Dateline NBC plans to re-examine the mysterious disappearance of a 17-year-old girl named Alissa Turney in Phoenix, Arizona. The upcoming episode, ‘The Day Alissa Disappeared,’ will delve deeper into the case and reveal startling details. It will air on the network on Friday, December 1, 2023, at 9 p.m. ET.
On May 17, 2001, Alissa Turney vanished from Phoenix, Arizona, and since that day, no one has seen her. In her bedroom, the police discovered a note stating she was running to California, leading them to believe she was a rebellious runaway. However, the investigation took a wild turn as it progressed, transforming the case from a presumed runaway to a possible homicide.
As of today, no one has found the girl, and debates surrounding Alissa Turney’s disappearance persist. But what is the reality? Is she still alive, or has something truly terrifying happened to her? Let’s delve deeper into the case.
Alissa Turney case: Everything to know
Born in 1984, Alissa Turney appeared to be a typical 17-year-old who enjoyed having a good time. However, reports suggest that she began to grow weary of the strict rules imposed by her stepfather, Michael Turney. According to her friends, Alissa couldn’t wait to reach 18 and be on her own.
On May 17, 2001, Michael dropped Alissa at school and picked her up around lunchtime. While having lunch, as they argued, Alissa said that she wanted to stay out later at night with her friends. Her stepfather said “no,” after which she stormed off. Upon realizing Alissa wasn’t home and discovering the note in her bedroom, Michael grew anxious. He eventually contacted the police to inform them that his 17-year-old daughter had run away from home. The authorities suspected no foul play at first and didn’t initiate a police investigation.
A week passed by, and there was no news about Alissa. However, something really weird occurred when Michael Turney received a call that allegedly turned out to be from Alissa. While talking to ABC News about the phone call, Turney said, “The conversation was sort of scrambled. I said, ‘Is this you, Alissa?’ And she said a few cuss words about, ‘Leave me alone,’ and then the phone went dead.” The stepfather did find out the location of the call and went to look for her. Sadly, he couldn’t find her.
But things went wild in 2006 when a self-proclaimed serial killer, Thomas Albert Hymer, informed a prison guard that he had killed Alissa. However, when Phoenix police questioned Thomas, they ultimately concluded that he had not had any contact with Alissa. The police continued their investigation and uncovered disturbing things about Alissa’s relationship with her stepfather. Michael reportedly tried to molest Alissa, which she had told her friends.
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The investigation persisted, and almost 20 years after Alissa Turney’s disappearance, authorities arrested her stepfather on second-degree murder charges. The police believed something was wrong because she left her cell phone behind and didn’t touch any of the $1,800 in her bank account. The investigators also discovered video footage spanning decades and surveillance footage from around the house.
The trial began, in which the jury heard five days of testimony from witnesses. Michael Turney’s attorney said that the prosecutors were unable to present any physical evidence that Alissa was dead and that her stepfather was responsible for it. As a result, the court ruled in favor of the defense, and all charges were dismissed against Michael Turney. Following this, he was released from jail.
Currently, no one knows anything about Alissa Turney’s whereabouts and if she is alive or not.
