A California mother of seven was found dead in the garage of her ex-boyfriend's Fresno home, leading to his arrest for her murder. Tatyana McIntyre, 30, also known as Alison Riley, disappeared on Tuesday and her body was discovered on Wednesday.
Jeffrey Vernon Michaels, the father of two of McIntyre's children, was arrested on a murder charge after turning himself in to authorities. The Fresno Police Department stated that detectives identified Michaels as the suspect through their investigation.
McIntyre's mother, Liberty, told Fox26 that Michaels has a history of alleged domestic violence and has previously choked her daughter. Liberty also stated that she spoke with Michaels after McIntyre was reported missing, but he became uncontactable shortly thereafter.
McIntyre was last seen on Tuesday when she failed to pick up her children from school. Family members located her abandoned rented Zipcar, which reportedly still contained her belongings, and the vehicle has since been confiscated by police. GPS data from the car indicated it was abandoned Tuesday afternoon.
Discovery and Investigation
Police were dispatched to a residence on East Richert Avenue on Tuesday evening following a report of a missing person. Initial searches of multiple locations in Fresno did not locate McIntyre. Detectives from the Domestic Violence Unit took over the investigation and determined her last known location was a residence on East Grove Avenue.
A search warrant was executed at the East Grove Avenue property, where McIntyre's body was found inside the garage. No other individuals were present in the residence at the time the warrant was served. Homicide detectives responded and their preliminary investigation indicated that a disturbance had occurred inside the home.
Two young children associated with the residence were found to be safe and accounted for. Michaels surrendered to police on Thursday, August 6, 2026, and was booked on a murder charge. The investigation remains active, and authorities have stated that although an arrest has been made, the inquiry is ongoing.
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to support McIntyre's children and cover funeral expenses.