A prominent Bank of America executive was found dead in her Los Angeles home on Thursday and police have charged a former boyfriend and co-worker with murder in connection with the slaying, according to published reports.
Michelle A. Avan, 48, had worked at Merrill Lynch for more than 20 years before becoming a senior vice president at Bank of America. She was known for helping people of color seek careers in the financial services industry, according to the reports. Avan served as a managing director at Merrill before being promoted in June to head of BoFA’s global women’s and underrepresented talent strategy.
NBC 4 News in Los Angeles said Avan’s body was discovered by her son in her home in the Reseda section of L.A. after attempts to reach her were unsuccessful. The cause of death remains unknown, but Avan appeared to have suffered trauma to her face, according to reports citing the police.
Anthony Duwayne Turner, 52, who was arrested by detectives Thursday afternoon on suspicion of killing Avan, faces one felony count of murder and one count of first-degree residential burglary, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón's office told NBC4’s I-Team.
Turner is charged with entering Avan’s home and killing her on Aug. 3, leaving on Aug. 4, according to the DA's office.
“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.”
In a 2017 interview with Essence magazine, when asked what motivated her, Avan responded, “One of my mantras is, ‘To whom much is given, much is required.’ I have an obligation to do something with all this power and privilege that I have been given. And that involves mentoring and helping young people, specifically African-American girls, because I feel that demographic is so underserved.”
During the interview, Avan also had mentioned that she was on the board of the International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute, which is committed to enhancing the lives of women everywhere. “Locally I take part in a group called This is Girl Power, which is a faith-based mentoring organization for young girls. I do it with my daughter. I can help her be a more positive young woman, but I can also help other young girls who so need positive role models they can see themselves in,” she said.