Murder trial begins for Martindale man

LPR staff

The trial for a Martindale man accused of shooting and killing an unarmed man who was parked in the shooter’s driveway in the early morning on Oct. 11, 2021, began Tuesday.

Jury selection took place Monday for the trial, which is being held at the Caldwell County Justice Center in Lockhart. Terry Duane Turner, who lived in Martindale, found Adil Dghoughi parked in his driveway around 3:40 a.m. and claimed he thought Dghoughi had a gun, although police were unable to find such weapon.

Turner shot the 31-year-old Dghoughi in his vehicle.

Turner said Dghoughi’s vehicle was unfamiliar, and he had his lights turned off.

Dghoughi, a Moroccan immigrant who was living in Austin, had attended a football watch party with his girlfriend, Sarah Todd. Todd said she believed Dghoughi had gotten lost and had pulled into Turner’s driveway to figure out how to get home.

The 67-year-old Turner was indicted in February 2022 in connection with Dghoughi’s death.

In the arrest affidavit, Turner said he went to confront the driver of the vehicle parked in his driveway when Dghoughi began backing the vehicle out. Turner said he chased Dghoughi to the end of the driveway. Dghoughi had placed the vehicle in drive when Turner stuck the driver’s side widow twice when his gun, then fired once into the vehicle.

Turner dialed 911 and informed the dispatcher that he had just “killed a guy.”

Dghoughi was pronounced dead after being taken to a nearby hospital. The gunshot fired from Turner had entered through Dghoughi’s right hand, then his head.

Turner faces five years to life in prison if convicted. He is being defended by the Austin law office of E.G. Morris.

Dghoughi’s girlfriend, Todd, reportedly lived just three miles from Turner.