To People, Sarah said, I feel this is my calling now.. You know, the one from Friends, Sarah laughed. [2] He was released in August 2017. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, "Ottavia Zappala: A True Crime Reporter in Search of Justice", "She is My Hero: Sarah Turney on Her Missing Sister, Alissa", "Sisters of missing Arizona children find friendship, form bond to fight for justice", "Stepfather charged in 19-year-old disappearance of Paradise Valley teen", "Missing Person Suspicious Circumstance Alissa Turney Silent Witness", "TikTok Helped Solve A 19-Year-Old Missing Persons Case", "Missing girl's stepdad gets 10 years in union hall bomb plot", "Did TikTok Help Solve a Decades-Old Disappearance? He later admitted that he might have been mistaken. Or to her aunts house in California. Michael Turney had always kept an abnormally close eye on Alissa, his stepdaughter. And in one home video from 1997 that Sarah posted on TikTok in summer 2020, Alissa can be heard saying, Sarah, dads a pervert. In another TikTok, Sarah secretly recorded her father and asked him point-blank about Alissa Turneys disappearance. Turney was left to raise two young girls alone, and as Alissa entered her teens, they experienced serious friction. When they returned home, Alissa was gone. It took almost 20 years but we did it., At the press conference on Thursday, Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel gave credit to Sarah for helping to solve Alissa's case and for never giving up on it, calling Sarah's search for justice a testament to love of a sister.. Dateline NBC attempted to reach Michael Turney for comment, but was unsuccessful. He was always frantic about her, Sarah said. A Goodbye Note By 2001, Alissa was a junior in high school. We did it," Sarah Turney, Alissa's sister, posted on social media. Sarah TurneyAlissa Turney turned 17 only a month before she disappeared. Wedding & Marriage / Husband / Boyfriend / Dating. "Alissa Turney was 17 years old went she vanished. #justiceforalissa Never give up hope that you can get justice. Then, in 2020, the investigation into Alissa Turneys disappearance took one final twist. [1][11], In 2006, self-proclaimed serial killer Thomas Albert Hymer told a prison guard that he had killed Alissa. Cox said. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Your email address will not be published. 1,666 following. The actress dodged the question while rocking a noticeable piece of new jewelry on the, How a Shopping Addiction Became a Hoarding Problem. [15][1], In June 2019, Alissa's half-sister Sarah Turney, who was 12 in 2001, began a podcast called Voices for Justice that explored Alissa's disappearance and the subsequent police investigation. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. Now Her Father Is Charged With Homicide. Alissa Turney, 17, had just finished her last day at Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix. Her younger sister, Sarah Turney, has been investigating the case on social media. Also, where was her brother John living at, or if Michael didnt want her to live in his house or if he didnt want Alissa to live with her aunt in California then why didnt he just let her go live with her brother or why didnt they try to find her biological father, and let her live with her biological father or at least let her live with her brother or at least let her live with her Aunt in CaliforniaI mean it was stupid for Michael Turney, her stepfather, to just end her life when he could have just asked another family member to let Alissa live with them. I feel terrible I wasnt able to do more when I was younger.. Did TikTok Help Solve a Decades-Old Disappearance? California was this beautiful dream that many people here wanted, she told Dateline in June. After the search, the case was cold for another decade. Yeah, of course I feel bad about it.. Sarah Turney told Dateline she remembers her sister being excited for summer and planning to attend a graduation party later that evening. And living with it every day. Alissa Turney Age, Petition, Dad Father, Sister Sarah Turney, Wiki 2023 Michael Turney has exhibited an apparent obsession with his stepdaughter, Alissa, police noted in 2008. What Happened To Alissa Turney? | Missing | Investigation Discovery Stepfather indicted in cold-case murder of missing woman Alissa Turney Sarah is seeking justi. Alissa then dared the much-younger Sarah to jump off the roof while she was still on the trampoline. Sarah TurneyAlissa Turney and Sarah Turney. Willy P and I chat about the missing persons case of Alissa Turney. The Case of Alissa Turney (2021 NEW Update) - YouTube She never contacted friends or any other family members, either. By 2001, Alissa was a junior in