even after 17 years the fight goes on...
When will funding never be an issue? It seems to be a perennial issue.
God bless him and his family.
Good morning. My name is David Koon and I represent the eastern portion of Monroe County in Western New York in the New York State Assembly. I truly appreciate the opportunity to testify here this morning before the Subcommittee on Communications. I would like to begin by thanking the FCC and Congress for taking the initiative to encourage development and
deployment of wireless Enhanced 911. Both the FCC and Congress recognized early that this was an important public safety issue and I am grateful for the hard work and leadership shown during this evolving process of improving and implementing wireless E911.
The issue of wireless E911 service has deep personal meaning for me. In 1993, our daughter was abducted and murdered in Rochester, New York. We had installed a wireless telephone in her car in the event of an emergency so that Jennifer could call 911 for help. Somehow Jennie managed to dial 911 for help from her car phone, however, the 911 dispatcher was unable to
locate her. The dispatcher listened helplessly to the last twenty minutes of Jennie’s life. It is this personal family tragedy that prompted my involvement in public service – to help make New York a safer place. I am deeply grateful to have the opportunity to share my story with this committee in the hope that the implementation of E911 technology in EVERY state will make it possible to determine the location of a person making a wireless 911 call.
It has been recognized in New York State that there is a problem with the funding of our Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs). The state collects a monthly wireless 911 surcharge that could be used for the upgrading of the locator technology. However, New York State and many other states are not using this surcharge to provide funding for the PSAPs. This country faces a difficult public safety problem because the reality of wireless E911 is that each state is different in the advancement of the cellular technology to locate a 911 caller.
With the guidance and leadership of Speaker Sheldon Silver, Assemblymembers Robert Sweeney, Roann Destito, and Thomas DiNapoli and many other of my colleagues in the New York State Assembly, I have recently introduced a new piece of legislation that will change how New York State funds the deployment of wireless E911 technology. A copy of this bill
(A.3911), which passed the Assembly on February 24, 2003, is attached to my written testimony for your reference.
After many attempts to fund a successful E911 program in the state of New York, I think that we have finally found a solution modeled after Virginia’s successful program. This legislation creates the Wireless 911 Local Incentive Funding Enhancement (LIFE) Program in order to provide localities with funding to expedite the development of enhanced wireless 911 service. Wireless 911 LIFE will encourage the development of enhanced wireless 911 services by providing funding to local wireless emergency dispatch centers or PSAPs. In order to be eligible, local PSAPs would have to submit a written plan, including a financial plan and implementation timetables, to the State 911 Board for approval. Upon approval, local PSAPs would be eligible for funding related to equipment, software, and hardware necessary to provide enhanced wireless 911 service. Bonds will be issued by the Dormitory Authority to fund the costs associated with the program. The debt service on these bonds would be paid from the existing New York State wireless 911 surcharge. This program will give vital technology dollars to municipalities NOW – and avoid the postponement of this important safety issue any further.
My current legislation is an extension of legislation passed in 2002 that enacted the Local Enhanced Wireless 911 program. This program provided $20 million from the existing cellular surcharge to help localities fund costs associated with the provision of enhanced wireless 911 service. Ten million dollars in funding was made available to reimburse “eligible wireless 911
service costs”, which include installation and maintenance of equipment, hardware, and software designed to meet the FCC enhanced wireless guidelines. Further, ten million dollars in funding was made available to purchase additional equipment. The program is administered by a 13-member board organized within the Department of State. The 2002 legislation
reimburses localities for incurred expenses. The current legislation will allow localities to receive funds prospectively - ensuring quicker access to costly technology. As I mentioned before, this legislation was modeled after a program in Virginia that provides funding to PSAPs in a similar manner and has found that it greatly expedited the availability of wireless
E911 service. At present, Virginia has well over fifty percent of the state in compliance with the Phase I requirements and expects to fully comply with the Phase II requirements in the immediate future. Every state should demand the same technology.
It is important to remember that successful implementation of wireless E911 nationwide requires the cooperation of all parties involved – local, state, and federal governments, law enforcement agencies, carriers, and manufacturers. It is also important for the public to be better informed and educated about the process. These hearings are an important step
towards both increasing participation of the public in this process and getting input from different organizations. Again, thank you for the opportunity to speak before this committee and I look forward to answering any questions that you may have.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Another devastating tragedy, things just have to change....
