23. Media Attention
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In 2020, in a small California mountain town, five women disappeared. I found out what happened to all of them, except one. A woman known as Dia, whose estate is worth millions of dollars. I'm Lucy Sheriff. Over the past four years, I've spoken with Dia's family and friends, and I've discovered that everyone has a different version of events.

Hear the story on Where's Dear? Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Voices for Justice is a podcast that uses adult language and discusses sensitive and potentially triggering topics, including violence, abuse, and murder.

This podcast may not be appropriate for younger audiences. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Some names have been changed or omitted per their request or for safety purposes. Listener discretion is advised. My name is Sarah Turney, and this is Voices for Justice.

In the last episode of Voices for Justice, you heard the audio of me confronting my father in person to ask him what happened to Alyssa, and he told me that he would tell me on his deathbed or if the state agreed to give him lethal injection within 10 days of him confessing.

In this episode, we are discussing my November 2017 meeting with police about this encounter, as well as their advice to get media exposure, my continued efforts to get media attention for Alyssa, and how I found out that the Maricopa County Prosecutor's Office actually already asked for Alyssa's case to be presented to them. What I am not going to do in this portion of the podcast is pick apart each and every email and interaction with the police.

Because honestly, it would take way too long, and I'm sure it's more interesting to me than it is to you. But before we get into it, I want to say that I'm sure that many of the scenarios and conversations that frustrated me as a family member were done in good faith by the department, and I'm sure that most officers that worked on Alyssa's case just didn't have the time or bandwidth to familiarize themselves with all of the details.

My expectation for every officer working on Alyssa's case to be as good as Detective Summershoe and Detective Anderson was probably unrealistic. But with that being said, there are absolutely some situations and conversations that I find to be completely unacceptable.

So what I am going to do is highlight some key interactions that led to a breakdown of trust, and ultimately, to me standing up to the Phoenix Police Department and how, in my opinion, that changed Alyssa's case forever.

On November 1st, 2017, I went to the police station for my scheduled meeting. Prior to this, Detective Cooper informed me that she was unable to accept the audio recording of my conversation with my father via email and requested that I bring a copy of the audio to our meeting. So at the time this took place, they had actually never even heard the recording. But I was ready with the copy and I was honestly excited.

I obtained the first in-person interview with my father in almost a decade, and in my opinion, he made some pretty suspicious and damning statements.

Unfortunately, I don't have audio of this meeting, and when I requested it from the Phoenix Police Department, they informed me that they did not capture any audio or video of this interaction. But they did release a police report written by Detective Sommershue outlining their rendition of our meeting. It reads as follows, quote,

On November 1, 2017, at approximately 900 hours, Detective Cooper, Lt. Seichman, and I met with Sarah Turney. Sarah is the half-sister of missing person Alyssa Turney. Previously, Sarah had been very supportive of her father, investigative lead Michael Roy Turney.

Of late, however, Sarah has shifted her position and now believes that her father killed Alyssa. Sarah requested this meeting to discuss the status of the case. She provided a recording of a meeting she had with Michael Turney to investigators at the beginning of the meeting. Sarah said that she had met her father at a Starbucks at 7th Street and Indian School Road. She said this was the first time she had seen her father since he was released from jail.

She described that her father meandered in his conversation with her and would not respond directly to her accusations. She played a portion of the recording where Michael Turney states he would reveal what happened to Alyssa on his deathbed.

Sarah described her father as being taunting and aggressive during their meeting. I asked Sarah what her brothers now think. Sarah said that everybody thinks their father did it, referring to the murder of Alyssa. I explained to Sarah that as police investigators, we could not condone or support her questioning of Mike about Alyssa because Mike had invoked his rights.

She said that before her in-person meeting with Mike, she had a long phone conversation with him. During that conversation, Mike admitted that he planned to bomb the IBEW offices and laughed about it. Mike then claimed that the police had planted the pipe bombs in his home during the search warrant. Sarah said that during her recorded conversation with Mike that he often made reference to Alyssa being mentally slow and doing things without thinking. Sarah said that Mike was degrading toward Alyssa.

We then discussed the status of the case and the process of prosecuting a case. I explained to Sarah that the case would be a no-body homicide prosecution and they are challenging cases. I told her that although there is a great deal of evidence in the case, that it might not be presented to a jury. Sarah asked about her father being possibly charged with child abuse. Lt. Seichman explained that a victim would need to be present for charges to move forward.

