Stepfather Of Murdered EMU Student Arrested On Child Porn Charges; Are The Cases Connected?

MONROE (WWJ) - It's a new twist on a murder mystery that rocked the campus of Eastern Michigan University in December 2012.

Monroe County Sheriff's deputies have arrested the stepfather of murdered co-ed Julia Niswender on charges of child porn.

According to reports, deputies have seized James Turnquist's computer and cellphone, although it wasn't immediately clear what led to their investigation. Turnquist has reportedly never had an on-the-record interview with investigators, regarding Niswender's death or otherwise.

Turnquist was arraigned last week on a charge of possessing explicit materials of children. He's currently being held in the Monroe County Jail on a $100,000 bond and is due back in court March 12.

Niswender, 23, was found strangled in her bathtub at the Peninsular Place Apartments on Huron River Drive, located across the street from the campus police station. A medical examiner ruled the official cause of death as asphyxiation associated with drowning. Authorities said there was no forced entry into the apartment, which was found in disarray with the door locked.

Investigators have said they don't believe Niswender's murder was random and a suspect has never been named. But in light of Turnquist's arrest, investigators are wondering if the two cases could be connected.

Ypsilanti police said investigators, as well as some family members of Julia, have concerns the stepdad has knowledge pertaining to her death.

"This is due to the fact that he has not provided detectives with a formal statement as to his whereabouts the days prior to Julia's death, thus making him a person of interest," police said in a press release, adding, "We continue to follow leads, intelligence gathered, and analysis of the evidence obtained to date."

Although she declined to discuss the particulars of the case, Niswender's twin sister Jennifer told the Monroe News on Wednesday that linking her stepfather to her sister's unsolved murder is "absolutely absurd."

"I am sticking beside my dad 100 percent," she told the paper. "I know for a fact that he has nothing to do with my sister's case."

Niswender's death remains under investigation. Anyone with information on the case is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.