Anthony Duane Turner, who also worked at Bank of America, was arrested Thursday for the murder of Michelle A. Avan.
A suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder of a prominent Bank of America executive who was found dead in her home on Thursday morning.
A family member discovered Michelle A. Avan’s body in the 48-year-old woman’s Reseda home after her concerned kin had been unable to reach her.
Avan was known for her efforts to help people of color gain careers in the financial services industry.
According to The Los Angeles Times, Anthony Duane Turner, 52 — who also worked at Bank of America — was arrested Thursday afternoon on suspicion of murder. His bail was set at $2 million.
Law enforcement sources reportedly told a local news outlet that Avan and Turner had a personal relationship, and she had been considering obtaining a restraining order against him.
“We are devastated,” Bank of America officials said in a statement. “Michelle was a valued member of our company for more than 20 years and will be greatly missed. We extend our deepest sympathies to her family.”
Avan was a senior vice president at the bank and was head of global women’s and under-represented talent strategy, global human resources. In 2019, she was named one of the city’s Powerful and Influential Black Women Leaders by The Los Angeles Sentinel, the Southland’s Black newspaper.
She had also been honored earlier this year for her commitment to increasing diversity in financial services.
An official cause of death has not been announced in Avan’s murder, however, reports note she appeared to have suffered significant trauma to her face.
Avan, the mother of two and grandmother of one, was also a member of the Los Angeles Urban League, which released a statement saying, “We welcomed Michelle as a valued new member of the Los Angeles Urban League Board, but she was also a friend and a mentor to so many before she joined our board.”
“Our hearts, our prayers, and our condolences go out to her family, her friends, her loved ones and all those who experienced the joy of knowing her,” it continued. “We want to assure her family that we will always consider her and her children members of the Los Angeles Urban League family. We offer peace, blessings and our condolences for this tragic loss.”
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