I told Sarah that the case would remain open. Sarah grew emotional, saying it would be unfortunate if her father hurt someone else. Sarah asked if there was a place she could search for Alyssa's body. I said that Mike had mentioned Desert Center, California, but its vastness precluded it as a viable search area.

Additionally, the reliability of Desert Center, California as a body dump location was unknown given Mike Turney's refusal to cooperate in the investigation. I said that Mike's paranoia would likely prevent him from confessing to anyone. Sarah agreed with this.

Sarah asked about filing a civil suit against Mike. I told her that I was not well-versed in civil lawsuits, but that my understanding was that only parents or children of a missing person could be plaintiffs in such cases.

Sarah reiterated her belief that her father killed Alyssa and expressed frustration that he was not being charged with her murder. We discussed the many statements that Michael Turney has made over the years. She expressed her fear that time would run out to prosecute her father because of his age and closeness to death.

I told her that if more evidence was developed that the case might proceed. I explained that finding a body was not the needed component for prosecution. Lieutenant Sykeman discussed the possibility of profiling the case on Silent Witness. Sarah said she would be willing to cooperate with any media coverage about the case. I encouraged Sarah to be careful in dealing with her father in the future. The interview was then concluded."

There are some things I'd like to address about the topics discussed in this meeting, as well as some items from that meeting that didn't make it into the report.

First, let's talk about the search for Alyssa's body. This was unknown to me at the time, but in the police case documents years prior to this meeting, multiple witnesses mentioned an old family property in northern Arizona as a potential resting place for Alyssa's body. The police also highlight my father's videotaping and many calls made about a piece of land in New River, Arizona.

Yet, they only mention Desert Center, California as a possible option to look for Alyssa's body, which, to Detective Somershu's credit,

is an immense piece of land and the place my father said Alyssa was murdered by the assassins from the Union. But after knowing what I know now, I really don't understand why Desert Center was considered the only option for a search. What is also left out of this report is that I was told directly that there would be no search for Alyssa's body, and in response, I asked if I could raise money so there could be a search, and they said no.

Second, can we talk about Detective Sommershue's email just one more time? Remember him saying, quote,

That email was before this meeting. And in this police report, again, he says, I explained to Sarah that as police investigators, we could not condone or support her questioning of Mike about Alyssa because Mike had invoked his rights. In my opinion, that is so confusing. And it's possible that it was mentioned in that meeting, but I don't remember them telling me they couldn't condone me asking my own father questions about Alyssa.

Third, there was no mention of the direct call to action I was given about getting more media attention. At this time, I wasn't doing a ton of media for Alyssa's case. And some of the only media out about Alyssa was the coverage of my father being arrested, John Lorden's amazing deep dive into the case, and the Missing Alyssa podcast. So Detective Sommershue told me that media exposure would be my best shot at getting my father prosecuted for Alyssa's murder.

And it's worth noting that I am not the only person the Phoenix Police Department told to get media in hopes of sparking a prosecution.

Later in the podcast, I will be telling you guys the story of Brandy Myers, who went missing in 1992 from Phoenix, Arizona. I interviewed Brandy's sister, Kristen, because Detective Sommershue was assigned to both of our sisters' cases, and he told us both that despite knowing who most likely killed our sisters, they could not proceed with charges, and he recommended we get media exposure.

And although I don't have the audio of that meeting to verify what I said, I have countless emails to the police referencing this statement, as well as audio from Kristen verifying that she was told the same thing. Essentially, she was sat down, told they knew who killed her sister, down to the color of the trash bag her sister's body was placed in. But they said they couldn't prosecute at that time, and they urged her to get media attention just

just like me. Here's a short clip of my interview with Kristen. So we both share a detective, right? Right. Detective Somershu. Yes, Somershu. I mean, I love him up and down. He did great on the case. I think we both care for him a lot and believe that he cares. But I think it's so interesting that he told us both to get media. When we were told we wouldn't get a prosecution, we were both told to get media. Right. Yeah. I mean...

I don't know. I mean, I felt like it was an insight I just didn't know about. You know what I mean? I say the same thing. That's my take on it because I just didn't know anything. I was not interested in any of these things. I didn't follow serial killer things. I wasn't interested in true crime. I wasn't on social media. I didn't have a Facebook. I didn't have...

