Stepdad acquitted after Alissa Turney's 2001 disappearance from school

Twenty-five years have passed since Alissa Turney was last seen alive.

The Arizona teenager, aged 17, went missing at the end of her junior year in high school in May 2001 and was initially believed to have run away. Although a note was found indicating she was bound for California, she left behind her mobile, vehicle, and nearly $1,800 she had in savings.

Gradually, her family and friends suspected something more ominous happened to Alissa — and speculated that someone close to her might be responsible. The investigation into her disappearance was reopened in 2008, with her stepfather, Michael Turney, becoming the principal suspect.

Nevertheless, it took another 12 years — and a campaign led by Alissa's younger sister, Sarah Turney — to initiate legal action against Michael. In 2020, Michael was apprehended related to Alissa's disappearance, but he was released when a judge acquitted him of all charges due to lack of evidence in 2023.

So, what became of Alissa Turney? Here’s everything known about her disappearance case.

Who was Alissa Turney?

Alissa was born on 3 April 1984, in Phoenix to Barbara Farner Strahm and Stephen Strahm, as noted by 20/20. Following her parents' separation at age 3, her mother married Michael Turney, an electrician with three children of his own.

The pair had a daughter together, named Sarah, forming a large blended family — Michael went on to adopt Alissa and her older brother John.

Unfortunately, Barbara passed away from lung cancer when Alissa was 9 and Sarah was 4, leaving Michael to bring up the two girls alone. (At the time, the older four children had grown up and moved out.)

During her teenage years, Alissa often told her friends that Michael was overly strict and overbearing, even going so far as to install cameras throughout their home in Phoenix. Nevertheless, Alissa maintained a boyfriend, worked part-time at Jack in the Box, and harboured dreams of relocating to California.

What transpired with Alissa Turney?

Alissa went missing on 17 May 2001, the final day of her junior year at Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix. At that time, she was 17.

The last individual reportedly to have encountered Alissa prior to her disappearance was her stepfather, Michael. Police records indicate that Alissa visited her boyfriend Jon's workshop class around 11am that day to inform him that she was leaving school early, with Michael planning to pick her up. Michael later relayed to the authorities that he took Alissa for lunch that afternoon, and following a dispute, dropped her off at home around 1pm.

Hours later, Michael reached out to Phoenix Police, asserting that Alissa had run away — yet she had not taken her apparel, phone, cosmetics, jewellery, or vehicle. It was mentioned she left a note in her room indicating she was heading to California, where her aunt resided.

Despite Michael's assertions that Alissa had run away, police initiated a missing persons inquiry. They reportedly failed to interview Michael or search Alissa's room, even after her aunt disclosed she didn't show up in California.

Meanwhile, Michael persisted in insisting that Alissa was potentially on the West Coast, informing authorities on 24 May that the missing teen had telephoned him from a public phone in Riverside, California, then immediately disconnected the call.

That supposed lead did not reveal any breakthroughs, leading the investigation into Alissa's disappearance to falter for several years.

At that point, serial killer Thomas Hymer — serving a life term in a Florida penitentiary — confessed to ending Alissa's life, as covered by ABC News. However, upon the Phoenix police's trip to Florida to interview Hymer, they recognised the confession was fabricated.

Although Hymer's claims did not lead authorities closer to uncovering Alissa, they renewed interest in her case — and a new prime suspect emerged: Michael.

What were the allegations against Michael Turney?

Following Hymer’s bogus confession, detectives revived the investigation into Alissa's disappearance in 2008, conducting upwards of 200 interviews with individuals intimately connected to the teenager, according to BuzzFeed News. During discussions, many of Alissa's closest acquaintances accused Michael of subjecting his stepdaughter to verbal and sexual abuse for years.

As a result, detectives proposed to search Alissa's room in 2008 — yet Michael denied them access to his residence. Since then, “Michael Turney has chosen not to engage with the inquiry” and “remains the only Turney family member to abstain from cooperation,” as police records forwarded to PEOPLE outlined at the time.

By December 2008, law enforcement suspected Michael had involvement in Alissa's vanishing, as reported by MEL Magazine. They enforced a search on his home, unearthing a chilling discovery unrelated to Alissa.

Police uncovered numerous improvised explosives, 19 guns, two silencers, and a 98-page manifesto outlining Michael’s scheme to perpetrate mass violence at the local electricians' union headquarters, per the publication.

Come April 2010, Michael admitted guilt to possessing illegal destructive devices and subsequently spent seven years in federal incarceration.

“We inadvertently stumbled upon his bombing scheme,” Detective William Andersen relayed during a 2020 media briefing. “Him being jailed for that does not equate to justice for Alissa.”

What charges were brought against Michael Turney?

Following Michael’s bombing-related imprisonment, detectives urged Sarah to raise awareness about her sister’s predicament, hopeful of eliciting new information or proof.

Sarah (who, alongside her siblings, holds Michael accountable for Alissa's alleged demise) took action: She set up several social media accounts dedicated to Alissa's case, launched a widely-followed podcast concerning it, and initiated an online petition advocating for Michael’s arrest, amassing about 300,000 supporters.

Sarah's podcast, Voices for Justice, coupled with her viral TikTok endeavours, captured the attention of millions of people, rekindling interest in the unresolved mystery.

Within her broadcast, she disclosed evidence against her father, such as home video audio of Alissa labelling Michael as a “pervert” in 1997 and secretly captured audio from a 2017 interaction with him where he mentioned he would reveal “all the candid answers you desire” on his deathbed.

Michael's defence previously opposed prosecutors introducing “out-of-context” evidence during the trial, framing the accused as “an inadequate father and pervert, hence culpable for his daughter's murder.”

During a press briefing unveiling Michael's indictment, Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel praised Sarah’s determination in championing her sister's cause.

“Sarah Turney, your persistence and determination in pursuing justice for your sister Alissa are a testament to sibling love,” she stated. “Due to that love, Alissa's light has never dimmed, and she lives on through the narratives and images you’ve shared with the community.”

Adel added, “This devotion you’ve shown her during this journey is something that will ensure Alissa's memory remains eternal.”

What was the outcome for Michael Turney?

Michael's trial regarding Alissa’s alleged murder kicked off in July 2023, almost three years post his initial detention.

Following six days of testimony from witnesses like Phoenix police officers Stuart Somershoe and William Andersen, Alissa’s then-boyfriend Jon, and her sister Sarah, the defence filed a motion seeking to secure an acquittal judgement based on an Arizona statute.

The statute emphasised that “the court must enter a judgment of acquittal... in the absence of substantial evidence supporting a conviction,” reported by NBC News. The defence argued that the prosecution had not supplied any tangible evidence indicating Alissa’s death — or implicating Michael in causing her assumed demise.

“No tangible evidence exists in this case. No body, no crime scene, no proof suggests that a murder occurred,” defence lawyer Olivia Hicks asserted in the courtroom.

The presiding judge sided with the defence, leading to the dismissal of all allegations against Michael. He was freed on 18 July 2023.

“While this is not the outcome we had hoped for, we thank the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for presenting Alissa’s case in court,” Sarah stated in a statement released on her podcast, Voices for Justice.

Michael, who has perpetually affirmed his innocence regarding Alissa’s presumed end for years, has likewise turned to digital platforms since his exoneration.

He launched a YouTube channel and is preparing to produce a podcast and author a book, as noted by Voices for Justice. In January 2024, Michael lodged a lawsuit against Phoenix police and county prosecutors, claiming unjust imprisonment and rights violations, as reported by the Phoenix New Times.