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This is Jessica Knoll, host of the new series Back in Crime. If you're a follower of true crime, you're probably familiar with some of the most shocking stories from our history. Horrific tragedies like the Columbine Massacre. He turned the gun straight at us and shot. Oh my God, the window went out. And the kid standing there with me, I think he got hit. Okay. Oh God. And notorious criminals like cult leader Charles Manson.
In a scene described by one investigator as reminiscent of a weird religious rite, five persons, including actress Sharon Tate, were found dead at the home of Miss Tate and her husband, screen director Roman Poliansky. But what if we were to turn back the hands of time and relive these events as they unfolded? Follow along each week as we take a fresh look at crimes from the past. Back in Crime is available now.
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. So, I'm actually taking this week off. This week marks one year since my father was acquitted for my sister Alyssa's murder.
If you didn't hear the news, my father was arrested on August 20th, 2020 on a second-degree murder charge, and was acquitted on July 17th, 2023. Instead of just pushing through this milestone anniversary like I normally do, I decided to focus on my mental health and self-care. That way I can keep bringing you new cases in need of justice each week without completely burning out.
Voices for Justice is still completely independent, and in addition to making this show, I'm producing a few new seasons of our other show, Media Pressure, as well. It's a lot, but this network and the work that we do is what keeps me going, especially since I stopped using this podcast as an outlet to tell Alyssa's story. When I felt like I had no one standing by my side as I fought for Alyssa, I had this community, and I want to thank you for that.
I also want to let you know that I am finishing Alyssa's story, but I won't just be adding episodes to season one. I'm starting over, from the beginning to tell her story, and my story, and my own words for the first time ever. Season one of Voices for Justice was created with a lot of limitations. It's essentially a retelling of Alyssa's case file with some interviews to supplement.
It was created to stand up in court, and it did. Despite their many attempts, my father's defense team was never able to convince a judge to order me to take this podcast down, or even stop me from making new episodes about Alyssa. I made that decision on my own out of the best interest of Alyssa's case. My commitment to the court was that I would not add any media to this story while the trial was going on. But things have changed.
While my father can be arrested on other charges related to Alyssa if the evidence is found, I've made the decision to, maybe for the first time ever, just live my life. I took on the responsibility of Alyssa's case when I was a teenager. Then in my early 20s, I began helping my father with his bomb case. When I realized who he really is, I began working for Alyssa even harder, which brings me to where I am today.
Alyssa, my father, this situation has been my entire life for decades. And throughout all these years, I've never done it my way. It was always my father's way, doing what the police suggested, then what the state told me to do. There's never been a Sarah's version of this story. I've played by their rules. Now, I'm gonna do it my way, and I'm not holding anything back.
You're going to get the raw, honest reality of what it was like growing up with and being raised by a domestic terrorist, serial rapist, and murderer. What the insane journey that got me here today really looked like. Since the court system won't do it, I'm going to get justice in the only way I know how. By telling Alyssa's story. And now, by telling mine.
And while the episodes may have stopped four years ago, I've been documenting and recording everything. Here's a small preview of what you can expect next time on Media Pressure. Thank you for calling the FBI. Can I get your first and last name, please? Yeah, my first name is Sarah. So I'm sitting waiting for Thomas Hymer's call. In his letters, he basically just said, I don't know the real story. Hello, this is a free call from... Oh...
Well, I mean, whatever. I mean, family drama with dad aside, like, it's, you know, it's not about that. It's just, like, trying to figure out if dad really did these things that could have led to him killing Alyssa, you know, because I'm seeing, like, a buildup. Like, I have this timeline from the day dad was born with all these events and things that people said, and it's being corroborated, and it's, like, there's a fucking buildup, man.
Hi, Detective Anderson. Hey, Sarah Turney. How are you? I'm doing all right. How are you? I'm doing all right. Where are you at right now?