I didn't watch YouTube. Like, I didn't have a smartphone. I didn't text people. Like, I was not out there. And, like, finding out finally what happened to Brandy, I had no idea what to do. Yeah. And he, yeah, Stuart told me that's what had to be done. You need to get followers. You need to get people backing you. Like...

But Stuart Somershue sat me down in my aunt's living room and told me the details about what happened to Brandy. Really? Yes. So it was like when we found out what happened to Brandy, it was like, okay, do you want to sit down and meet and we can talk about it all? And I said, absolutely. I am on my way. And I came out. So then I sat down and I was told the entire confession about

that, um, Amy, his ex-wife, had came forward with. And, bam, after 23 years, I now knew every, every single detail down to the color of the trash bag he used. Like, Yeah. Then he told me, like, it was up to me.

Like I said, I will be exploring Brandy's case in depth at a later date, so definitely stay tuned for that. She deserves a dedicated episode, but I thought this audio would help in telling this portion of Alyssa's case history. If you are interested in learning more about the case before that, I definitely recommend checking out the Justice for Brandy Myers Facebook page and showing Kristen some love.

Finally, in addition to telling me to get media, they did not say there was a possibility that there would be a silent witness campaign like the report reads. They outlined exactly what that campaign would be. They told me there would be a billboard on every major freeway in Phoenix with Alyssa's picture on it.

They told me that Alyssa's case would be featured on unsold ad slots for the local KTAR radio station in addition to them running an article on their website. And I referenced this all very clearly in an email chain about five months after this meeting. I

I tell Detective Summershoe that I have taken his advice to get media and that I've started a petition. In that email chain, I am connected with Sergeant James Rothschild, who was at that time in charge of the Silent Witness program. He reached out to me and said, quote,

Hi, Ms. Turney. I would like to speak to you when you have a moment. I run the local silent witness program and would like to brainstorm with you to help you get more information on your daughter's case. Please let me know the best phone number to contact you at your earliest convenience. Thank you. But before I could respond, he replied with,

End quote.

We then connect and discuss the case, and I send him pictures of Alyssa and some resources where he can learn more about the story. And although I never heard Alyssa's information played in ad slots for the KTAR radio station, to the department's credit, Sgt. Rothschild does connect me with them, and I am interviewed for their weekly case feature.

But I wanted those billboards for Alyssa. So on April 3rd, 2018, which would have been Alyssa's 34th birthday, I reached out again and thanked him for arranging the interview and inquired again about the promised billboards.

Quote, Hello, I hope you are having a nice week. Thank you again for arranging the radio spot. I just wanted to touch base and see if there were any updates on the billboards. Thanks again for all that you do. Best, Sarah Turney. End quote. And about two weeks later, I receive the following reply. Quote, Hi Sarah, I have not heard of any updates. If I hear anything, I'll email you ASAP. Thank you. End quote.

About three weeks later, I follow up again and ask if there has been any response to the silent witness campaign. To this day, I have not received a follow-up email about the billboards or campaign as a whole, and the Phoenix Police Department never put up a single billboard about Alyssa. As you will hear me tell the police in the next episode, it wouldn't have been such a large disappointment if the expectation for the silent witness campaign wasn't set so high.

And at this point, the trust between me and the Phoenix Police Department that was established over so many years with Detective Sommershue and Detective Anderson was beginning to crumble, as I felt I was being led on and ignored. Eventually, Detective Cooper was off of Alyssa's case, and my new contact was Sergeant Brian Corris. However, although my emails went to Sergeant Corris, I continued to copy Detective Sommershue and Detective Anderson.

because ultimately, they were the ones answering my questions anyway. And despite having a rather rocky and disappointing relationship with Detective Cooper, I tried my best to stay positive and keep a good relationship with the department.

I even reached out to Detective Sommershue regarding the 2018 Missing in Arizona event. As you might remember, this is an event hosted by the Phoenix Police and coordinated mainly by Detective Sommershue. It was designed to collect new missing persons reports as well as offer resources to families of the missing. And at this time, I had some pretty good professional experience in fundraising, events, marketing, and non-profits.

So I offered to volunteer as a token of my appreciation for all of the work that Detective Somershu had done for Alyssa's case over the years. But he declined the offer.

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Of course, while all of this was unfolding, I did my best to get media attention for Alyssa's case in every way I could think of, and it was extremely difficult for me at first. At this time, I almost never left my house for anything other than work, and I barely posted anything on social media. I was by all accounts a social hermit, but I had good experience marketing causes, so despite having major social anxiety, I got to work.

