Joseph Ture Jr.

Joseph Donald Ture Jr. (born February 7, 1951) is an American serial killer, serial rapist, mass murderer, and kidnapper who committed at least six murders in central Minnesota from 1978 to 1980. He murdered four members of the Huling family in Clearwater during a burglary of their residence in December 1978, followed by the sexual assault and murder of two female college students in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area in 1979 and 1980. He is currently serving six life sentences at MCF Stillwater in Bayport, Minnesota.

Early life Joseph Donald Ture Jr. was born on February 7, 1951, in St. Paul, Minnesota. His parents divorced when he was 10, and his father won custody of him, though he was primarily raised in an orphanage. In his late teens, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, but stayed for only about six months before returning to the St. Paul area, where he held many low-skilled jobs. He was barely able to afford proper living conditions, and reportedly he spent some time living in his car. That same year and 1980, three teenage girls were lured into a man's car during separate incidents, resulting in each of them being raped. While in custody, local police began investigating him in the murder of Diane Edwards, whose nude and battered body was discovered near Elk River on October 3. She had been reported missing on September 26 after being seen getting into a man's car. Four teenage girls witnessed her abduction and identified Ture as the man they saw forcing her into his van.

In April 1981, Ture was convicted of all charges in the kidnapping and rape cases In 1982, Ture was attacked by several of his cellmates while imprisoned in Stillwater, and sustained a broken nose as a result. The beating occurred a few hours after Ture was placed in general population.

Revelations Ture would have been eligible for parole in 2008; however in 1996 a grand jury was convened and indicted him with the murder of Marlys Wohlenhaus. After reexamining the case, investigators found that Ture was investigated shortly after her death but provided an alibi which investigators used to clear him, but a new investigation showed that the alibi had been fabricated. It was found that most of these sexual assault victims had worked as waitresses, and police believe Ture had stalked them for weeks leading up to the assault.

The American punk rock band Hüsker Dü released the song "Diane" in 1983, which is based on the murder of Diane Edwards, Ture's last victim.

The Huling family murders and the investigation into it by the Stearns county sheriff's office, including the interview of Ture whom they considered a suspect, is covered in season 1 episode 7 of In the Dark.