Arizona man acquitted of murdering stepdaughter Alissa Turney who vanished back in 2001

Mr Turney was arrested in August 2020 on second-degree murder charges, nearly two decades after his 17-year-old went missing

Michael Turney was acquitted after being charged with second-degree murder following his stepdaughter’s disappearance (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)

Michael Turney has been acquitted by the Maricopa County Superior Court after being accused of murdering his stepdaughter Alissa Turney in 2001.

Mr Turney was arrested in August 2020 on second-degree murder charges, nearly two decades after his 17-year-old went missing.

Mr Turney told the authorities at the time that he had found a note in the 17-year-old’s room, which said she was running away from home to go to California. She hasn’t returned home since and her body has never been found.

His legal team had requested a Rule 20 motion, meaning it asked for an acquittal due to insufficient evidence. The judge in the case granted the motion on Monday morning.

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell released a statement following the acquittal: “On May 17, 2001, Paradise Valley High School Junior Alissa Turney poked her head into her boyfriend’s woodshop class and said that her stepfather was taking her out of school early. This was the last time Alissa was heard from or seen by anyone.”

She continued, “For more than 20 years, her family fought for justice and their perseverance is a testament to the love they had for Alissa. I am proud of the hard work by prosecutors and law enforcement on this case. While our office doesn’t agree with the Judge’s ruling today, we respect the decision of the court.”

Police initially found no evidence of foul play involved in the teenager’s disappearance. But her family argued for further investigations.

Years later, in 2008, the case was reopened after allegations of sexual abuse against Mr Turney surfaced. While lots of security footage was recovered, no record of the day of Ms Turney’s disappearance was found.

During a search of the home in 2008 in connection to Ms Turney’s disappearance, officials found”26 pipe bombs and three incendiary devices,” according to the FBI. He pleaded guilty to unregistered possession of destructive devices in 2010, which is a felony.

The case went viral after Alissa Turney’s sister, Sarah Turney, posted about it on TikTok.