First, I became active on social media and made some Justice for Alyssa accounts to highlight the cause and I started telling her story there. Next, I started sending emails each day after work to major news outlets with a brief overview of Alyssa's case as well as my call to action from the police to get media attention. But I received pretty much zero response. So I looked for alternative media outlets and quickly turned to podcasts.

And that is when I started to see some momentum. Although some creators strung me along, said they'd be happy to do it and then backed out or seemed interested and then never wrote back, a lot of creators were happy to cover Alyssa's story. So I started doing a lot of interviews on nights and weekends. And slowly but surely, Alyssa's social channels began to grow.

Then I went back to YouTube and began asking creators to feature Alyssa's case. And although I had less traction there than with podcasts, I kept at it. And it resulted in the first big break in media exposure for Alyssa's case in July of 2018, when Alyssa's story was featured on Kendall Ray's Where Is series.

Prior to Kendall Rae's video, I informed my boss, who was practically my best friend at the time, that the police told me my best chance was to get media exposure. And she swiftly informed me that doing that would destroy my career.

So I quit and got a new job. So at the time the Kendall Rae video came out, I was about a week into this new marketing and events position. And I will never forget sitting at my little white Ikea desk surrounded by my new co-workers and seeing the video drop and then quickly gain more views than I could have ever imagined. Soon, my inbox was full of the most supportive and kind messages from her viewers.

It took everything I had to not leave work and start bawling my eyes out.

I drove home as quickly as I could after work and began replying to each and every message. I was so overwhelmed with love and support like I never had been before, and it gave me so much hope for Alyssa's case. And in those messages, I got a lot of offers to assist in searching for Alyssa's body. So that same month, I inquired with the police about conducting my own search, writing the following email, quote,

Hello, I have been overwhelmed with hundreds of people who want to help find Alyssa's body. I am in the process of researching how to conduct a search of this scope. Would there be any reason legally that I would not be able to take a large group of people and hopefully some professionals with cadaver dogs out to search for Alyssa's remains? Do you have any resources I may apply for or raise funds to be able to use?

End quote.

And the next day, Detective Somershu replied, quote,

none of which is true, so it's hard to determine what is real and what is fantasy. He claimed that two Union assassins told him Alyssa's body was buried in Desert Center. The names he provided for these assassins were found to be real people, but were not homicide victims, and in fact, died before Alyssa went missing. Desert Center may just be a random place your father decided to include in his fantastical document.

2. If Alyssa is buried, then finding her body would be very challenging because a clandestine grave is not something readily apparent. Additionally, you are dealing with almost 20 years of erosion and natural changes to the landscape, not to mention man-made construction.

3. I've been to Desert Center and have made contact with the local authorities there. It's a vast area with very little infrastructure. Any search of the area would be arduous, dangerous, and not necessarily fruitful. Where do you start? Which direction do you head toward? It is literally miles and miles of open desert. Without more specific intel, it becomes a guessing game.

4. In any search situation, safety has to be paramount. That means avoiding summer months. Unfortunately, desert center will be hot year-round. Making sure everyone works in pairs, has adequate water supply, protective clothing, and communication devices. You will be dealing with heat, snakes, bees, and other poisonous creatures, and possibly exposing people to airborne fungi. These are very real concerns for anyone volunteering in a search.

5. Another concern is private property. Some of the areas out there are privately owned and likely would not welcome people trespassing on their property. Also, that area may have drug and alien smuggling. In addition, the local authorities might have issues with a large group of people coming into the community.

I'm not trying to dissuade you, but I want you to understand some of the obstacles. First is the vastness of the area. Add the fact of 17 years passing since Alyssa's disappearance, and then consider the unreliability of your father's statements. All these elements make any search of the area daunting, with no guarantee of success. As for resources,

I've never used them, but I'm aware of a civilian volunteer group based in Texas that sometimes assists in searches for missing persons. They would likely be able to offer some advice. And Detective Summershoe links the Texas EquiSearch website.

He continues saying, I regularly check NamUs for unidentified bodies in this area and others. We do have a strong DNA profile for Alyssa that would assist in any comparisons. CODIS regularly conducts searches to find possible matches, and new unidentified cases are added all the time. We hope that one day a match will be made. Hopefully this email was somewhat useful to you. I hope you're doing well. Take care. End quote.