You're at home. Okay. Are you able to sit down? This is going to be a tough case, Sarah, to try to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. So I don't want to get ahead of myself here. Well, I mean, what is this stuff, though? What did he ask you to do? What if it's related to Alyssa? Hello, Sarah? It's Nancy Gray.
Questions I was being asked the day before the trial, the days before the trial, and even during the trial made it very clear that that case file was just not studied very well or perhaps not recalled very well. I'm filming a documentary about Alyssa, and I was wondering if you wanted to talk. One more stipulation, which is important to me. You can do it off camera if you wish. It doesn't really matter. Is there any way in the world that I could get a hug? I don't know. I'll have to think about that.
Well, I mean, maybe if you want to talk about, like, all the stuff you're saying about me on the Internet and be real about it and give me real answers instead of whatever crap you rehearse. And so am I. I'm trying to piece together why the whole trial was about attacking me for the first two years. So we can talk about all that.
It was absolutely about attacking me. Every motion was about me. You wanted to take down everything I've ever, ever done. You said I was an arm of the police. I was an arm of the state that I was working with Thomas Hymer. So let's talk about all those things. Usually when you do these pre-mixed things there, it's cheap concrete. It doesn't hold up as well as it should. So knowing how concrete works, if you add lime, not only does it make it stronger, but it also dries quicker.
So we'll find that chemical composition if we test that concrete. I don't have any idea, Sarah, what you'll find, whether you find it or not. So are you saying that that's a lie, that you did not say that? But anything that Phoenix PD said, Sarah, was pretty much a lie. You were coached. Do you understand what coaching means, Sarah? This is 2008 when I still believed you. Sarah, I don't think you ever believed in day one about anything. Why did I waste my early 20s helping you with your mom's trial? Because you blamed me for the death of your mother.
You've previously said that Rhett planted those bombs. You are now saying on your YouTube channel that Mike and I planted the bombs. I was acquitted because there was no evidence. The judge said there was some evidence, but some evidence. Do you think Alyssa was afraid of you?
No, not like you guys keep saying she was. Because you told me before that you don't remember fear in Alyssa's eyes, but you remember defiance. So you don't think Alyssa was defiant? You don't know. You don't even, sir. I'm amazed that you even spent the time you did with Alyssa. Who's the one that talked you to get on the roof and jump off that roof?
Was that your fearsome, I'm scared to death, Alyssa? Alyssa wasn't afraid of hardly anything, Sarah. Okay, so in that same letter dated May 27th, do you recall writing to Alyssa your words, quote, I am so sorry you were afraid of me, end quote. That had to do with Alyssa telling people, you know, I'm afraid my dad's going to kill me, which is every statement that you made, everybody else made. Right there, you just said it. Oh, there you go, Sarah. You just said it. Ear spot, guys, ear mark that one. Come on, Sarah, listen.
Just like I had to remind her when Barbara's birthday. That was your mother. Remember her? So you took you down for the DNA testing, Sarah. You haven't was that Detective Anderson, your new daddy. I can stop this interview right now if you're not going to be civil. I am being civil. You're the one who's being hostile. Calling Detective Anderson, my daddy. Grow up. When did you start actually working with the city of Phoenix Police Department, Sarah? Did I invite the police into our home as the family? Absolutely. OK, Dad, why would I not invite the police into our home?
What are you talking about now? You're one of those kind of people that the cop asks you to search his house, you're going to relinquish your Fourth Amendment and let him? If that means, if I was a parent accused of hurting my child, my child was missing, I would say, come do whatever you need to do so you can get past me and go find whatever happened to them. You're probably one of the contributing factors why our Constitution is being deteriorated every day. You cannot let any police officer, just because he thinks he wants to search a house,
Anderson was explained to you. You were standing there. So when I told him, why would you want to search this house? Alyssa never lived here. Would you like to have a moment of silence for the Constitution? Who actually paid you guys to do this, Sarah? No, no, you were you. Sarah did not ask us to do this. You're doing this independently. We're doing it for a documentary. Will I get that confession on your deathbed?