Alec have no future. We want him to be a productive citizen of this community, but we also want him to be a responsible one.”

Family members for both Alec Sigmon and Justin Turner addressed the court about the impact the defendant’s actions had on their lives. Assistant District Attorney Melanie Earles also read statements from Jessica Sigmon and Cordell regarding the fatal crash and how it had affected them with the loss of a brother and a friend.

Troopers J.D. Connor, K.W. Stewart and D.E. Souther led the investigation for the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Lance Sigmon and Melanie Earles prosecuted the case for the District Attorney’s Office.