Hazelwood man dies after 10 calls to 911 over two days
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
By Sadie Gurman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In his first call to 911, Curtis Mitchell sounded calm, explaining to dispatchers that his "entire stomach [was] in pain."
By the time his longtime girlfriend made a 10th call nearly 30 hours later, she was frantic. He wasn't breathing. He was cold to the touch.
"Oh God, oh God," Sharon Edge sobbed to dispatchers. "I've been trying to get an ambulance over here for three days."
Paramedics arrived at their Hazelwood home as Ms. Edge tried to resuscitate the 50-year-old, but it was too late.
"I sat up here with him, watching him die," Ms. Edge said Tuesday, after city officials apologized to her and pledged immediate changes in emergency response after Mr. Mitchell's death on Feb. 7. "They didn't do their jobs like they were supposed to."
Snow-covered roads, poor communication and a 911 center deluged with more than double the average number of calls during last week's crippling snowstorms combined to cause Mr. Mitchell's long wait, city officials said.
Ambulances were dispatched three times on Saturday, Feb. 6, to the couple's home in the 5100 block of narrow Chaplain Way, but couldn't get there because of the snow. Paramedics twice asked whether Mr. Mitchell could walk to an intersection, even after he told them that he could not because he was in too much pain.
Emergency vehicles were within blocks of his home three times -- once so close Ms. Edge could see the ambulance lights from her porch -- but did not make contact with him. They finally reached the home on Sunday morning, Feb. 7, but Mr. Mitchell was already dead.
"We should have gotten there," Public Safety Director Michael Huss said. "It's that simple."
Complicating matters, communication problems meant that each call was seen as an individual request for help. Information gained on previous calls was not passed down during the next request, said Ron Roth, medical director for the city's public safety department and Allegheny County's emergency operations center.
"As a result, we made the same request over and over," he said.
Dispatchers sent the first ambulance to Mr. Mitchell's home just after 2 a.m. on Feb. 6, after he called complaining of abdominal pain, according to dispatch records. The call was graded E-2, or less pressing, as his symptoms were deemed not life-threatening. He called 911 again two hours later, asking what the hold-up was.
The call-taker told him medics were on their way, but the ambulance got stuck in the snow near the Elizabeth Street Bridge. The call was canceled after paramedics learned that Mr. Mitchell was in too much pain to walk out to them. Mr. Mitchell said he would try again later.
A second request for help was made about an hour after the first was canceled, though medics were not aware that an ambulance had gotten stuck while en route the house earlier. They, too, became stuck, according to Dr. Roth's report.
"If he wants a ride to the hospital, he is just going to have to come down to the truck," a medic told the dispatcher. Mr. Mitchell said he would try to walk to the truck, but later told them he couldn't make it across the bridge. The second call was canceled.
The third call for an ambulance came nearly five hours later, at 11:17 a.m. Saturday. Mr. Mitchell reported similar abdominal pain, and officials identified "no priority symptoms," and the call was held because of limited availability, Dr. Roth wrote in his report.
"At this point in time, higher priority calls are being held, there are over 30 calls in the pending queue," he wrote.
At about 8:15 p.m. Saturday, nine hours later, the call was upgraded to E-1, or higher priority, because Ms. Edge, who had begun making the calls on Mr. Mitchell's behalf, told call-takers he was short of breath and that they'd been waiting all day.
Less than an hour later, Ms. Edge called again to tell dispatchers that her boyfriend took sleeping and pain pills and she "could not get him up."
A doctor who called Ms. Edge back was "convinced he took his prescribed medications and went to sleep," Dr. Roth said, and the call was canceled.
In the final call, about 8 a.m. Sunday, she screamed for help. The call was graded E-0 -- a top priority. But when paramedics arrived, Mr. Mitchell had already died.
The cause of death is pending toxicology test results, the medical examiner's office said. Dr. Roth wrote that Mr. Mitchell had a history of pancreatitis, though his reported symptoms were not exclusive to that disease.
"It's unacceptable what happened," Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said. "It needs to change. We're talking about somebody who lost their life, and it's no small matter."
The city planned today to start dispatching firefighters as first responders on medical calls of the two highest grades of severity, and on calls of the third highest level that remained unanswered for more than 30 minutes. Firefighters are currently only called as first responders to the most severe incidents.
Sadie Gurman: sgurman@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1878.
