Naman Shrestha
In the spring of 2001, 17-year-old Alissa Turney mysteriously vanished from her house in Phoenix, Arizona. At first, the detectives found no hint of foul play and believed that she had simply run away from her family. Years later, the investigation found her stepfather, Michael Turney, at the heart of the detectives’ suspicions. The entire case and the years-long investigation are covered in a detailed manner in the episode titled ‘The Day Alissa Disappeared’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline.’ Michael was put under scrutiny as dark family secrets came to the surface.
Michael Turney Planned to Bomb the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Building
Before marrying Barbara, Michael Turney was already a father of three children from his previous relationship. When the two tied the knot, he adopted her daughter, Alissa Marie, and her older son, John. Not long after, Michael and Barbara welcomed Sarah, a daughter of their own, into the world. Unfortunately, a few years later, Barbara passed away from cancer, and Michael became the sole parent and caretaker of all of their children, including Alissa Turney, who was a student at Paradise Valley High School. On the fateful day of May 17, 2001, Alissa reportedly went missing after allegedly getting involved in an argument with her stepfather, Michael. At the time, she lived with him and her half-sister, Sarah, at 17218 North 34th Street in Phoenix, Arizona.
As per Michael’s accounts, Alissa locked herself in her room after the argument. He claimed that he went outside for a few hours and returned to find a note written by her that said that she was running away to California. However, the strange thing was that several of her personal items were still in her room, including her cell phone. On the same day, Michael reported his stepdaughter missing, but the authorities suspected no foul play as they believed she had simply run away. About a week later, on May 24, he also claimed that he received a phone call from Alissa, who swore at him and hung up. Several years later, in 2008, the Missing Persons Unit Detectives took another look at Alissa’s disappearance, as they suspected that foul play might be involved after all.
When the authorities were pointed towards Michael Turney as a person of interest, they combed through the Turney property in Phoenix, Arizona. Unexpectedly, the detectives came across more than two dozen working bombs, 19 firearms, a ballistic vest, two homemade silencers, and a van full of gasoline. They also found a manifesto that had a detailed plan to carry out an attack on the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers building. In his defense, Michael claimed that a couple of assassins from the organization were responsible for killing her missing stepdaughter and burying her in Desert Center, California. Eventually, he was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing a large number of homemade bombs.
Michael Turney Was Acquitted of the Murder Charges Against Him
In August 2017, Michael Turney was released from prison. Over the next few years, the authorities worked hard to gather enough evidence against him in connection with the disappearance of his stepdaughter, Alissa. Thus, on the basis of circumstantial evidence and allegations of sexual abuse against him towards the missing girl, Michael was arrested in Mesa, Arizona, and officially indicted on second-degree murder on August 19, 2020. Three years later, in early July 2023, his trial commenced in Phoenix, Arizona. During the trial, the prosecution emphasized the sexual abuse claims against the defendant, claiming that he was afraid he would reveal the abuse to others. However, the judge barred the prosecution from discussing those claims.
His daughter, Sarah Turney, also took the stand and testified against him. She talked about how Michael used to criticize Alissa. Moreover, she claimed that when she asked him about Alissa, he allegedly told her that he would reveal that on his deathbed. The defense argued that the motive was based on lies and fabricated witness statements. A few days into the trial, the defense submitted a motion for an acquittal to the judge by claiming that the prosecution failed to back up their allegations with any physical evidence. The prosecution responded that if Alissa had been alive, she would have contacted her family and friends over the years. After hearing both sides of the coin, the judge dismissed all the charges against Michael and relieved the jurors of their duty. Thus, on July 18, 2023, he was released from police custody.
Michael Turney Pursued a Case Against the Prosecutors and Police
Following his release, one of his defense attorneys told the media, “He is happy that the judge saw it his way. He’s excited that he’ll be able to get out of custody. He is obviously still very concerned about the case and Alissa, and trying to find who actually killed her.” Maintaining his innocence, he continued to deny any involvement in the disappearance of his stepdaughter and also stated that the sexual abuse allegations against him were also untrue. He told ABC News, “Did it exonerate me from what my children were thinking, the negative stuff that they were fed? No, that damage is done…It might someday recover itself, but that’s only going to happen if we find Alissa.”
In January 2024, the former electrician and one-time Maricopa County sheriff’s deputy filed a civil lawsuit against the police and prosecutors who charged him with Alissa’s murder without a conclusive basis. He told Phoenix New Times, “I don’t ever expect to get any money from it. I expect them to come down on me like banshees from hell.” Since he couldn’t find a lawyer to fight his case for him, he decided to represent himself. He also admitted that he was “very lucky to be acquitted.” Addressing the testimony of Sarah, he also said, “She kept trying to come at me different ways, trying to get a confession. I did not tell her that I would say what happened to Alissa on my deathbed. I told her that she would hear the truth.” It seems that Michael Turney lives in Apache Junction, Arizona, where he leads a private life, away from the spotlight.
Read More: Alissa Turney Disappearance: Investigation Details and Latest Update
