Her story didn’t immediately raise alarms. It wasn’t splashed across national news headlines or met with vigils or search parties. Instead, it was categorized, almost automatically, as a runaway case—a troubled teen who likely skipped town after a family argument. That’s how the system saw it. But those who truly knew Alissa felt something more sinister lurking beneath the surface.
Two decades later, her disappearance is not only one of the most chilling unsolved cases in Arizona but also a striking example of how obsession, control, and systemic failure can quietly conspire to erase a person.
Who Was Alissa?
Alissa Turney wasn’t just another face on a missing person flyer. She was bright, witty, outspoken, and ambitious. She had dreams of becoming a firefighter. She loved spending time with friends, had a job she enjoyed at Jack in the Box, and was close with her younger sister, Sarah.
She had also started expressing a desire for more freedom. Like many teenagers, she wanted independence—something that seemed increasingly out of reach under the rigid control of her legal guardian and stepfather, Michael Turney.
According to many of Alissa’s friends, she often complained about Michael’s suffocating behavior. Some said he surveilled her constantly, monitored her phone calls, restricted her from dating, and even tracked her movements. What seemed odd to outsiders was just normal for Alissa. But even she, at times, appeared to realize that her life was not typical. In what would later become a haunting clue, Alissa reportedly told a friend: “If I ever go missing, it was my dad.”
May 17, 2001: The Day She Disappeared
It was supposed to be a normal day—Alissa’s last day of school before summer break. According to Michael Turney, he picked Alissa up around lunchtime after a disagreement between them caused her to want to leave school early. He later told police they argued during the drive, and when they got home, she stormed into her room. That would be the last time, he claimed, he saw her.
Later that afternoon, Michael said he went out to run errands and returned home to find a note in her room. In the note, Alissa allegedly wrote that she was running away to California. She left behind nearly all of her belongings, including her cellphone and wallet—items no teenage runaway would realistically abandon.
Despite these red flags, when Michael reported her missing, Phoenix police treated it as a runaway case. No Amber Alert was issued. There was no immediate search, no canvassing of the area, and, most crucially, no serious interrogation of Michael Turney. To authorities, she had simply left. End of story.
The Surveillance, Control, and Obsession
It would take years before investigators—or the public—would understand the depth of Michael Turney’s obsession with control.
Michael was not just an overprotective father. He documented everything. Their phone calls were recorded. Their internet use was monitored. Their home was rigged with security cameras, and according to Michael himself, he had recorded conversations without Alissa’s knowledge. He maintained binders full of transcripts and tapes.
But when police later asked for the surveillance footage from the day Alissa disappeared, he told them it had been erased. Just that day. Just those hours.
Michael had also written a 75-page manifesto detailing a conspiracy theory in which union workers kidnapped and murdered Alissa. He believed—or claimed to believe—that they had been targeting him for years due to disputes from his days as an electrician.
In hindsight, it’s clear Michael Turney was more than just paranoid. He was spiraling.
The 2008 Raid
It wasn’t until 2008—seven years after Alissa vanished—that investigators finally took a serious look at Michael Turney.
That year, authorities obtained a search warrant and raided his home. What they found was alarming.
Inside his house were over a dozen assault-style rifles, handguns, homemade silencers, and 26 pipe bombs filled with shrapnel. Investigators also found a van filled with gasoline, explosives, and a detailed plan to attack the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers—a union Michael had long accused of harming his family.
This wasn’t just eccentric behavior. This was a terrorist plot.
Michael Turney was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison for possession of unregistered destructive devices. But even with the weapons and the manifesto, police still didn’t charge him in connection to Alissa’s disappearance. It was baffling.
Sarah Turney: The Voice for Alissa
While law enforcement dragged it’s feet, someone else refused to stay silent—Sarah Turney, Alissa’s younger sister.
Sarah was only 12 when Alissa vanished, and for years, she believed her father’s story. But as she grew older and began asking questions, the inconsistencies began to pile up. She discovered how obsessed her father had been, how controlling he was, and how every lead in Alissa’s disappearance seemed to point back to him.
She became Alissa’s most powerful advocate.
Through her podcast Voices for Justice and her viral TikTok campaign, Sarah brought renewed public attention to the case. She urged people to listen, to care, and to demand action. Her campaign was so effective that it ultimately helped lead to her father’s arrest.
The Arrest and Trial
In August 2020, Michael Turney was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in Alissa’s case. It was a monumental moment. After nearly two decades, there was finally a possibility that someone might be held accountable.
But building a case after so many years is difficult. The prosecution relied heavily on circumstantial evidence—Michael’s obsessive behavior, Alissa’s statements to friends, the missing surveillance footage, and Michael’s inconsistent versions of events.
Still, there was no body. No definitive cause of death. No forensic evidence. And in July 2023, Michael Turney was acquitted.
The verdict was devastating to Sarah and many who followed the case. But in the eyes of the law, without physical evidence, justice remained just out of reach.
Theories and Lingering Questions
There are several theories about what happened to Alissa Turney, though none have been proven:
The Planned Escape Theory: Some wonder if Alissa truly did try to run away, perhaps with the help of someone she knew. But this theory doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. She left behind all her essentials. She never contacted her friends or family again. And there’s no evidence she ever left Phoenix, she had a large some of money left behind as well.
The Stepdad Theory: The most widely accepted theory is that Michael Turney killed Alissa in a fit of rage or to silence her. Some speculate that Alissa was preparing to go public with allegations of abuse—possibly sexual. Sarah has alluded to this theory, stating that she believes her sister may have been preparing to come forward before her disappearance.
The Conspiracy Theory: Michael’s bizarre union conspiracy remains a strange footnote. Some speculate he concocted the story to cover his tracks or deflect attention. Others see it as a window into his deteriorating mental state.
The Cover-Up Theory: Given how quickly the police dismissed the case, some believe there was a larger failure at play—perhaps a reluctance to pursue a former law enforcement officer or a bias toward believing a parent.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Today, Alissa Turney’s body has never been found. Her name lives on through podcasts, documentaries, and advocacy. But to this day, her case remains technically unsolved.
Sarah Turney continues to speak for her sister, advocating not just for Alissa, but for countless other victims who never get the headlines or the justice they deserve. She has become a symbol of persistence, heartbreak, and fierce devotion.
And for those who have followed this case over the years, one fact remains painfully clear: Alissa didn’t run away. She was taken. And someone—most likely the man who claimed to love and raise her—got away with it.
Thank you for reading Echoes of The Unsolved. If you want to stay updated on more true crime stories and ongoing investigations, be sure to subscribe to my blog. I'd also love to hear your thoughts on Alissa Turney’s case—feel free to share your opinions or any insights in the comments below. Until next time, stay safe.
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