Clemency hearing for the murderer of 16-year-old girl

Macoupin County State's Attorney Jordan J. Garrison announced on Monday, Nov. 21, that he, along with former State's Attorney Ed Rees and former State's Attorney Vince Moreth, had filed documents opposing the release of Robert G. Turner, 63, for the murder and sexual assault of 16-year-old Bridget Drobney.

Bridget Drobney of Downers Grove was in Gillespie for a wedding in 1985. She was driving alone at night when she was pulled over by three men who had a red flashing light on their station wagon, posing as police. She was raped and murdered in a cornfield outside Gillespie. Turner was subsequently arrested in July of 1985 and charged with first degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated criminal sexual assault and criminal sexual assault.

Drobney's body was found found four days after her murder. Robert Turner admitted to killing her as she pleaded for her life.

A jury found him guilty of all offenses and Turner was sentenced to death. The death sentence was commuted to life in prison by Gov. George Ryan in January of 2003. In early 2022, Turner filed a petition of executive clemency which has been set for a hearing on Jan. 10, 2023.

In his letter in opposition to clemency, former State’s Attorney Ed Rees, who tried the case, stated, “The facts of the case are among the most tragic and heinous I have encountered. Robert Turner is a cruel man without conscious who should never be returned to society.”

Former State’s Attorney Vince Moreth handled the death penalty phase of the case. He stated in his letter, “The 48,000 people of Macoupin County remember this heinous crime as if it happened yesterday and will not forget Turner and what he did nor will the Drobney family.”

State’s Attorney Garrison's letter in opposition to clemency stated, “The fear Turner’s actions instilled in the citizens of Macoupin County is still seen today. The fear of traveling on our country roads in a time prior to cell phones. The fear a cop was not a cop. The fear of an act of violence the likes of which had never been seen in our communities prior. To this day, when someone in my county mentions the Drobney murder at a dinner or an event, you can still see the fear in the faces of those who lived through the terror.”

The clemency hearing is open to the public and is being held Jan. 10, 2023, at the Sadie Forum in Chicago.