A Essex County (NJ) civil court jury has decided that the city of Newark is 75 percent responsible in the negligence lawsuit brought by the family of a woman who was kidnapped and murdered in 2000. Sohayla Massachi was pulled into a car by the suspect, and a witness dialed 911 to report the incident, including giving a description of the suspect’s vehicle. However, Newark dispatcher Debony Venable inaccurately recorded information from the witness, and failed to stay on the line as officers responded. Earlier the jury found for the plaintiffs, and awarded $5.5 million in damages. In this latest decision, the jury also decided that Seton Hall University was 15 percent liable (their nearby security guard took no action upon hearing witness reports), and the university’s security contractor was 10 percent liable.
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