And I respond to this email stating, quote, Thank you for getting back to me. I'm split between Desert Center and Desert Ridge slash the surrounding area. I really believe Alyssa's body was dumped near there, but I feel like looking for a body is the natural next step for the case.

I have to exhaust all avenues, and I'm fortunate to have a large number of people who want to help and are already helping. I have offers from folks who want to organize a search and fundraise for it, but I certainly don't want to waste their time or resources. But circling back, I think the body is much closer than California as it makes more sense with the timeline. For Desert Ridge, we would need ground-penetrating radar. Do you have any resources for that?"

This email received no response.

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In 2018, I was also extensively planning for my first CrimeCon event that literally was almost a year later in 2019.

If you aren't familiar with CrimeCon, it's an event that, as you might guess, revolves around the true crime world, and it features many leaders in the criminal justice space. I was beyond excited just to attend, but after speaking extensively with the organizers, they offered me an entire dedicated panel to discuss Alyssa's case. But they

They wanted a member of the Phoenix Police Department to present it with me, so I reached back out to Detective Sommershue and asked if he would participate, to which he responded, quote, Hey Sarah, hope you are doing well. I reviewed some of the online material about CrimeCon. It

it seems to have more of a commercial focus than investigative one. Given that, and its location many states away, I'm not sure that it is an appropriate avenue to put Alyssa's case. That being said, after ABC 2020, which continues to be regularly rerun,

the Missing Alyssa podcast, and countless media and print interviews, I feel like I've said everything I can about the case. I've never been comfortable with media interviews, and I feel that people are more than exhausted with hearing me talk.

I don't think I'm serving Alyssa or the case well by more public statements. Further, Detective Anderson and I are no longer case agents for Alyssa's case. Inquiries about the case should be directed to Sergeant Corris. Media inquiries will have to go through him and then ultimately through our Public Affairs Bureau. I know that my answer will likely disappoint you, and I'm sorry for that. Please know that I want nothing more than Alyssa to be found.

And for you, your family, and her friends to have answers and resolution. Take care. End quote. And that same day, I replied. And I wasn't as nice as I had been in the past. To be honest, I was completely fed up. Quote,

Thank you for letting me know. However, I beg to differ. Putting this case in the same room as Nancy Grace is exactly the appropriate venue. 2020 is certainly in that same category. And you've traveled out of state for this case in the past.

If you aren't comfortable, it could certainly be any figurehead from the Phoenix PD, or preferably Detective Anderson. You can understand that I'm confused when you say you aren't on the case but the only one that responds, and the folks actually assigned to the case don't seem to have been briefed properly or at all. To be honest, I'm not surprised.

When I was told to get media attention, I assumed it was a way of asking me to go away and stop bothering you all. Just like Kristen Thelen, the Silent Witness campaign was also a part of that. You ask me to get media, I say I need assistance, and I'm denied.

And you telling me that there would be billboards all over Phoenix was a blatant lie. I will never fully understand the odd reassignment of you two days before my father was released, followed by a complete hesitation to continue to work on this case. And the lack of knowledge by any other detective assigned to this. To say I'm disappointed is an understatement.

I am doing exactly what you said needs to be done. I will continue my media campaign. I fully believe that you or Anderson would be more than willing to help me, but I'm sure your hands are tied by the same people who won't take the next steps on this case. We can't call a perpetually open cold case a victory. I'm sorry you have wasted a decade of your lives. I understand that I'm on my own now, but I guess that's the way it's really always been, huh?

You won't search for a body. I'm discouraged from searching. You won't prosecute. A domestic terrorist is free in Phoenix. Waiting for a miracle is not a plan. Thank you for your years of service, Detective Somershu and Anderson.

Mr. Kouros, if this case isn't actually being investigated, what are you doing? I cannot understand why this wasn't investigated in 2001, why I was lied to about a silent witness campaign, why I'm given no assistance in the mission your team advised me to start, and why I risked my life trying to get a confession. My father is a dangerous, crazy man.

But he was right when he said the Phoenix PD doesn't give a damn about Alyssa or this case. I still have unanswered questions. What are your determinations on the following? Recently discovering that Alyssa was supposed to be at a party that night. Who have we spoken to about this? My uncle's recycling plant in Flagstaff. When will that be researched?

How did the tape H&H Concrete never get discovered? It was released back to me and your department was unaware. Can you send me documentation about which video and audio tapes were reviewed? I will go back through them myself. Best, Sarah Turney." End quote.

