A last bell. A signed-out slip. A runaway note—and two decades of unanswered questions. On May 17, 2001, seventeen-year-old Alissa Turney left Paradise Valley High School early with her stepfather in Phoenix, Arizona. By late afternoon, she was gone. The note left behind branded her a runaway, and the case went quiet—until a family’s persistence and a public outcry forced it open again. This book contains no images—only cinematic narrative written in the style of a detective-investigator. Built from case files, court records, interviews, and preserved contradictions, Silent Daughter reconstructs a timeline held together by paper and doubt: the unverified lunch; the missing hours; the note never tested; the 2009 house raid and weapons cache; the 2020 murder indictment; the 2021 acquittal; the reality that no body was ever found and the case remains unresolved . Along the way, the book examines how a missing persons file became a cold case , how bias embeds itself in forms and headlines, and how forensic analysis can illuminate gaps—but cannot fill them alone. What you’ll uncover inside • A precise chronology from Alissa’s last verified sighting to present status, including investigative dormancy (2001–2007), federal involvement (2008–2010), and the later legal arc (2020–2021). • A victim-first portrait that restores Alissa beyond the file and charts Sarah Turney’s advocacy that reframed this Arizona cold case . • A clear distinction between allegation and proof in an unsolved mystery —what’s documented, disputed, or unknown. Reader Promise: You’ll walk the case like an investigator—fact-checked timeline, primary contradictions, and the emotional stakes of a family that refused to accept silence. This Book Is For Readers Who… • Want true crime that centers victims over spectacle. • Follow cold case investigations and demand sourced timelines. • Care about system failures in missing persons responses. • Appreciate narrative nonfiction built on documents, hearings, and sworn testimony. Perfect For Fans Of… Gregg Olsen; Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark ; Billy Jensen’s Chase Darkness with Me ; long-form crime shows like Dateline ; investigative podcasts like Crime Junkie and In the Dark ; and survivor-led advocacy narratives. Why This Story Endures Because a life interrupted should never be reduced to a label. Because a single note should not decide an investigation. Because a city’s silence is not an answer. Alissa’s case remains open—her memory, urgent.