Martindale resident indicted on first-degree murder charge

Sierra Martin | Managing Editor

Martindale resident Terry Turner was indicted with the first-degree murder of Austin man Adil Dghoughi by a grand jury in Caldwell County on Wednesday. Turner shot Dghoughi in his driveway in Martindale on Oct. 11, 2021. 

According to court documents, Turner told law enforcement he woke up in the middle of the night and saw a strange car in his driveway. That’s when Turner ran to get his gun.

Court documents reveal that Turner told police he chased after Dghoughi’s car with his gun as it was reversing out of his driveway and shot him through the driver’s side window. Turner claimed he saw Dghoghi pull a gun on him as well, but law enforcement officers didn’t find a gun inside the vehicle. 

In a transcript of the 911 call Turner made to police, he told the dispatcher, “I just killed a guy,” explaining that he “tried to pull a gun at me, I shot,” KXAN reported.

The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office arrested Turner 11 days later, a delay that frustrated Dghoughi’s family and local advocacy groups.

Dghoughi and his family are from Morocco and will be traveling home following the grand jury’s decision to charge Turner with First Degree Murder. The family’s attorney Rebecca Webber released the following statements to media regarding their reaction to the news. 

The mother of the victim, Fatiha Haouass, said that the Caldwell County grand jury’s decision to indict her son’s killer has brought justice to her son.

“I asked District Attorney Weber, for the sake of God, sake of justice, and sake of democracy, to bring justice to our beloved Adil by bringing us an indictment of first degree murder,” said Haouass. “Today the District Attorney stood up against those who think this murder was justified and showed me and the world the honorable person he is. I will travel home to Morocco with new trust and hope in my heart that the American system will hold Terry Turner accountable.”

The victim’s brother, Othmane Dghoughi said that Turner killed his brother while he was just lost in the Martindale neighborhood. 

“Terry Turner took my brother’s life like he was nothing. He executed my brother because Adil was lost. There are no words to describe how hard it has been,” said Othmane Dghoughi. “In my darkest moments I cried because how could I face my brother’s grave if I allowed his life to be disrespected and diminished by law enforcement who believed Turner’s lies? Now, I will take my mom home to Morocco and I can visit my brother’s grave to tell him that we are one step closer to getting justice.”