How Alissa Turney's Sister Used TikTok To Get Her Own Dad Arrested For Her Murder
This unsolved crime has officially been solved.
Youtube Nearly 20 years after 17-year-old Alissa Turney disappeared after going to school in Phoenix, Arizona, her unsolved case has officially been solved. On Thursday, Turney's stepfather, Michael Turney, was arrested on charges of second-degree murder related to Turney's disappearance after her sister, Sarah, was determined to find out who murdered her sister and get justice for her death, and she was finally able to accomplish her goal after using social media to get there.
Who is Sarah Turney, Alissa Turney's sister?
After starting a podcast, a Facebook account, an Instagram account, and a TikTok all dedicated to putting information about Alissa out there and searching for answers, Sarah finally found them, and this is how she managed to use TikTok to help finally bring about an end to her sister's case for once and for all.
Sarah Turney started a TikTok account to introduce younger people to Alissa Turney's case.
Being that it had been nearly two decades since Alissa's disappearance and there had still been no answers, Sarah decided to take matters into her own hands, wanting to reach out to people who may have never heard about Alissa's case who may have information or be able to help her figure out what happened as she presented the evidence and what she knew about Alissa's case. TikTok seemed like the best way to do that, and she has over one million followers on the app.
Sarah believed her father had something to do with Alissa's disappearance and presented the evidence.
In the videos on her account, Sarah has shared different pieces of evidence she has that point to her father, Michael Turney, as the culprint behind Alissa's death, including sharing a recording she made of a conversation she had with him at Starbucks where he seemingly admitted to killing her. In the clip, Sarah said she did take the recording to the police, but they said they couldn't use it because he hadn't made that confession directly to them.
Who is Michael Turney, Alissa Turney's father?
Michael Turney has been a person of interest in the case all along. When Alissa first disappeared in 2001, she was originally thought to be a runaway but as the investigation continued, Michael became a person of interest. After friends and family made disturbing allegations about him, police searched his home in 2008, finding multiple weapons and explosives, as well as a 98-page manifesto detailing Michael's intent to blow up his workplace and kill himself. He was arrested and then released in 2017, and Sarah has spent the time since trying to prove that he was involved in Alissa's disappearance as well.
On Thursday, Sarah shared that Michael had been arrested.
"My father's been arrested for Alissa's murder," Sarah said in a video she shared about an hour after she got the news. "I just wanted to say thank you, because I couldn't have done this without each and every one of you, without each of you guys caring so much and sharing her story and just making this a priority for the media. So I love you, I don't have many other details, and I will let you know as soon as I do."
Police working on the case credited Sarah Turney with Michael's arrest.
During a press conference about Michael's arrest, attorney Allister Adel thanked Sarah for her work in solving the case.
"Sarah Turney, your perseverance and commitment to finding justice for your sister Alissa is a testament to the love of a sister, because of that love, Alissa's light has never gone out and she lives on in the stories and photos you've shared with the community," Adel said in the conference. "This passion you have you have demonstrated to her during your journey is something that will keep Alissa's memory alive forever."
Sarah Turney has been sharing her memories of her sister on Instagram as well.
Sarah shares photos from her childhood with Alissa, including this sweet snap of her as a baby, being held by her big sister.
"I love this. It’s my favorite picture of me and Alissa," Sarah wrote. "When I was born, Alissa wanted to hold me so badly but our brother convinced her that she would immediately drop and kill me and she began [bawling] her eyes out. Then they sat her down, handed me to her and took this picture. Missing her hard today."
Nicole Pomarico is an entertainment and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in Cosmo, Us Weekly, Refinery29, and more.