MI - Julia Niswender, 23, Ypsilanti, Dec 2012 **MEDIA THREAD**NO DISCUSSION

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EMU has a list of the media coverage broken up by month and year.

Media Coverage
In an effort to keep the EMU community as informed as possible, we've aggregated this list of media coverage on the death of student Julia Niswender and the investigation being conducted by the Ypsilanti Police Department. We will add stories as they are published.
http://www.emich.edu/investigation/media.php?p=1
 
Report: Child *advertiser censored* case for stepfather of slain EMU student ruled a mistrial
By Jeremy Allen
on August 03, 2015 at 5:55 PM, updated August 03, 2015 at 10:32 PM

[...]
According to a report from The Detroit Free Press, Judge Daniel White confirmed the mistrial after Turnquist's attorney made a motion for it due to "discovery violations," noting that he wasn't provided with a search warrant that led to police finding the alleged pornographic images, and the attorney also said Ypsilanti Police didn't provide information relevant to the case until the morning of the trial.
Mistrial in child *advertiser censored* case of stepdad of slain student
By Katrease Stafford, Detroit Free Press
8:25 p.m. EDT August 3, 2015

A judge declared a mistrial Monday in the case of a Monroe County man who was charged with possessing child *advertiser censored* -- and is a person of interest in his stepdaughter's murder -- after police refused to turn over key documents to the defense attorney.

Monroe County Circuit Judge Daniel S. White issued his decision after James Turnquist's defense attorney, Paul J. Stablein, made a motion for a mistrial because of "discovery violations."

Stablein said he was not provided with a search warrant in connection with the investigation. Stablein also complained that other relevant information was just released to him the morning of the trial, months after he originally requested it from the Ypsilanti Police Department.

continued at the link
 
Warrant turned over after mistrial in child *advertiser censored* case for slain EMU student's stepfather
By Darcie Moran | dmoran@mlive.com
on August 11, 2015 at 8:00 PM

[...]
In response to media requests following the mistrial, Ypsilanti Police Department Lt. Deric Gress issued a press release on Aug. 11 with a list of statements including:

  • "YPD was not asked by the Monroe County Prosecutor to produce the search warrants or affidavits ref. our homicide case until the day of the trial.
  • "Due to procedural issues relative to this specific case, and prosecution in general, no parties anticipated the requirement of search warrant documentation regarding the homicide investigation until the day of trial.
  • "There is sensitive information within the affidavit that could potentially compromise our homicide investigation. We were asked to make a split second decision on release of our homicide documents in open court, and felt that it would be prudent to consult with our Washtenaw County prosecutors prior to making such a determination because they would be responsible for trying our homicide investigation.
  • "We have consulted with the Washtenaw County Prosecutors Office about releasing the document, and they have no objection to its release. "
 
Police hand over Turnquist files
By Ray Kisonas
As of Thursday, August 13, 2015, 06:52 a.m

[...]
Late Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Stablein said he has not yet received the search warrant documents but was expecting to discuss the matter with the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office today. The parties are expected back in court on Friday before Judge White to set a new trial date.

“I’m moving forward,” Mr. Stablein said.

[...]
Ypsilanti police consulted with the Washtenaw County Prosecutors Office and, after receiving no objection to the documents’ release, have turned over the information to Monroe County prosecutors, who apparently are considering whether to proceed with a new trial.
 
Here's the latest video link to the last Pretrial thanks to WDIV Detroit........
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...sored*-trial-set-for-james-turnquist/34718428
 
Vasectomy is new clue in EMU student's bathtub drowning
By Katrease Stafford, Detroit Free Press
9:50 a.m. EDT September 2, 2015

[...]
The affidavit outlines several factors as to why police consider Turnquist to be a person of interest:
■ On Dec. 13, 2014, disposable latex gloves found on her bedroom floor were submitted to the Michigan State Police's Crime Lab and it was later determined that male DNA was inside of the gloves. According to the lab results, two different male "DNA donors" were discovered within the gloves. Turnquist's DNA was not a match for one of the samples and the other was too weak for comparison and could only be described as belonging to a male.

