Ex-Boyfriend Pleads Not Guilty In Murder Of Reseda Banking Executive Michelle Avan
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A 52-year-old man charged with murdering a prominent banking executive in her Reseda home last week made his first court appearance Monday.
Anthony Duwayne Turner of Westchester pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Van Nuys to one count each of murder and first-degree residential burglary in the killing of his ex-girlfriend, 48-year-old Michelle Annette Avan.
Investigators believe that on Aug. 3, Turner entered Avan's home, located in the 19300 block of Covello Street, fatally beat her, and then departed the home on Aug. 4, the L.A. County District Attorney's Office reports.
Avan's body was found by her son on the morning of Aug. 5.
Turner was taken into custody on Aug. 6. There was no word on a motive in the crime or exactly how Avan was killed.
Avan was a senior vice president with Bank of America, working to recruit women and under-represented employees globally. She was profiled by Essence magazine in 2017.
"My mom was such a beautiful person, just so loving, if there was anything that you needed from her, she would be there," her son Trevor Avan said at a news conference outside the courthouse.
"She didn't even get a chance to see her granddaughter's second birthday because she was taken from us," he added.
Turner remains in custody on $2 million bail. His next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 16.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
