Grand Jury Indicts Man for Double Homicide

A Polk County grand jury has indicted a 42-year-old man on two counts of murder and one count of first-degree arson in connection with the deaths of Robert and Wendy Peck, the Saluda couple, both 80, found dead after a house fire.

Court records show Christopher Shane Turner was indicted on June 8 on the three felony charges for offenses allegedly committed on May 24. 

Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, the NC State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, have assisted with the case.

According to Polk County Superior Court records, the charges were returned by a grand jury Monday afternoon under case number 26CR001532-740. Turner was subsequently served with an order for arrest while already being held in the Polk County Detention Center on unrelated felony charges.

A release order filed in the case indicates that bond is not authorized.

The court file provides few details beyond the charges themselves. Prosecutors allege two counts of murder and one count of first-degree arson, all occurring on May 24. No probable cause affidavit, investigative summary, or narrative describing the evidence has been made publicly available through the court record.

The case had remained largely shrouded in mystery since emergency responders were dispatched to the residence on Memorial Day weekend. Authorities publicly released little information in the weeks that followed, fueling speculation throughout Polk County as investigators worked behind the scenes.

The indictment suggests investigators assembled enough evidence to convince a grand jury that criminal charges were warranted, though the specific facts supporting the allegations have not yet been disclosed in the NC Judicial Branch eCourts Odyssey public records.

Turner’s legal troubles began before the murder indictment was returned. District Court records show he was arrested on May 31 and charged with felony larceny of a motor vehicle and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. Court documents indicate those charges stem from a Polk County Sheriff’s Office investigation (case number 26CR321326-740).

A separate felony charge for larceny of a firearm was filed days later (case number 26CR322682-740). Records show a warrant was issued on June 2 and served on June 8, the same day the murder and arson indictment was handed down.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office inmate confinement report now lists six pending charges against Turner: larceny of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, larceny of a firearm, two counts of murder, and first-degree arson.

Jail records reflect secured bonds totaling $60,000 on the theft-related cases. The murder and arson charges carry no authorized bond.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed how the victims died, whether the fire was set before or after the deaths occurred, what evidence allegedly links Turner to the crime scene, or whether investigators believe there was a motive. Investigators also have not released details regarding how Turner came under suspicion.

Those answers may emerge through future court filings, pretrial hearings, or public statements from law enforcement and prosecutors.

For now, the indictment represents the most significant development in the investigation since the deaths occurred and signals that prosecutors are moving forward with a case they believe can be supported in court.

Turner, like all defendants, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.