Ex-BofA Banker's Murder Trial Postponed to March
A key detective in the case became unavailable due to pregnancy complications, prosecutors told the court.
The trial of a former Bank of America banker accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend, BofA executive Michelle Avan, in 2021 has been postponed until next year because a key prosecution witness is unavailable.
Anthony Duwayne Turner’s murder trial (case No. XNWLA095328-01) had been scheduled to get underway Monday in California Superior Court in Los Angeles County.
A judge agreed Monday to continue it to March 3, 2025, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office told ThinkAdvisor via email.
Prosecutors sought a postponement because a detective, “a material and necessary witness for the people,” has encountered pregnancy complications, will be admitted to the hospital later this month for induced labor and therefore “will be unavailable as a witness much sooner than anticipated,” according to a motion filed by the DA’s office Friday.
Both sides expect the trial to last three to four weeks, according to the filing.
Turner faces murder, burglary and forcible rape charges in connection with Avan’s slaying on Aug, 3, 2021, and has pleaded not guilty, court records show. He left Avan’s residence in Reseda the day after her life was taken, authorities allege.
Avan, 48, had been promoted to Bank of America senior vice president, head of global women’s and under-represented talent strategy global human resources, shortly before she was killed. She had served nearly 23 years as a Merrill Lynch managing director, her LinkedIn profile indicates.
Turner, 52 at the time, was released on $2 million bail after his arrest over three years ago. A judge denied prosecutors’ request for no bail but imposed stringent conditions on his release, including electronic monitoring, a curfew, a ban on female visitors and a requirement to stay away from airport, railroad and bus terminals.
The detective facing pregnancy complications ”is a necessary witness for any and all DNA evidence to be properly admitted in this case,” prosecutors said in the motion. She also interviewed 16 witnesses and collected over two dozen pieces of evidence, the notice says.
DNA evidence that allegedly connected Turner to a swab taken from the victim during autopsy is “paramount” to prosecutors’ ability to charge forcible rape and by extension, felony murder and the special circumstance of murder during a specified felony, the motion states.
The detective, in a signed statement, said she was the primary investigating officer in the case and, because of her expected maternity leave and commitment to appear in another case early next year, will become available to testify in March.
In 2020, BofA appointed Turner to be global commercial banking market executive for the Greater Los Angeles and Inland Empire markets, overseeing a 17-banker team.
Turner was registered with Merrill starting in 2004 and later with BofA Securities (2019-2022), according to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority BrokerCheck; he worked as a business banker for BofA from 2016 to 2022.
Credit: Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office