Murder Trial Begins, 911 Calls Are a Focus

Deborah Kirk was found murdered in her Franklin County (Ohio) apartment in August, 1998, after she made three 911 calls for help. Now her mother is in court pursuing a lawsuit she filed against the county, township and three dispatchers that claims her daughter could have been saved if the dispatchers had relayed critical information to the deputies who responded to Kirk’s apartment. One 911 call was a no-voice hang-up, a second was the call-back the dispatcher made, and then Kirk made a second 911 call on which there are allegedly “slapping” noises. A third 911 was apparently at the point the phone was ripped from the wall. A dispatcher was disciplined over the incident, and the lawsuit has taken six years to come to trial. In the meantime, all the defendants except the sheriff’s office have been removed by a judge. Since then, two dispatchers have retired. Read the trial story, read the 911 call transcripts and check the timeline here. For legal eagles, download (pdf) the defendants’ request for summary judgement, and the federal court’s order removing some of the defendants. Read the murder suspect’s interview during which he describes the 911 calls and deputy’s arrival. Lastly, read a concise summary of the case as presented to the appeals court.