A late-night emergency call sent police officers rushing to an apartment complex on the north side of town. Around 12:52 a.m. on September 28, 2026, officers pulled up to the Fifth Avenue Apartments at 700 Fifth Avenue in Athens. What started as an urgent call quickly turned into an active homicide investigation.
Inside a bedroom of the residence, officers found 44-year-old Michelle Lee Turner dead. Police immediately secured the scene and began piecing together what happened. From the start, investigators determined that her death was domestic-related.

Michelle lived at the Fifth Avenue complex, a housing property serving the local community. Yellow crime scene tape soon stretched across the area as neighbours woke up to flashing red lights. A woman died in her own bedroom, leaving friends and locals shaken.
Detectives started questioning people and reviewing evidence right away. Their focus centered on Calvin Troup, who had previously dated Michelle. Officers quickly named him as the suspect in her murder.
The investigation led officers out of town into nearby Decatur. Working with local police there, investigators located Troup and took him into custody without any trouble. They drove him back to the Athens Police Department for questioning.
Police officially charged Troup with capital murder in connection with Turner’s death. Following his processing at headquarters, officers transferred him over to the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office.
Law enforcement has not released specifics about how Michelle died or what took place inside the apartment. Athens police credited the Decatur Police Department and the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office for helping resolve the search quickly. The investigation remains open as detectives work to build a full timeline of events.










