Trial Date Set for Ex-Broker Charged With BofA Exec's Murder
A jury trial for Anthony Duwayne Turner, accused of killing Michelle Avan, is scheduled to start Sept. 9.
A jury trial for former broker Anthony Duwayne Turner, who is charged with murdering his ex-girlfriend and colleague, Bank of America executive Michelle Avan, in 2021 is scheduled to start Sept. 9.
A California Superior Court judge overseeing a pretrial conference Thursday in Los Angeles County ordered the trial set for that date and denied prosecutors’ request for no bail, while imposing stringent conditions on Turner’s bond release, according to a court document.
The judge also set a pretrial conference for Aug. 8 to consider motions on the evidence to be presented at trial.
Turner has pleaded not guilty to murder, forcible rape and first-degree residential burglary in Avan’s Aug. 3, 2021, slaying, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office told ThinkAdvisor earlier this year.
The former Merrill Lynch broker was arrested two days after Avan was killed, according to court records (case number XNWLA095328-01), and shortly thereafter released on $2 million bail.
Judge Richard H. Kirschner heard oral arguments on the bail issue at the recent pretrial hearing at California Superior Court for Los Angeles County, Van Nuys West-Dept. G, denying prosecutors’ motion for no bail, according to the court document.
As a condition of bond release, the court ordered the defendant to be placed on electronic monitoring starting June 25, with the following conditions:
- Stay 100 yards away from any airport terminal, railroad or bus terminal.
- Turner will be under curfew from 5:00p.m. to 6:00 a.m., and he may have no female visitors.
- The defendant is restricted to Los Angeles County.
The judge ordered Turner’s bond to stand.
Turner worked for years for Merrill and then as a Bank of America Securities broker, according to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s BrokerCheck page.
Avan had been promoted to a new role, Bank of America senior vice president, Head of Global Women’s and Under-represented Talent Strategy Global Human Resources, shortly before she was killed, after nearly 23 years as a Merrill Lynch managing director, LinkedIn profile indicates.
Credit: Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office