JACKSON, Ky. — Breathitt County lost one of its most respected figures Thursday when retired Sheriff John L. Turner, 70, passed away peacefully at his Jackson home.
Turner served as sheriff for multiple terms and spent decades in law enforcement, earning a reputation as a calm, fair, and approachable leader who always put the community first.
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“Sheriff Turner was the kind of man who remembered your name, your kids’ names, and what you were worried about,” said current Breathitt County Sheriff John Smith. “He didn’t just enforce the law; he cared about the people behind every call.”
Colleagues and residents alike remembered Turner as someone who could defuse tense situations with a quiet word, mentor young deputies with patience, and still find time to check on elderly residents or help a stranded motorist.
“He never acted like the badge made him better than anybody else,” said longtime friend and retired deputy Roger Hollan. “He’d be the first one to take it off and roll up his sleeves if somebody needed help.”
News of his death spread quickly across the close-knit county, with social media filled with stories of Turner’s kindness: fixing a child’s bicycle, sitting with families through tragedy, or simply stopping to talk on a porch for far longer than duty required.
“Breathitt County is a quieter, sadder place today,” County Judge-Executive Jeff Noble posted Thursday afternoon. “Sheriff Turner wasn’t just our sheriff; he was our neighbor, our friend, and our rock.”
Funeral arrangements are pending through Breathitt Funeral Home in Jackson. County officials say a large public service is expected, with law enforcement agencies from across eastern Kentucky planning to pay tribute.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Breathitt County Sheriff’s Youth Camp, a program Turner helped establish decades ago.
John L. Turner is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and a county that will remember him as one of its finest.