high school. He subsequently went to prison in 2010 for possessing pipe bombs not for Alissa Turneys disappearance. Though police did not say how they came to arrest Michael Turney or whether Sarahs social media efforts helped solve Alissa Turneys disappearance County Attorney Allister Adel acknowledged Sarahs social media campaign in a press conference. In April, however, Sarah created a TikTok, which is when her campaign really gained attention: at time of writing, she had 1 million followers. At the time, her family also believed Alissa had run away. Its all about Alissa. Her boyfriend revealed that Michael had tried fooling around with her. And most disturbingly of all, Alissa had told friends that shed once woken up tied to a chair, gagged, with Michael on top of her. In 2001, Alissa Turney went missing. Quickly, the Phoenix Police identified their only person of interest, Alissa's step father, Michael Roy Turney. Cox. Its one of my favorite memories.. On that day she poked her head into her boyfriends woodworking class at Paradise Valley High School and said her stepfather was taking her out of school early, the Maricopa County Attorneys Office later explained. Conveniently, the recorder had been turned off on the only morning he said Alissa had called after disappearing, Michael said. In the podcast, Detective Stuart Somershoe of the Phoenix Police Department, who worked Alissas case for years, said it was the relationship between Aissa and her stepfather that shifted police attention to the possibility of foul play. Of course, we fought like sisters, but she practically raised me. Now, her stepfather, Michael Turney, has been charged with second-degree murder, according to the Arizona Republic. https://charleyproject.org/case/alissa-marie-turney Michael says he and his other daughter, Sarah, found a note from Alissa in her handwriting saying she had ran away to California. This week, weve rounded up the best party pics from events with Ralph Lauren and Tiffany & Co. Would You Wear a Bag Made of Cactus, Apples, or Grapes? On May 17, 2001, 17-year-old Alissa left Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona, in the middle of the day. She got away from him and thats what she wanted. Posts Videos Tagged. 23K followers. Sources: Voices for Justice Podcast. He monitored her phone calls, set up home surveillance cameras, and even filmed her while she was at work. This page is not available in other languages. No charges have been pressed against Michael in the relation to the disappearance of his step daughter. But then, on May 17, 2001, the last day of the school year, Alissa Turney vanished. The Disappearance of Alissa Turney - Sarah Turney Full - YouTube Sarah told Dateline she finds support in the online true-crime community and has attended events like CrimeCon, which she said has helped her forge ahead with Alissas case. There was only a note, and unanswered questions. He said, Be at the deathbed, Sarah, and I will give you all the honest answers you want to hear. He also said he would confess to everything if the state agreed to give him a lethal injection within 10 days.. And as they began interviewing people who knew her, strange details came out about Michael: That he set up extensive, sometimes hidden, surveillance cameras inside his home, and that he installed a passive recording device on their landline. I did not like the way he was raising the girls. Of course we fought like normal sisters over toys, over hair, over clothes, Ms. Turney said. Alissa Turney was a junior in high school when she vanished in 2001. Her stepfather told police shed run away, but for her little sister Sarah Turney, 12 at the time the story never quite squared. [1][8][14] They also found a manifesto outlining his plans for a rampage against the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers building in Phoenix. Looking for Alissa: Father Hunts for Rebellious Teen - ABC News James, who is 10 years older than Alissa, spoke to her just a couple of months before she disappeared. Sarah TurneyAlissa Turney and her stepfather, Michael Turney, in an undated family photograph. Michael acknowledged that hed taken Alissa out of school that day. Sarah said they had an aunt in California and the girls had talked about going to see her. The note stated that Alissa was running away to California. statement. Alissas case remained classified as a runaway and police said the call was never traced or verified. Sarah told Dateline she was hopeful an investigation into her fathers alleged involvement with her sisters unsolved case would escalate. To Sarah, this seemed plausible. And last week, she got them. "He's been arrested Never give up hope that you can get justice. Sarah Turney spent 