MONROE, Mich. – James Turnquist will stay in jail but the judge made it clear it was not because he is a person of interest in the murder investigation of his daughter Julia Niswender.
The Monroe man has been charged with possession of child pornography
Surrounded by supporters Thursday, Kim Turnquist and her daughter Jennifer Niswender held hands when James, Kim's husband, walked into court. He nodded at them.
Prosecutors say the day Turnquist was taken into custody his wife called 911 saying her husband was homicidal, suicidal and had a lot of guns. After a brief search, deputies found him and took him to a mental health facility where his behavior alarmed staff.
"Out of the 300,000 there are seven that they've identified as being possibly images of women under the age of 18," said Paul Stablein, James Turnquist's attorney. "I have seen some, yes. They're not little kids at all."
Since his arrest, Ypsilanti police have called Turnquist a person of interest in his stepdaughter's death. Julia Niswender's body was found in her bathtub in 2012. The Eastern Michigan University student had been strangled to death. Police believe she knew her killer.
The judge said he denied lowering bond for two reasons:
1. Concern for his safety and safety of the community the day his wife called 911
2. His behavior at the mental health facility
There also was a custody hearing Thursday regarding couple's 12-year-old daughter. The judge ruled the girl could stay with her mother.
The family is very much divided. The girl's grandmother wanted custody of the girl, claiming it was not a safe environment. The judge felt otherwise.