And the next day, I received the following response from Sergeant Corris in response to my email asking about their participation in the 2019 CrimeCon event, but not addressing anything from the email I just read. Quote, "'Hi, Sarah. "'The CrimeCon appearance or any such event "'requesting an employee of the Phoenix Police to be present "'has to go through our Public Affairs Bureau. "'CrimeCon is new to the law enforcement world, "'and I know we would have to vet it out "'before committing to our participation.'

Have you contacted our Public Affairs Bureau for this event? Whether we participate in events such as CrimeCon or not should not deter you or your efforts to continue to find Alyssa. I know we all want justice for Alyssa. I know Detectives Somershu and Anderson are emotionally attached to Alyssa's case, as they spent a great deal of their time attempting to solve this case and bring resolution to you, your family, and Alyssa's friends.

Their investigative efforts have included ABC 2020, countless newspaper articles, numerous interviews, and other media outlets. This year, we utilized our silent witness program in an attempt to obtain a new lead for Alyssa's case. The case remains open as we continue to search for new information. Please be assured we will never forget and we will never stop. Sincerely, Brian Corris, Sgt. End quote.

To which I responded, quote, Hi Mr. Kouris, I just sent him an email, thank you. However, the plan might change now. We certainly don't want to force anyone to participate that doesn't want to. Definitely not conducive to getting folks to remember Alyssa or submit tips. No worries about me losing steam in regards to finding Alyssa. I am more hopeful than ever due to the internet following the recent YouTube video has provided.

Yes, you have done many media spots, thank you. However, as your department advised, it's important to keep this in the media. And unfortunately, a 10-year-old episode of 2020 that is in syndication on unpopular networks doesn't quite fit that requirement, and neither do local papers. It's just not enough. We need national attention.

The good news is, I'm in talks with a few people who want to take this story to the next level. But they get concerned when they see that the Phoenix PD is hesitant to participate in new media opportunities. And honestly, so do I. I talk about the dedication of Somershu and Anderson, and when that is followed by, but they can't help us, it just doesn't look good or feel good to them. However...

I will prevail with or without that assistance. The issue I have with the silent witness program was that I was told there would be billboards on every major freeway about Alyssa, and there are zero. It is unkind and unprofessional to promise this and be unable to deliver.

The news segment for KTAR was also lacking in detail and actually incorrectly stated that Alyssa left school. So I will stick to my mindset that the silent witness program was an easy out when telling me that you weren't going to convict Alyssa's killer. I imagine you told Brandy Meyer's sister something similar.

I'm not trying to be a pain to your department. I have been the family contact since I was a teenager. I have obliged to every request. I have done everything in my power to help this department find Alyssa.

So being told that Somershu and Anderson are off the case, there will be no prosecution, and having Detective Cooper flat out refuse to speak to me in this past year or so is disheartening to say the least. Your department's actions speak very loudly, and I and the rest of the world see that in this case. I would love to be able to tell people in interviews that you guys are doing your best, but you're not.

There is no reason this hasn't gone to trial. There have been countless convictions with much less circumstantial evidence. However, I know that no amount of me trying to reason with you will ever get you to see it my way. So let's get back to Alyssa's case and what you guys are willing to work on. Did you have a chance to review my questions? Best, Sarah Turney."

Despite several follow-up emails, I received no response to that email, and my questions were never answered.

But over the next few months, Sergeant Corris and I went back and forth on a few different issues he was willing to discuss. Like whether or not Alyssa had been declared dead, which she hasn't to this day, and the bones that were found in Desert Center, California nearly a decade prior that after testing came back inconclusive. I even reached out to the local coroner there and was told that there was no new technology that had been developed that would warrant retesting of the bones.

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But in November of 2018, I got what would be another big break in media exposure for Alyssa's case. I was still at that new job, and luckily, it was a media company. So unlike my previous employer, they weren't opposed to me getting media exposure for Alyssa's case.

In fact, this big break came at the suggestion of one of my co-workers. We were traveling to an event for work and waiting for the plane to take off, and we began discussing Alyssa's case. She then told me about a newer podcast that she was listening to called Crime Junkie, and said that she just had a really good feeling about the two girls that made the podcast.

So I reached out to them, and before the plane could even take off, I received a response from Ashley Flowers, who said that she would love to cover the case. And as luck would have it, I was actually scheduled to be in the same city as Ashley for a work event in about two weeks. So we made plans to meet and record in person.

