Julia Niswender helped decorate her family's Christmas tree in Monroe early last December -- one of the heartbreaking recollections they share with Elisha Anderson of the Detroit Free Press.
The 23-year-old Eastern Michigan University junior was drowned in the bathtub of her off-campus Ypsilanti apartment Dec. 9.
Julia NiswenderFour months later, her death remains unsolved.
Police have interviewed dozens of people, but they still haven't been able to answer the question: Who killed Julia Niswender?
"Our life mission now is justice for Julia," said her mother, Kim Turnquist. "I'm willing to be patient as long as it brings justice."
These are among comments from her and other family members:
- Night before death: Niswender went on a date the night before her murder, her mother says, adding that the man was cleared by police.
- Final day: The victim had lunch Dec. 9 with her twin, Jennifer Niswender, and their 10-year-old sister, Madison. The last thing I said was, 'I love you. Good-bye,' " Jennifer tels the paper. When Julia left work that evening, the twins talked by phone and texted around 10:30 p.m.
- Family theory: Relatives think the killer is someone she knew. Police haven't ruled out a stranger or acquaintance. "We don't believe burglary was a motive," Detective Joseph Yuhas says.
- Contacts with detectives: "I've always felt that they have been doing everything that they can," says Turnquist, who hears from police at least weekly.
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Detroit Free Press