20 years trying to uncover the truth about her sister's disappearance. saraheturney/TikTokOne of Sarah Turneys TikToks, where she discussed details of her sisters disappearance. On May 17, 2001, 17-year-old Alissa left Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona, in the middle of the day. Alissa Turney went missing from Phoenix, Arizona on May 17th, 2001 at the age of 17. From strappy pieces for yoga to utilitarian bounce minimizers, weve got you covered. On August 20, Alissa's stepfather . But he wasnt like that with me.. If you asked me then if I thought my father had any involvement, I would have said no. She plans to attend every court hearing, she said just as she did a decade ago, when her father was on trial for the explosives possession charge. But in recent years, she has worked to raise awareness about what she's concluded to be her father's guilt, posting on social media with #JusticeforAlissa and working on her podcast, "Voices for Justice.". To most, it looked like a clear case of a teenage runaway. At the time of her disappearance, she lived with her stepfather Michael Turney and half-sister Sarah Turney. The girls mother, Barbara Strahm, died of cancer when Alissa was just eight years old and Michael legally adopted her. This process has been absolute hell. She had lived with her 12-year-old sister, Sarah, and their father Michael Turney, who had legally adopted Alissa after the sisters' mother Barbara Strahm died of cancer in 1992, per the Phoenix New Times.Sarah and Michael found Alissa's normally tidy room . But her sister, Sarah Turney, was convinced her father had something to do with Alissas disappearance and turned to the app TikTok to help gain interest in the case. At the time, there were no signs of foul play or exigency based on the fact Alissa was 17 years old and had no mental/physical health issues, Sgt. Love Hiking in Arizona? I look back at it, because she ran away as a result of that, he added. 21 Things on Sale Youll Actually Want to Buy: From J.Crew to Patagonia. Turney was arrested on Thursday in Mesa, Arizona and charged with second degree murder. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Alissa Turney, 17, was never heard from again. How a Grieving Sister's TikTok Campaign for Justice Went Viral - People I told her she could come stay with me. Michael Turney, 72, made his first court appearance Friday where a judge denied him a reduction in bond. Michael Roy Turney was sentenced to 10 years in prison. . I wasnt worried, she told People. Believe it or not, it has become an important outlet for Alissas story. Alissa Turney Podcast: What Is Dad Michael Turney Hiding? - MEL Magazine Sarah Turney Sought Justice on TikTok. Now Her Father Is Charged With MORE: Doubts about dedicated stepfather mount in 'runaway' case So, when Sarah's dad told her that her sister left on her own good will, she believed him. Mr. Turney has been accused of abusing, surveilling and controlling Alissa, and Ms. Turney has publicly shared some of the video footage he recorded. Or, look into the eerie story of Brittanee Drexel, who disappeared while on spring break in South Carolina. I take a popular concept or sound and try to apply it to Alissas case.. Turney denied that allegation, denied that he harmed Alissa in any way and said he had nothing to do with her disappearance. It took almost 20 years but we did it.". Her sister, Sarah Turney, told Dateline in June that she remembers her sister being excited for summer and was planning to attend a graduation party later that evening. At the time of her disappearance, she lived with her stepfather Michael Turney and half-sister Sarah Turney. Voices for Justice: The Story of Alissa Turney Voices for Justice True Crime Voices for Justice is written, produced, and, hosted by Sarah Turney. Police initially thought Alissa had run away to California. I told her she could come stay with me. If you didnt like Alissa and if he didnt want her in his house then why didnt he just call her Aunt that lives in California to come to get her, instead of killing her. Always had to know where she was and what she was doing. Alissa Turney turned 17 only a month before she disappeared. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/26/us/alissa-turney-update.html. All rights reserved. And she plans to use her social media and podcast to raise awareness about other cold cases. Alissa's case has remained in the national . What Is Michael Turney Hiding? Around the time Michael Turney left prison in 2017, Sarah made Facebook, Instagram, Twitter accounts dedicated to Alissa Turney. She had grown up in a blended family under the care of Michael Turney, her stepfather, whod adopted her when her mother died from lung cancer.