Murder charges filed in Plainfield dismemberment case

A Plainfield man and woman now face murder charges in connection with the death and dismemberment of the woman’s husband.

A Will County grand jury indicted Robin Turner, 62, and James Adams, 26, on three counts of murder, one charge of dismemberment and two counts of concealing the death of Turner’s 38-year-old husband, Dalewayne.

On June 28, a boater in Lake Mattoon discovered a floating arm with “distinct tattoos on it.” Days later, the investigation led police to Turner’s Plainfield home, where investigators found his torso and head in a freezer that had been taped shut and covered with a blanket, according to court documents.

A Will County judge earlier this month denied pretrial release for Robin Turner. She will appear before Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak on Aug. 3 for arraignment.

Adams, who appeared in court Wednesday and is Dalewayne Turner’s half-brother, remains in the Will County jail. A hearing date for a motion seeking to deny his pretrial release will be set in September.

According to court documents, police were tipped off to the freezer in Turner’s home by a relative who also told investigators that Adams and Robin Turner told him what they had done to Dalewayne Turner.

According to the relative, they said that Dalewayne became violent and Adams stabbed him multiple times. They told the relative they were unsure what to do with the body and that they put it in the freezer and took “several body parts” to a lake, according to court documents.

The relative said he stepped out of the home and called 911 when he heard what they had done, court records state.

In a motion seeking to deny pretrial release for Adams and Turner, prosecutors note that both went to “extreme measures” to conceal their actions and hide Dalewayne Turner’s body. Some of those steps included using bleach to clean and cover up the smell, removing rugs, repainting the home, and removing wood panels and burning them in a fire pit, prosecutors said in their motion.

Court documents also outlined a text exchange the morning of June 22 between Adams and Robin Turner where they discuss where to purchase a dolly and if they need carpet cleaner. At the end of the text exchange, Turner texts that she will have to keep “pouring bleach if it starts to smell a bit funny” and warns Adams to “be sure to fully delete everything.”

Investigators also found Google searches on Turner’s phone on topics including what types of medications can cause overdoses, a search for chest freezers, how long it takes to freeze a turkey and how to divorce someone who can’t be found, prosecutors said in their motion.

When he was arrested, Adams’ only statement to police was that his actions were in self-defense, according to court documents.

In May 2025, a Will County judge granted Adams’ request for an order of protection against Dalewayne Turner. In his petition, Adams claimed that Turner left a voicemail threatening to kill him and telling Adams that he “can’t hide from him.” Adams also claimed that Turner suffered from PTSD and had laid hands on him before.

“He’s a violent, dangerous person,” Adams, who also lived in the Plainfield home, wrote in his petition.

In granting the order of protection, Will County Judge Theodore Jarz set a May 2027 date to review the matter. As part of the order, Adams was allowed to stay in the Plainfield residence and Dalewayne Turner was to stay away from Adams and not have any communication with him.

Robin Turner also filed for an order of protection against Dalewayne Turner in May of last year, but court records show the matter was dropped when neither side showed for a hearing.