Bank of America executive found dead, California cops say. Her colleague is charged
A prominent Bank of America executive known for her leadership serving underrepresented workers was found dead in her home, police said.
Michelle A. Avan, 48, was discovered unresponsive in Reseda, California, by a family member Thursday morning with signs of trauma to her face, the Los Angeles Police Department reported.
Family members grew worried about Avan when they hadn’t heard from her, police said.
Officers then went to her home around 24 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
She was pronounced dead by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics, police said.
Police arrested Anthony Duwayne Turner, 52, that afternoon. He also worked at Bank of America, the Los Angeles Times reported.
He faces murder charges with bail set at $2 million. Turner is held at the Valley Jail Section in Van Nuys.
“We are devastated,” Bank of America 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.”
The investigation is ongoing, and police said a cause of death is unknown.
Avan worked as senior vice president and head of Global Women’s and Under-represented Talent Strategy Global Human Resources since June, according to her LinkedIn profile.
She spent more than 25 years in the financial services industry and is known for her work serving Black employees, customers and business owners.
In 2019, she was recognized as one of the Black Enterprise’s Most Powerful Women in Business.
Before working at Bank of America, she spent more than 22 years at Merrill Lynch — a wealth management division of Bank of America — as managing director.
Bank of America is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
This story was originally published August 9, 2021 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Bank of America executive found dead, California cops say. Her colleague is charged."
