Update: Alissa Turney

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2:21Voices 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.

2:54So, 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.

3:40It'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.

4:26It 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.

5:09I 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 roles. Now, I'm gonna do it my way, and I'm not holding anything back.

6:00You're gonna 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 gonna 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. thing.

6:37Here'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 Heimer's call. In his letters, he basically just said, I don't know the real story. Hello, this is a free call from... Oh, an inmate at the Tennessee Department of Corrections, Northeast Correctional Complex. 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.

7:21Like 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. I love him. He's my father. I don't stand by him, but I believe he's down in my core and I don't mean it to be cool. I believe that my father is a sociopath.

7:44Well, it told me a while back that she found out, I don't know how, has a storage place. They're keeping all your dad's guns and stuff. I don't know how true that is.

8:01Hi, 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? Home. You're at home. Okay. Are you able to sit down?

8:17This 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.

8:30Well, I mean, what is the stuff, though? What did he ask you to do? What if it's related to Alyssa?

8:38Hello, Sarah. It's Nancy Gray.

8:45Questions 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. That's just something that... shake a hand or something. 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.

9:42I'm trying to piece together what went on. 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. Sure, it wasn't about attacking you. It was about showing you. 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 Heimer. So let's talk about all those things.

10:11Usually 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.

10:33So are you saying that that's a lie, that you did not say that? About anything the 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. 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 trial? Because you blame me for the death of your mother.

10:57You'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 afraid. You don't know. You don't even, Sarah, 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?

11:35Was 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. Here, spot guys, here, mark that one. Come on, Sarah. Just like I had to remind her when Barbara's birthday, that was your mother, remember her? Who took you down for the DNA testing, Sarah?

12:15Was 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 that'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. Okay, 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 if a cop asks you to search us out, you're going to relinquish your Fourth Amendment and let them? 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.

12:53You'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 it. You were standing there saying 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, 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?

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