So on a Thursday night, Ashley Flowers took a chance on a complete stranger and met me in my hotel room and produced two episodes on Alyssa's case that would end up reaching a larger audience than I could have ever expected.

Reinvigorated by this interview and by the faith that Ashley had in Alyssa's case, I went back to Sgt. Corris to discuss the possibility of having charges pressed against my father for the sexual abuse Alyssa reported, stating, quote, Hello, we have many letters from Alyssa and interviews that state that Alyssa reported being sexually abused by our father. Am I able to press charges? Best, Sarah Turney. End quote.

And the next day, on November 29th, 2018, Sergeant Corris responded, quote, Sarah, I was informed that there were no specific allegations made about Alyssa being sexually abused during this investigation. If Alyssa did disclose this to someone, unfortunately, it was never reported prior to her disappearance, and she was not interviewed. All

Ultimately, we would not be able to move forward with charges. If you do have letters that Alyssa wrote where she said she was being sexually abused, then we would like to see them. An issue arises when these letters are being disclosed to a law enforcement agency so many years after the alleged incident and how to authenticate the letters. Thanks, Brian Corris, Sergeant."

To which I responded, quote, Mr. Kouros, these allegations are quite well known. Three of them were aired on the ABC 2020 special in 2009. Her boyfriend, a neighbor, and our own brother were featured in the show telling their story of how Alyssa came to them about the abuse.

In addition, when I went through the mound of interviews conducted by your department in 2008 and 2009, there were at least a dozen or more interviews in which the sexual abuse allegations were reported. It is honestly astounding to me that you were not aware, given this is public knowledge across countless media publications. In addition, it is not my responsibility to collect evidence."

You are telling me that in 2001 your department did not properly investigate this case, in 2008 and 2009 you did zero follow-up on over 12 allegations of sexual abuse, and now the point person in the case is not aware of these very important facts? And the fact that you did not collect these letters for over a decade is ridiculous. I will collect them for you myself. This was publicized to half a million people, and the pictures of these letters were also shared online.

End quote.

I received no response from Sergeant Kouros after following up five times between November of 2018 and January of 2019.

During this time, I connected with Alyssa's friend Charity, who informed me that contrary to Sgt. Corris' statement, the letters from Alyssa she had were in fact processed by police and identified as her handwriting years prior. But it appears that because Alyssa alluded to the abuse, as opposed to outright describing the details, they were dismissed.

Also, during this time, an amazing advocate for Alyssa's case, Brooke Frenshue, created a holiday media campaign called the 12 Days of Alyssa. Each day had a specific call to action to help Alyssa's case. And on one of those days, she asked that everyone call the Maricopa County Attorney's Office to express their opinion of Alyssa's case.

So on my way home from work, I gave them a call, and I spoke to a detective that informed me that he had been getting phone calls all day about the case, so he did some digging in their system.

and he informed me that they had requested that the Phoenix police present Alyssa's case for prosecution quite some time ago, and he proceeded to tell me that he didn't understand why the case was not presented as it seemed to be quite strong. I thanked him for the information, and he wished me luck.

I immediately broke down crying. From the moment the police told me to get media attention in hopes of sparking a prosecution, I sacrificed everything. My previous job, my boyfriend, my

my relationships with my brothers and my friends. I gave up everything for this cause, and the county just told me that they requested for the case to be submitted years ago. I was at my breaking point, and I was going to get answers from the Phoenix Police Department because at this point, nothing was adding up for me. So I reached out to Sergeant Corris one more time and copied every person I could think of in that department.

stating, quote, Hi all, not sure who to email as it seems all communication has stopped on the Phoenix PD end. It's being reported that the district attorney's office has stated that they submitted a formal written request for this case to be presented to them. Can you confirm or deny that? The DA has some very interesting things to say that do not align with what I've been told by your department. Any clarity is greatly appreciated. Best, Sarah Turney, end quote.

Again, I was ignored.

But it was the holiday season, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt and waited a few more weeks before following up once again in January of 2019, stating, quote, I'm going to go ahead and assume that there's no officer assigned to Alyssa's case any longer. 36 days of no response to an obvious slip-up is beyond unacceptable and disappointing. Everyone makes mistakes, but only the worst type of people can't admit that.

Best of luck defending your actions. These emails can't be erased.

