Dateline: The Day Alissa Disappeared- A detailed case overview
The Dateline episode titled The Day Alissa Disappeared explores the story of Alissa Turney, a 17-year-old girl who disappeared in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 17, 2001. It was the last day of Alissa's junior year of high school. Initially, authorities considered that Alissa ran away from home after they found a note claiming she went to California.
However, soon authorities discovered that the Dateline subject, Alissa, had left her cellphone, car, and money untouched. Dateline's new episode this Friday explores the complete investigation that went behind finding the culprit behind Alissa's disappearance.
The episode titled The Day Alissa Disappeared is set to release on June 13, 2025, at 9 pm EST. The synopsis of the episode reads,
"When 17-year-old Alissa Turney is reported missing in Phoenix, it takes years before detectives treat her case as a homicide. A new investigation unearths dark family secrets, leading to a dramatic courtroom drama and an outcome no one saw coming."
What is the story of Dateline subject Alissa Turney?
As reported by People, the Dateline subject Alissa was born on April 3, 1984, to Stephen Strahm and Barbara Farner in Phoenix, Arizona. Reportedly, Alissa's parents separated when she was three years of age.
After that, the Dateline subject Alissa's mother married a man named Michael Turney. Michael worked as an electrician and had three kids from his earlier marriage. Michael and Alissa's mother, Barbara, had a daughter named Sarah.
As reported by People, when Alissa was nine and Sarah was four years old, Barbara passed away due to kidney cancer. Michael started raising Alissa and Sarah as a single parent, while the rest of the kids lived out of the home.
As reported by People, Alissa often complained about Michael being overprotective and installing surveillance cameras throughout the residence. As reported by ABC, Alissa's elder brother James also claimed that his sister had a tense relationship with Michael. As reported by People, Alissa was working a part-time job at Jack in the Box, had a boyfriend, and wished to move to California.
The disappearance of the Dateline subject Alissa Turney
As reported by People, the Dateline subject, Alissa disappeared on May 17, 2001. She was a student of Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, and it was the last day of her junior year.
Reportedly, it was around 11 am when Alissa stopped by her boyfriend Jon's workshop classes. As per the authorities, the couple then went for lunch. It was around 1 am when the Dateline subject, Alissa, was dropped at her home.
As reported by People, Michael was the last person to see Alissa before she disappeared. When the authorities from Phoenix Police reached the crime scene, Michael told them that Alissa had run away from the house. However, the Dateline subject Alissa left her clothing, cell phone, car, jewellery, and makeup.
Reportedly, Alissa had a sum of $ 1800 left in her bank account, which was left untouched. As reported by People, a note was found from Alissa's bedroom, which claimed that she was going to California to her aunt's residence.
As reported by People, it was on May 24, 2001, when Michael contacted the authorities from Phoenix Police, telling them that he received a call from Alissa. He said that the call came from a public pay phone in Riverside, California, and she immediately hung up the call. However, when the authorities searched the location, they found no evidence that could direct them to Alissa.
As reported by Mel Magazine, it was in 2006 when serial killer Thomas Albert Hymer told a prison guard that he had killed the Dateline subject Alissa Turney. However, when Hymer was questioned by authorities, they found that he had no connections with the victim. Hymer finally admitted that he had confused Alissa with a different victim.
Michael Turney became the prime suspect behind the murder of the Dateline subject, Alissa Turney.
As reported by BuzzFeed News, it was in 2008 when Alissa Turney's case reopened. Reportedly, authorities began to interrogate over 200 people who were close to the victim, Alissa Turney. It was revealed that Michael was both verbally and sexually abusive to his step-daughter.
The authorities opted to search Michael's residence for evidence. However, Michael was the only member of the family who refused to cooperate with the investigation. It was December 2008 when authorities obtained a search warrant and searched Michael's residence.
As reported by People, the police found 19 firearms, dozens of homemade bombs, two silencers, and a 98-page mass murder plot at a local headquarters of the electrical workers' union. It was in April 2010 when the Dateline episode's culprit, Michael Turney, was found guilty of illegally possessing destructive devices without registration. He was sentenced to spend seven years in federal prison.
The investigation behind the disappearance of the Dateline subject Alissa Turney continued, and her stepsister Sarah made a major contribution. She popularized the case on social media, created an online petition for Michael's conviction, which received almost 300,000 signatures.
As reported by BuzzFeed News, it was in August 2020 when the Dateline episode's culprit, Michael Turney, was arrested in Mesa, Arizona. He was charged with second-degree murder for the murder of Alissa Turney.
As reported by People, it was in July 2023 when Michael's trial related to Alissa's disappearance began. During the trial, detectives, witnesses, along with Sarah and Alissa's former boyfriend Jon, also provided their testimony. However, Alissa's body was still not discovered.
Without any physical evidence or a crime scene, the charges against Michael Turney were dismissed. It was on July 18, 2023, when all the charges against him were dismissed. The disappearance case of Alissa Turney remains unsolved.
Check our other articles to learn more details about other cases on Dateline.
