Judge Grants 'Rare' Acquittal of Man Accused in Stepdaughter's Murder

An Arizona judge dismissed the case against Michael Turney, who was accused of murdering his stepdaughter Alissa Turney, who went missing more than 20 years prior.

Law enforcement arrested Michael Turney in 2020, charging him with second-degree murder in the case of Alissa Turney, a 17-year-old who went missing in May 2001 in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Her case went viral on social media after her sister Sarah Turney turned to TikTok to raise awareness about the case. Michael Turney first reported to police that Alissa ran away from home, saying she left a note indicating she was leaving for California. Her body has never been found.

The judge dismissed the case and ruled for a motion of acquittal in court on Monday morning after Michael Turney's lawyer requested the acquittal based on what they believed was a lack of evidence that Turney killed his stepdaughter. They argued there was sufficient evidence to back up the defense that Alissa Turney ran away from home, Phoenix-based television news station KNXV-TV reported.

Legal experts told Newsweek on Monday that it is not common for judges to dismiss a case without allowing it to go to a jury, though it does happen from time to time.

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said in a phone interview with Newsweek that the "uncommon" decision means the judge found that "no reasonable juror could find Turney guilty beyond reasonable doubt."

"Usually, judges will let these types of cases go to the jury," Rahmani said. "Obviously, it's a circumstantial case. But the law says that circumstantial evidence is as entitled to as much weight as direct evidence, and there's plenty of circumstantial evidence in this case."

Rahmani said the state will likely appeal the case. Prosecutors could argue that there was enough motive and opportunity for the case to go to trial, he said.

Dave Aronberg, the state attorney for Palm Beach County in Florida, agreed that it is "rare to take a criminal case out of a jury's hands."

"It means that the state's case was so weak that the judge viewed it as insufficient to warrant a conviction. The Court must have determined that the state failed to make a sufficient showing to allow the charges to go to the jury," he said in a statement to Newsweek.

NBC News reported that a criminal investigation was first launched into Turney's disappearance after the Phoenix Police Department Missing Persons Unit determined foul play was a factor in her disappearance. Michael Turney became a subject of investigation after allegations of sexual abuse came to light, according to NBC.

Police executed a search warrant at Turney's home in December 2008, where they allegedly found a 98-page manifesto in which he allegedly accused the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers of having involvement in Alissa's kidnapping and murder, NBC News reported.

They also located 19 assault rifles, two handmade silencers, a van filled with gasoline cans and 26 homemade explosive devices. The manifesto stated that Turney planned to blow up the union hall as revenge, NBC reported. He pleaded guilty to possession of these devices and was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.