Shivangi Sinha
Alissa Turney’s disappearance in May 2001 raised numerous unanswered questions. Her stepfather, Michael Turney, asserted that she left after an argument with him and later called to say she was heading to California. However, many friends and relatives suggested that Michael was involved in her disappearance and hinted that he was withholding information. In Oxygen’s ‘Family Secrets: The Disappearance of Alissa Turney,’ the evidence gathered by the police and the testimonies related to these allegations are explored.
Michael Turney Claimed That Alissa Had Left Home After a Fight With Him
Michael Turney met Barbara Farner in the late 1980s. He had three sons — Rhett, James, and Michael Jr. — and noticed a resemblance in Barbara, who had two children, John and Alissa Strahm, from her previous marriage. It wasn’t long before they married and blended their families. The couple enjoyed several happy years together in Phoenix, Arizona, where they welcomed a daughter, Sarah Turney. However, in 1993, Barbara received a devastating diagnosis, learning she had only a limited time to live. During their years together, Michael adopted John and Alissa, caring for them as if they were his own children.
A few years after Barbara’s passing, Michael’s sons began to leave home as they grew older and sought independence. By the late 2000s, only Sarah and Alissa remained in the house with Michael. He frequently expressed his concerns to Sarah and other family members, claiming that Alissa was a disobedient child who needed constant supervision. He alleged that she was often drinking and partying, so he felt compelled to keep a close watch on her. To do this, he installed cameras throughout the house and used a recording device on the telephone to monitor her activities during the day.
On May 17, 2001, Michael reported that he picked up Alissa from school, where she informed him that she planned to go out and would be home late. He claimed he protested, which angered her, leading her to storm out of the house. When Sarah returned home, she discovered a letter in Alissa’s room stating that she was tired of living under such strict rules and was leaving. In a frantic search, Michael looked for Alissa, put up posters of missing persons, and drove around in hopes of finding any trace of her. On May 24, he claimed that Alissa called him to say she was staying in California.
Incriminating Items Were Recovered From Michael Turney’s Home
Because of Michael Turney’s account of Alissa Turney leaving home, the police initially believed it was a case of a runaway teenager. However, as the years went by without any contact from her, concerns began to grow. In 2008, cold case investigators reopened the investigation and called Michael in for questioning. He provided them with a video clip of Alissa arguing with her boyfriend, Jon Laakman, and suggested they should question him. However, when Jon was interrogated, he claimed that it was Michael who had told him Alissa was cheating, which led to their argument. This raised suspicions with the police, prompting them to request the footage from the day Alissa went missing.
Michael claimed that he had deleted the footage, which raised eyebrows since it was unusual for a father not to keep recordings from the last day he saw his daughter. Investigators began speaking with family and friends, many of whom revealed that Alissa had occasionally alluded to experiencing abuse from her stepfather. With this information, the police executed a search warrant on the house. Although they found no direct evidence related to Alissa’s disappearance, they uncovered something far more alarming.
Michael had an extensive stockpile of explosive materials, including nine firearms, two homemade silencers, and a van rigged with gasoline. Additionally, they discovered a detailed plan he had written for a bizarre attack on the local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union hall. As a result, the police arrested him on charges of illegal possession of explosives. He pled guilty to unlawful possession of unregistered destructive devices. In exchange, other charges were dropped against him, and he was handed down a 10-year sentence.
Michael Turney is Fighting a Legal Battle Against Local Officials Today
While Michael Turney was in prison, only a handful of family members maintained contact with him. His younger daughter, Sarah Turner, who had once been a strong supporter, began to distance herself. She expressed her growing conviction that he had a role in her sister’s disappearance. Meanwhile, some of Michael’s sons reported that they had observed him being uncomfortably close to Alissa Turney, and those who had seen the homemade tapes shared their concerns. Alissa’s school teachers also corroborated these allegations, which added to the mounting suspicions surrounding Michael’s behavior. He was released from prison in 2017, and by that time, interest in Alissa’s case had surged. Advocates rallied for him to be charged. In August 2020, he was arrested in Mesa, Arizona, and charged with second-degree murder.
He remained in county jail until his trial began in July 2023. However, just five days into the trial, the judge acquitted him due to insufficient evidence, leading to his release. In January 2024, following his release, Michael filed a lawsuit against local officials, alleging mistreatment during his time in custody. He claimed he was denied adequate healthcare and meals while incarcerated and asserted he was wrongfully held. Michael alleged that prosecutors were aware of the lack of sufficient evidence but chose to keep him imprisoned. He also accused law enforcement of physically assaulting him during his arrest, claiming damages exceeding $300,000. Currently, not much is known about his whereabouts, except that he remains in Arizona and is living alone.
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