Viswa Vanapalli
In February 2017, teenager Deserae Turner suddenly went missing, only to be found fighting for her life in a canal in Smithfield, Utah. The fifth episode on Lifetime’s ‘#TextMeWhenYouGetHome’ focuses on what happened to Deserae and how Colter Peterson and his friend, Jayzon Decker, were ultimately responsible for her life-threatening injuries. So, if you’re curious to find out more about this, here’s what we know.
What Happened to Deserae Turner?
On February 16, 2017, Deserae was reported missing by her parents after she didn’t return home from school. A desperate search for her ended at a canal in Smithfield, where she was found with a gunshot wound to the head. Deserae was rushed to the hospital for treatment, and while she survived, answering the question of who committed this heinous crime became the authorities’ priority.
They were eventually led to Colter Peterson and Jayzon Decker, who were both 16 at the time of the incident. Deserae knew Colter, and they had been in contact through Snapchat. Later investigation revealed that Colter was annoyed with her messages. While he was playing video games with Jayzon, the latter suggested that it would be “pretty easy to get rid of her.” This led to a sinister plan where they lured Deserae to a secluded area under the pretext of selling her a knife.
Colter and Jayzon initially planned to slit her throat, but they later changed their mind, with Colter shooting her in the back of the head and leaving her to die in a ditch. The two then stole $55 from her purse, dumped her backpack in a trash bin, and got rid of her cell phone and iPod. Later, Jayzon took the shell casing to keep as a souvenir. It was later found displayed on his windowsill.
Colter Peterson and Jayzon Decker Are in Jail
Colter eventually agreed to a deal with the prosecution, pleading guilty to attempted aggravated murder and robbery in October 2017. The defense asked for a lenient sentence, claiming that he dealt with depression and had given in to peer pressure. The prosecution believed that Jayzon was the mastermind but thought Colter also played an equal part. According to them, he had a history of such behavior, threatening to kill a girl in 2014 because he felt she was annoying; at the time, Colter tried to lure her to a cemetery.
In February 2018, Colter was handed down concurrent sentences of 15 years to life for the attempted murder and a one to fifteen-year term for the robbery. He was apologetic in court, saying, “I want to pay for what I’ve done, and I will spend the rest of my life making up for this, with the hope that one day I will be forgiven.” Jayzon was handed down a similar sentence for attempted aggravated murder and obstruction of justice. Prison records indicate that both Jayzon and Colter remain incarcerated at a correctional facility in Utah.
Read More: Where is Survivor Deserae Turner Now?
