Family of slain EMU student divided by suspicions
From March 2015
Two years ago, a family gathered — consumed with grief.
A mother, a grandmother and two sisters shared their memories of Julia Niswender, an outgoing 23-year-old Eastern Michigan student who was found dead in her bathtub in 2012.
Today, that family is divided.
At issue: James Turnquist, Niswender's stepfather.
The 47-year-old Monroe man has been called a "person of interest" by Ypsilanti police investigating Niswender's death. That revelation came days after he was arrested by deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and charged with a felony count of possessing child sexually abusive material. No one has been charged in Niswender's death.
Niswender's mother Kim Turnquist — along with Niswender's two sisters and her aunt — are all standing with Turnquist.
"We have no doubts that my dad is innocent," said Jennifer Niswender, Julia's twin. "So we're going to keep going with that positive attitude and move forward."
But some of the family, including Julia's maternal grandmother, Rose Niswender, have their doubts.
"I'm saddened that my daughter and granddaughter cannot see the real truth," she said in a text message.
The grandmother said she hasn't spoken with her daughter — who's married to Turnquist — since December. She said she believes Turnquist should be a person of interest and that other family members also don't support him, but declined to say more before two hearings today in Monroe County.
Turnquist is to be in 1st District Court in Monroe at 8:30 a.m. for a probable cause conference in his criminal case, which is unrelated to the homicide investigation.
Officials have released very few details about the allegations in that case since his Feb. 26 arrest, but said there was more than one photo found.
Turnquist pleaded not guilty and remains behind bars on a $100,000 cash or surety bond. Turnquist's attorney, Paul Stablein, said he plans to ask the court to reduce the bond today.
Stablein told the Free Press he doesn't have all the information in the case yet, but said there are seven photographs that the Prosecutor's Office contends are "possibly" images of women under the age of 18. He hasn't seen any of them, he said.
Later this morning, a pretrial conference is scheduled in another case involving James and Kim Turnquist's 12-year-old daughter in Monroe County. A petition filed by the Department of Human Services late last month sought to remove her from their home.
Children's Protective Services believes the girl is "at a serious risk of harm" if left in the care of her mother, according to the document. Turnquist plans on "standing by her husband" and doesn't believe he poses any risk of harm to their daughter, the petition said.
Kim Turnquist declined to comment for the story at the advice of her attorney. Her 12-year-old daughter is in her custody, but her husband's visitation with the child has been suspended, a court document shows.
The arrest
On Feb. 25, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at Turnquist's Monroe home.
Authorities seized a family video camera, a digital camera, old cell phones, current cell phones, another laptop computer that was there, thumb drives and DVDs, some of which is being forensically examined, Stablein said.
Shortly after the search, James Turnquist left the home. Not long later, Kim Turnquist went into an insurance office in Monroe and a woman there called 911 around 11:15 a.m.
"Her husband's going to kill himself," the woman told a dispatcher on the call obtained by the Free Press where a frantic woman can be heard in the background. "His wife is here. I don't know where he went."
Michigan State Police found Turnquist at the martial arts center on North Telegraph where he works.
"He was taken into protective custody by us," 1st Lt. Tony Cuevas of the Michigan State Police Monroe Post said, adding they didn't have any reason to arrest him at the time.
Turnquist was taken to ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital for a psychological evaluation.
Monroe County sheriff's deputies arrested him the next day, Detective Sgt. Jeff Pauli said. He was charged with possessing child sexually abusive material.
A day later, Julia's grandmother, Rose Niswender, filed a personal protection order alleging James Turnquist threatened to "take her out" in December 2012. She also accused him of entering her home without permission around that same time, according to the PPO, which was granted.
"He blames me for police investigating him," she wrote, saying she was fearful he will come after her.
Julia's twin sister, Jennifer Niswender, said her grandmother, who she is estranged from, hasn't spoken to James Turnquist in more than two years.
Julia's aunt, Carrie Niswender, said she is standing 100% behind her brother-in-law. She said she believes he is innocent of possessing child sexually abusive material and is being wrongly accused of being involved or having information related to Julia Niswender's death.
The investigation
Julia Niswender was found in her off-campus Ypsilanti apartment Dec. 11, 2012. Investigators have said her body was in an unnatural position in the bathtub and she died from asphyxiation by drowning.
A statement released by Ypsilanti police last week said James Turnquist has not "provided detectives with a formal statement as to his whereabouts the days prior to Julia's death."
Lt. Deric Gress did not answer any questions about this investigation when asked by the Free Press this week.
"Sorry, I (we) won't be giving interviews," he said in an e-mail. "And will provide updates as warranted."
James Turnquist's attorney and some family members say he has cooperated with the investigation, voluntarily turned over a computer in December 2014 and submitted to a polygraph test at the request of police in early 2013.
"Jim was extremely cooperative with the police for two years and has given them everything they needed," attorney Stablein said.
Stablein said he represented Turnquist when he first took the polygraph in 2013 and got involved again after police failed to return the computer in January.
The attorney called police about the computer and a detective told him she wanted Turnquist to give another statement. Her tone, Stablein said, made him think there was more to it.
Turnquist hasn't given any statements since.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Niswender said family was very important to her twin sister.
"This is very, very tough and a very hard time because of how the family is right now," she said. "If (Julia) was here she would not like it at all."
Niswender's family is divided about her stepfather, some have stopped talking to each other
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