An Arizona man faces a murder charge in the 2001 death of his stepdaughter. Here's what to know
Jury selection commenced on Monday for the trial of a man suspected of murdering his 17-year-old stepdaughter more than two decades ago.
Police arrested Michael Turney on Aug. 20, 2020 — 19 years after Alissa Turney of Paradise Valley disappeared on the last day of her junior year of high school. Her body was never discovered.
Alissa’s case garnered national media attention, with her sister, Sarah Turney, determined to see justice for her sister’s death.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced Michael’s arrest and that he had been charged with second-degree murder, but did not elaborate on what new information may have led to his arrest after so many years.
Sarah lauded the news of her father’s arrest on Twitter shortly after the news broke.
Missing Arizona children: Phoenix teen Alissa Turney vanishes, killer confesses, explosives stockpile found
"I'm shaking and I'm crying. We did it you guys," she posted. "He's been arrested. Omg thank you. #justiceforalissa Never give up hope that you can get justice. It took almost 20 years but we did it."
Sister: ‘She was a survivor’
Alissa was raised in a blended family. Her mother remarried when Alissa was 3 and her stepfather adopted her. Her mother later died of cancer, before Alissa went missing.
Family members described Alissa as a good student. She had a boyfriend and worked at a Jack in the Box.
"She was a survivor," Sarah told The Arizona Republic in 2019.
According to the Maricopa County attorney at the time of Michael Turney's arrest, Allister Adel, Alissa was last seen by her boyfriend at Paradise Valley High School. She told him her stepfather was picking her up.
"Alissa's life was just beginning," Adel said. "For nearly 20 years, those who loved Alissa have longed to see her."
Stepfather previously imprisoned over possession of pipe bombs
If he’s convicted, it wouldn’t be the first time Michael was sentenced to prison.
As Phoenix police continued to investigate Alissa’s disappearance, the interviews detectives conducted indicated she wasn’t some runaway child. Police began looking into Michael more closely and later discovered he had 26 pipe bombs and three incendiary devices inside his Phoenix home.
FBI officials said Michael, who was a former electrician, had plans to blow up a union hall.
Michael ultimately pled guilty to unlawful possession of unregistered destructive devices and was sentenced to serve a maximum of 10 years in federal prison. He was released in 2017.
Republic reporter Lauren Castle contributed to this article.
Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at 602-444-2474 or perry.vandell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PerryVandell.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Alissa Turney's accused killer Michael Turney goes on trial
