Wanted man found dead

The body of the wanted UC Irvine student who allegedly strangled and beat his wife was found Friday afternoon in San Juan Capistrano in what appears to be a suicide, UCI officials said.

Gregory Scott Turner’s body was found in his royal blue 2006 Chevrolet pick-up truck around 4:30 p.m. Friday, said Tom Vasich, UCI spokesman. Turner’s family was notified.

The Orange County Sheriff Coroner’s office is investigating the cause of Turner’s death.

Police had been looking for Turner, 33, who fled his Verano Place home at UCI, leaving his wife strangled, beat in the face and unconscious, since Wednesday evening, Vasich said.

The couple’s 7-year-old called police. She and her 5-year-old sister, who was also at the home during the incident, are in the custody of Child Protective Services, Vasich said.

“We heard that the kids will be reunited with their mother this weekend,” he said.

Turner and his wife, Ketra Batiste-Turner, 32, lived on campus with their children in an apartment community designed for graduate students and students with domestic partners and children.

Turner, who was an undergraduate studying criminology at UCI, was arrested and booked for domestic assault on Dec. 9 by campus police after an argument with Batiste-Turner turned violent, Vasich said.

Turner, was released from Orange County jail Monday after a protective restraining order was put on him, Vasich said.

The restraining order did not keep him away; two days later, Turner allegedly beat and strangled his wife then left her unconscious.

Batiste-Turner was treated and released from the hospital Friday.