Alissa Turney
Seventeen-year-old Alissa Turney disappeared from her Phoenix high school. Her stepfather Michael Turney was convicted of her murder in 2020 after her sister's advocacy campaign.
On May 17, 2001, seventeen-year-old Alissa Turney disappeared from Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona, on the last day of school. Her stepfather Michael Turney told police that Alissa had left a note saying she was running away to California, but the family was suspicious from the start.
The case went cold for years, despite Alissa's older sister Sarah Turney's persistent advocacy. Sarah launched a social media campaign and podcast called 'Voices for Justice' that brought renewed attention to the case and questioned Michael Turney's account.
The investigation intensified when Michael Turney was arrested in 2008 on an unrelated charge of attempting to blow up the offices of the Arizona Department of Economic Security. During the search of his home, investigators found extensive journals and evidence related to Alissa's disappearance.
In 2020, Michael Turney was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Alissa's body has never been found. Sarah Turney's advocacy was credited as a key factor in bringing the case back to life.
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- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)
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