Viswa Vanapalli
In the fifth episode of Lifetime’s ‘#TextMeWhenYouGetHome,’ the viewers learn of Deserae Turner’s close shave with death and her miraculous but challenging recovery. On one day in the middle of February 2017, the teenager was left for dead by two people, one of whom she thought was her friend. She was eventually found by people from a search party and went on to face both those men in court. So, if you’re wondering how she’s doing today, here’s what we know!
Who is Deserae Turner?
Deserae Turner was only 14-years-old when the horrific incident transpired. At the time, she lived with her parents and two sisters in Utah and led a life most teenagers would. Deserae loved horseback riding; she did karate and played the saxophone. She also thought she was friends with a 16-year-old teenager named Colter Peterson she talked to over Snapchat. However, this friendship turned deadly for her on February 16, 2017.
That evening, Deserae’s family reported her missing when she didn’t come home after school ended. That search ended around 12:45 am on February 17, 2017, when a family friend found her in a canal close to a high school in Smithfield, Utah. Deserae had been shot in the head and left for dead; she had been there for hours and was rushed to a hospital, where she stayed for about two months.
Deserae said, “My first memory is my dad coming and holding me when I woke up in a mysterious place. He said, ‘Des, I want you to know that you’re safe, but you’ve been shot, and you’re in the hospital.’ My big question was who. Who would do this? And I finally found out later down the road, and it was kind of a shock to me. I was like, wow, I thought we were friends.” The authorities learned that Jayzon Decker, the other person involved in the crime, asked Deserae for help looking for a lost ring.
Initially, Deserae was lured to the canal when Colter and Jayson told her they would sell her a knife. As she looked for the ring and leaned over, he texted Colter, “Let’s get this done, bro.” While Jayzon initially claimed not to know Deserae, text messages between him and Colter showed otherwise. Despite surgeries, Deserae was still left with a bullet in her head and had to deal with partial paralysis, blindness, and some weakness on the left side. Due to the damage to her brain, Deserae had trouble with walking, eating, and drinking.
Where is Deserae Turner Today?
Deserae Turner recovered enough to face Colter and Jayzon at trial. Addressing the former, she said in court, “Good luck in prison, and remember that because of you, my life is a prison. Welcome to hell. I have been here for a year now.” However, Deserae later said that Colter showing remorse helped her. She added, “I know that he felt remorse, and then for me, just because of the way I am, I felt sorry for him after. And after I wrote a letter to his parents saying how I felt bad.”
Deserae continued her recovery process through chiropractic and hyperbaric chamber sessions. Apart from standing on a swing to improve her balance, she plays ball with her sisters for her eyesight. Deserae also has a sound support system in her family, with their faith helping them get through the ordeal. Deserae recently developed an interest in flowers and gardening, and as of May 2021, was serving a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints missionary. In addition, she works at a flower farm. Deserae currently seems to live in Utah with her family and also does diamond art.