■ Other samples taken from the body were determined to be male DNA and tested positive for seminal fluid. A lab scientist from the MSP Crime Lab stated in 2014 that the swabs collected from her body indicated the suspect "is consistent with a male who had a vasectomy." Rose Niswender, Julia Niswender's grandmother, told police that Turnquist had a vasectomy after the birth of his first and only child.

■ Coppock stated she interviewed Niswender's best friend on Dec. 14, 2012, and the woman told her that Niswender disclosed two years prior to her death that Turnquist did "inappropriate things" to her sexually, growing up as a child. The friend, who is not being named by the Free Press, also stated that Turnquist also made inappropriate remarks to her, referring to her as "his girlfriend" and asking at one point if she was "coming to cuddle" with him. But the friend, who was re-interviewed on Feb. 15, 2013, later denied ever making those statements to Coppock.

(much more at the link)
 
snipped from the transcript of news video

Shawn: NEXT WEEK, THE ATTORNEY WILL GO TO HAVE WHAT'S IN THE AFFIDAVIT SUPPRESSED. HE GOES TO TRIAL ON CHILD *advertiser censored* CHARGES. THE ATTORNEY SAID TO ME TODAY, HE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT, SAYING HIS WIFE AND JULIA'S SISTER INSISTING HE WAS AT HOME THE NIGHT OF THE MURDER. POLICE TELL ME TURNQUIST WOULD SIMPLY NOT TELL THEM WHERE HE WAS THAT NIGHT AND THAT'S ONE HUGE REASON WHY HE REMAINS THE PRIME FOCUS.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...ments-reveal-why-focus-is-on-stepdad/35069714
 
Stepdad of slain EMU student not guilty in child *advertiser censored* case
By Katrease Stafford, Detroit Free Press
5:48 p.m. EDT September 21, 2015

[...]
Turnquist, 47, was charged in February with one felony count of possessing sexually abusive material involving a child after investigators found 30 images on a laptop they believed were child *advertiser censored*. The 12-member jury, composed of four men and eight women, deliberated for 44 minutes before returning with the not guilty decision.

[...]
"I don’t think this should have every gone this far," Turnquist said in an interview with the Free Press. "... Do I feel good, yeah I do feel good. But there's been a lot of damage done and it's going to take a long time to recover from that. There are some things that I will never recover from. … My goal is to move forward and do what I have to do to take care of my family."
Jury acquits Turnquist on child *advertiser censored* charges
By Ray Kisonas
As of Monday, September 21, 2015, 05:59 p.m.

[...]
Mr. Stablein told the jury that he was planning on having his client testify on his own behalf but decided against that strategy because the prosecution offered no evidence that his client was guilty. He said there was nothing to directly link Mr. Turnquist to the images and no proof that the individuals in the photographs were younger than 18.
“They haven’t proved anything,” Mr. Stablein told the jurors. “They don’t have any evidence.”

Mr. Roehrig entered 30 images retrieved from Mr. Turnquist’s computer as evidence. He said in court that the images were downloaded from Mr. Turnquist’s laptop computer, which was requested by Ypsilanti police detectives who are investigating the 2012 murder of Julia Niswender.

[...]
“I will concede that it was a difficult case,” Mr. Roehrig said after the verdict.
 
Do any family members follow this page? Or does anyone know if there is a way to get in touch with them? I wonder if they could ask the police if they would submit the DNA they do have for genealogical testing and analysis. Even if the DNA belongs to someone who isn’t the killer.... I imagine it would get them closer to the truth.
 
OhioLocal7725 said:
Do any family members follow this page? Or does anyone know if there is a way to get in touch with them? I wonder if they could ask the police if they would submit the DNA they do have for genealogical testing and analysis. Even if the DNA belongs to someone who isn’t the killer.... I imagine it would get them closer to the truth.
Click to expand...
We have suggested this to the Ypsilanti Police Department and the answers are : "this is a solvable case and we don't need any outside help!" They have refused any "outside" help over and over again.
 
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