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Officials kept arrest of second suspect in Decker murder case quiet for weeks

Posted at 10:17 AM, Dec 03, 2012
and last updated 2012-12-03 19:16:27-05

Virginia Beach, Va. - A second suspect has now been charged in the murder of Norfolk police officer Victor Decker. 

Officials say Kareem Hasson Turner was charged Thursday, November 29, 2012, with Second Degree Murder. Turner was arraigned on Friday, November 30, 2012, in General District Court, after an extensive investigation that police say is ongoing.

Turner was arrested in the middle of October but officials say they wanted to keep that development quiet. 

According to court documents filed on Monday, the two men are accused of working together to rob and murder Decker. 

Commonwealth's Attorney Harvey Bryant told NewsChannel 3 he did not want anyone to know. 

"For the safety of our witnesses, many of whom, as you have reported, are in custody and to ensure their continued cooperation, we were trying to keep this under the radar," says Harvey. 

They were able to keep it quiet for more than six weeks until the news leaked this weekend. 

"I don't think this is a disaster for the case, but it would have been better to keep some of this on the down low for awhile," says Bryant. 

Turner remains on a no-bond status. 

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