I have been polite and understanding for a decade. I'm ready for a resolution, and so are the 80,000-plus people who have signed the petition. I've also garnered 5 million social media impressions in the last six months. I've said it before, and I will say it again. I'm not going away. And now, neither is the mass media following I've gathered. Thanks again for suggesting media attention.

Again, there was no response. So after 42 days of no response from the police after I pushed back about Sgt. Corris telling me there were zero allegations of sexual abuse in Alyssa's case, I went straight to the top and I requested a meeting with the chief of police, Jerry Williams. But my request was swiftly denied.

However, they did connect me with the commander of the unit, Christina Gonzalez, and we were set to meet on January 16th, 2019. And that meeting changed Alyssa's case forever. Next time on Voices for Justice. I also have the district attorney saying that he's requested things from you that you guys haven't provided, but I can't get a statement from anybody, so I'd like to know what's going on. Yes, I believe that we are on the same page, that...

You need a body, but you won't look for the body and that you need a witness, but you won't look for the witnesses. We, you were told there was going to be a silent witness campaign. When was this? Voices for Justice is hosted, produced, and edited by me, Sarah Turney. If you want to learn more about Alyssa's story and how you can help with the case, visit justiceforalyssa.com. And if you love the show, it would really help if you gave me a rating and review in your podcast player. Thank you so much. And I'll talk to you next time.

Hey guys, welcome to the Voices for Justice secret after show. Before I get to our question, I have to give a special shout out to Kristen Dennis, who is Brandi Meyer's sister, for her interview, and I want to again encourage you guys to go find her on social media under Justice for Brandi Meyer's. I will also have a link in the show notes, so definitely go show her some love.

I also have a very special shout out for Shelby Anderson, who helped me with a very sad situation and went above and beyond and worked her tail off to do it. So thank you, Shelby.

I also want to take this time to thank each and every creator that has featured Alyssa's case on their podcast or YouTube channel or whatever it might be. Listing out each and every one would be a podcast in itself, but you guys know who you are and thank you. Without all of you, this movement would not have been possible. And of course, last, I have to thank everyone who has believed in Alyssa's story long before this podcast.

When I say I spent hours replying to messages I got about Alyssa's case, I mean hundreds of hours. To this day, I spend at least an hour a day just replying back to comments and messages. It's something that keeps me going and keeps me motivated.

So again, thank you to each and every one of you that took time out of your day to care about Alyssa's case enough to reach out to me. And of course, thank you to each and every person that has listened and shared this podcast. Without you guys, I truly don't think Alyssa's case would have gotten to where it is today.

Alright, before I start crying again, let's get into our question. Hey Sarah, my name is Jasmine Lamoureux. I live in Denver, Colorado and have followed your podcast from very early on after hearing about it on Morbid Podcast. I think that you're a very strong woman and I think that it must take a lot to be as calm and...

logical about all the facts in your sister's case, as you are. My question to you after listening to the conversation that you had with your father is, he uses your name in almost every sentence. And for me, it was just very disconcerting listening to him

call you Sarah over and over and over as if you didn't know who you were or if you didn't know who he was talking to or what what what do you think his reasoning behind that is and does perhaps he always talked like that I have no idea it just I I found it very disconcerting and um I just wanted to know what your thoughts were about it thanks so much I'll keep listening

Hey, Jasmine. Thank you so much for the kind words and for the question.

I have actually gotten a ton of comments about this, and honestly, I didn't notice it in the moment. But when I had to listen to it about a million times when I was editing the episode, I heard that too. I wasn't in trouble a whole lot growing up, I mean, practically never. But when he was frustrated with me, he definitely would do the same thing. And I did a little digging into the subject after getting this question. And let me preface this by saying I am by no means an expert.

But I read a few articles that said using someone's name during a heated or unpleasant conversation can be seen as a power play or sign of disrespect. And I have to agree that in this particular instance, I believe my father was trying to gain control of the situation, and probably me as his child.

but my father is so incredibly manipulative, I don't think it was a planned tactic. I think it's just how he naturally is. He does it to my brothers also. It's subtle, but most of his manipulation tactics are. At this point, I honestly think it's just ingrained into his personality.

But that's just my take on it. Again, I'm not an expert. However, I do plan on having an expert on the show at some point to actually break down that interview for me and give their opinion, so definitely look out for that. And as always, if you guys have any topics or questions for our secret after show, send a voice memo to sarah at voicesforjusticepodcast.com and I might just answer it on the show. That's it for now, but I love you guys and I'll talk to you next time.