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Family mourns Baltimore toddler thrown off bridge
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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Everybody called little Turner Jordan Nelson “Doodlebug,” a name of affection for the 3-year-old with a knack for spelling and a big smile.
“He was the light of my life,” Turner’s mother, Natisha Johnson, said Saturday as she left his funeral at Nebo Christian Ministries in southwest Baltimore. “It’s good to see such an outpouring from my friends, family and coworkers.”
About 100 people attended the church in the 200 block of North Franklintown Road to mourn the death of Turner, who police say was killed by his father, Stephen Nelson, 37.
Charged with first-degree murder after confessing to throwing his son off the Francis Scott Key Bridge in February amid a custody dispute, Stephen Nelson’s name was not mentioned at the funeral.
Instead, mourners used the occasion to remember the best parts of the young Turner’s life: How he could eat like a grown man, spell words beyond his years, and brought joy to the adults around him.
“He’s going to be missed,” his mother said. “I’ve got plenty of pictures and videos. That all makes it easier.”
Turner taught himself to spell words like xylophone, elephant and bicycle; helped teachers clean up at A Bright Future Learning Center; and sat with his mom watching the television shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.
“TJ was a quiet, funny character,” his godmother, Shirlida Basarath, said. “It was just a blessing, that short time we did have him here.”
Bishop Larry Williams noted in his sermon that the toddler had brought those at the church together during his time on earth.
“It was short, but he contributed a lot to life,” the preacher said.
Last week, Maryland Transportation Authority police said they’d recovered what they believed to be Turner’s body in the Baltimore Harbor.
Stephen Nelson told police that demons made him throw his son off the bridge, according to charging documents.
After the incident, Nelson attempted suicide and had to be hospitalized for more than a week.
“Not knowing was the hardest part,” Johnson said of her son’s missing body. “Now, it’s over.”
lbroadwater@baltimoreexaminer.com
