A 29-year-old Fresno mother of seven who vanished after going to visit her children at her ex-boyfriend's house was found dead inside his garage, and the man police say she went to see is now behind bars on $1 million bail. Tatyana McIntyre, who also went by the name Alison Riley, was reported missing on August 4 after failing to pick up another child from school and going silent on her phone. Days later, Fresno police say they found her body bearing multiple severe lacerations at the East Grove Avenue home of Jeffrey Vernon Michaels, the father of two of her children.
According to Tampa Free Press, family members said McIntyre had gone to Michaels' home to visit the two children she shared with him, and her ex-husband was unable to reach her afterward. Her relatives told the outlet that her phone last pinged at Michaels' residence around 1 p.m. that Tuesday before it was shut off. Relatives also said McIntyre had previously disclosed alleged domestic violence involving Michaels, though that claim has not been adjudicated in court.
A Frantic Search Through Missing-Person Reports
Fresno Police Department Northeast District patrol officers were first dispatched at 7:45 p.m. on August 4 to the 4400 block of East Richert Avenue on the initial missing person report, according to the Sierra Sun Times. When those initial checks turned up nothing, detectives from the department's Domestic Violence Unit took over the investigation, the outlet reported, reflecting how quickly investigators recognized the potential danger in the case.
Meanwhile, McIntyre's relatives were running their own search. They tracked a Zipcar rental vehicle she had been driving, and per Tampa Free Press, surveillance video appeared to show the rental car traveling near North Academy and East McKinley Avenues at approximately 3:50 p.m. that Tuesday. GPS data indicated the car was left abandoned in an orchard near McKinley and Academy Avenues in Sanger around 4:30 p.m., still containing McIntyre's belongings. Police later impounded the vehicle as evidence.
Tactical Team Executes Search Warrant, Finds Body in Garage
On August 5, Fresno police executed a search warrant at Michaels' East Grove Avenue home, according to Tampa Free Press. The Street Violence Bureau's tactical team carried out the warrant, per the Sierra Sun Times report, and detectives located McIntyre dead inside the residence. Her mother told Tampa Free Press that the body was found specifically in the garage, and investigators confirmed evidence of a disturbance inside the house.
Two small children connected to the East Grove Avenue residence were found safe and accounted for when the warrant was carried out, the Sierra Sun Times reported. Michaels had briefly fled the area, according to Tampa Free Press, before he ultimately surrendered to police.
Suspect Booked on $1 Million Bail as Detectives Lead Homicide Case
KMJ Now reported that Michaels turned himself in Thursday evening, was arrested at 11 p.m., and was officially booked into Fresno County Jail early Friday morning on a murder charge, with bail set at $1 million. Fresno County Jail records confirm the murder booking, and Fresno police say Michaels was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with McIntyre's death.
Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto held a news conference at 11 a.m. Friday to update the public, identifying homicide Detectives Alex Lopez and Nathan Carr as the primary investigators leading the case, per KMJ Now. Casto said an official motive remains under investigation, and Fresno police have not released further details as the case continues.
Family Says Seven Children Left Behind
McIntyre's sister, Alizabeth Lopez, confirmed to KMJ Now that her sister leaves behind seven children in total. The family launched a GoFundMe fundraiser this month to help cover funeral costs as they care for the surviving kids.
The killing adds to a grim tally for the city this year. Fresno police reported via Facebook that the city had logged 12 homicides in 2026 through early June, a statistic tracked by the department's Street Violence Bureau. Under California Penal Code Section 187, a first-degree murder conviction carries 25 years to life in state prison, while second-degree murder carries 15 years to life, according to FindLaw. Prosecutors would need to establish malice aforethought to secure a conviction on the charge Michaels currently faces. Under California law, surviving family members of homicide victims may also pursue civil wrongful death claims or seek court-ordered criminal restitution to help recover funeral costs and other losses, per the Shouse Law Group.
Michaels' case remains pending, and no charges beyond the initial murder booking have been detailed publicly. Fresno police continue to investigate, and no additional information about a motive or further arrests has been released.
