Joseph Ture Jr.

Ture would have been eligible for parole in 2008; however, before that in 1996, a grand jury indicted him for the 1979 murder of Marlys Wohlenhaus, 18. After reexamining the case, investigators found that Ture provided an alibi at the time of Wohlenhaus' murder, but a new investigation showed that the alibi had been fabricated. Following the indictment, Ture agreed to be interviewed on 48 Hours, during which he strongly professed his innocence. Days after the interview aired, numerous young women contacted the program claiming to recognize Ture as a man who sexually assaulted them in the 1970s. 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 the assault.

In 1997, Ture was convicted of Wohlenhaus' murder and was given an additional life sentence. During his imprisonment, Ture allegedly bragged to his cellmate about committing the 1979 killing of Joan Bierschbach, 20. In 1999, Ture was indicted in the Huling family murders, and in 2000 was sentenced to life imprisonment. Ture claims he is innocent in all the murder cases and claims that investigators used him to solve cold cases.

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

In April 1981, Ture was convicted of rape and kidnapping involving the rape cases. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Afterwards, he was indicted in Edwards' murder. Based on eyewitnesses identifying him at the murder scene, Ture was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. After his conviction, he confessed to the 1978 murders of Alice Huling and her three children, however, he quickly recanted his confessions. 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.

On October 30, 1980, Ture was arrested for the rapes of a 13-year-old Minneapolis girl and two other women. While in custody, he was questioned in the murder of Diane Edwards, 19, a University of Minnesota student whose nude and battered body was discovered near Elk River on October 3. She had been reported missing on September 26 after being seen forcefully getting into a man's car. At least five witnesses who witnessed Edwards' abduction described the man's vehicle as an older, rusted station wagon. This description was similar to Ture's vehicle, a 1974 Ford Galaxie.

Joseph Donald Ture, Jr. (born February 7, 1951) is an American serial killer, rapist, burglar, and kidnapper who murdered at least three women and three children in Minnesota from 1978 to 1980. Originally convicted of a single murder in 1981, his more complete exposure occurred in the late 1990s based upon multiple reinvestigations, which also pinpointed him in numerous unsolved rapes. He is currently serving six life sentences at Minnesota Correctional Facility – Stillwater in Bayport, Minnesota.

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 only stayed for 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.