The Turk brothers, J’Son and Dylan Turk went before 26th Judicial District Judge Parker Self on charges in addition to those related to the murder of Omar Lott.
According to court records, Dylan Turk waived formal arraignment and pled not guilty to charges of simple escape, resisting an officer with force or violence, battery of a police officer, simple criminal damage to property and disturbing the peace.
The charge related to the August 2014 death of Lott, accessory after the fact (first degree murder), was passed to June 1 at the request of the defense.
Status conference is set for June 1, with trial set for June 15.
The court date for J’Son Turk, charged with first-degree murder, was passed at the request of the defense to July 27.
Assistant District Attorney Hugo Holland says Dylan Turk gave a sworn statement against his brother, and J’Son Turk will be tried alone. But, he says, Dylan Turk has new charges that must be dealt with.
“Dylan bonded out after a period of time in jail,” he said. “While Dylan was out, he ‘allegedly’ committed the other offenses for which he was charged last week. Based on the new charges, the state, of course, wanted him back in jail.”
At the time of his arrest, Sunday, April 5, Minden Police Chief Steve Cropper says officers were dispatched to Minden Medical Center where he was allegedly causing a disturbance. Once officers got him back to the Minden Police Station, Cropper says Turk began tearing up the bed in one of the holding cells.
“Officers went in to try to get him under control, and he tried to get out the door,” Cropper said at the time.
He also allegedly bit one of the officers, breaking the skin.
Dylan Turk’s attorney, Eric Johnson, says he hopes to have it all resolved by June 1.
“This gives me time to go over the discovery,” he said.
He went on to say discovery is for the new charges he acquired while out on bail for the accessory after the fact charges.
When asked if Dylan Turk had been offered a plea deal, his response was “yes and no.”
“He had an offer on the accessory after the fact charge that Mr. Holland offered; however, we now have to deal with these new charges,” he said. “I hope to have everything resolved for Mr. Turk by the June 1 court date.”
Lott was shot and killed August 24, 2014, and the Turk brothers were arrested along with Murphy Robertson. Robertson, which has since been cleared of all charges.
Officials with the district attorney’s office say Robertson was not charged for anything related to Lott’s death.
Lott’s remains were recovered in a wooded area off Walter Lyons Road three days after the shooting. Webster Parish Sheriff Gary Sexton said at the time, Lott was shot during a drug deal involving synthetic marijuana.