MONROE COUNTY, Mich. – It’s been five years since the death of Eastern Michigan University student Julia Niswender.
Her case remains a mystery. On Sunday, Niswender’s friends and family members gathered for an intimate memorial at the young woman’s grave site, holding onto hope that one day, justice will be served.
“She needs justice,” said Kim Turnquist, Niswender’s mother, at the vigil. “We need answers."
Niswender was killed almost to the day, in 2012.
“That’s what hurts the most, is that five years later, we are still coming out here to honor her memory and try to keep her story alive,” Turnquist said.
Jennifer Niswender, the victim’s twin, said that not a day goes by that she doesn’t miss her sister.
“We were so close,” she said. “It’s a bond I can’t describe. Only twins understand.”
The body of the 23-year-old woman was found in her off-campus apartment in Ypsilanti. She was bound and in the bathtub. Police said she died from asphyxiation associated with drowning.
“I can’t even describe how a mother would feel to lose a child to illness, let alone murder,” Turnquist said.
At one point in the investigation, Julia Niswender’s stepfather, James Turnquist, was named a person of interest in the case.
Kim Turnquist and Jennifer Niswender have always defended him, and their support left the family divided.
“There is such a story here, and when it needs to be told, it will be told,” Kim Turnquist said.
Still, no one is in custody for Julia Niswender’s death. The family has been critical of how the Ypsilanti Police Department has handled the investigation.
“I think a fresh new set of eyes -- (a) non-biased set of eyes needs (to) look at Julia’s case,” Turnquist said.