Read more: http://www.postgazette.com/pg/10048/1036403-53.stm#ixzz0fqg3GOKD
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
By Sadie Gurman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In his first call to 911, Curtis Mitchell sounded calm, explaining to dispatchers that his "entire stomach [was] in pain."
By the time his longtime girlfriend made a 10th call nearly 30 hours later, she was frantic. He wasn't breathing. He was cold to the touch.
"Oh God, oh God," Sharon Edge sobbed to dispatchers. "I've been trying to get an ambulance over here for three days."
Paramedics arrived at their Hazelwood home as Ms. Edge tried to resuscitate the 50-year-old, but it was too late.
"I sat up here with him, watching him die," Ms. Edge said Tuesday, after city officials apologized to her and pledged immediate changes in emergency response after Mr. Mitchell's death on Feb. 7. "They didn't do their jobs like they were supposed to."
Snow-covered roads, poor communication and a 911 center deluged with more than double the average number of calls during last week's crippling snowstorms combined to cause Mr. Mitchell's long wait, city officials said.
Ambulances were dispatched three times on Saturday, Feb. 6, to the couple's home in the 5100 block of narrow Chaplain Way, but couldn't get there because of the snow. Paramedics twice asked whether Mr. Mitchell could walk to an intersection, even after he told them that he could not because he was in too much pain.
Emergency vehicles were within blocks of his home three times -- once so close Ms. Edge could see the ambulance lights from her porch -- but did not make contact with him. They finally reached the home on Sunday morning, Feb. 7, but Mr. Mitchell was already dead.
"We should have gotten there," Public Safety Director Michael Huss said. "It's that simple."
Complicating matters, communication problems meant that each call was seen as an individual request for help. Information gained on previous calls was not passed down during the next request, said Ron Roth, medical director for the city's public safety department and Allegheny County's emergency operations center.
"As a result, we made the same request over and over," he said.
Dispatchers sent the first ambulance to Mr. Mitchell's home just after 2 a.m. on Feb. 6, after he called complaining of abdominal pain, according to dispatch records. The call was graded E-2, or less pressing, as his symptoms were deemed not life-threatening. He called 911 again two hours later, asking what the hold-up was.
The call-taker told him medics were on their way, but the ambulance got stuck in the snow near the Elizabeth Street Bridge. The call was canceled after paramedics learned that Mr. Mitchell was in too much pain to walk out to them. Mr. Mitchell said he would try again later.
A second request for help was made about an hour after the first was canceled, though medics were not aware that an ambulance had gotten stuck while en route the house earlier. They, too, became stuck, according to Dr. Roth's report.
"If he wants a ride to the hospital, he is just going to have to come down to the truck," a medic told the dispatcher. Mr. Mitchell said he would try to walk to the truck, but later told them he couldn't make it across the bridge. The second call was canceled.
The third call for an ambulance came nearly five hours later, at 11:17 a.m. Saturday. Mr. Mitchell reported similar abdominal pain, and officials identified "no priority symptoms," and the call was held because of limited availability, Dr. Roth wrote in his report.
"At this point in time, higher priority calls are being held, there are over 30 calls in the pending queue," he wrote.
At about 8:15 p.m. Saturday, nine hours later, the call was upgraded to E-1, or higher priority, because Ms. Edge, who had begun making the calls on Mr. Mitchell's behalf, told call-takers he was short of breath and that they'd been waiting all day.
Less than an hour later, Ms. Edge called again to tell dispatchers that her boyfriend took sleeping and pain pills and she "could not get him up."
A doctor who called Ms. Edge back was "convinced he took his prescribed medications and went to sleep," Dr. Roth said, and the call was canceled.
In the final call, about 8 a.m. Sunday, she screamed for help. The call was graded E-0 -- a top priority. But when paramedics arrived, Mr. Mitchell had already died.
The cause of death is pending toxicology test results, the medical examiner's office said. Dr. Roth wrote that Mr. Mitchell had a history of pancreatitis, though his reported symptoms were not exclusive to that disease.
"It's unacceptable what happened," Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said. "It needs to change. We're talking about somebody who lost their life, and it's no small matter."
The city planned today to start dispatching firefighters as first responders on medical calls of the two highest grades of severity, and on calls of the third highest level that remained unanswered for more than 30 minutes. Firefighters are currently only called as first responders to the most severe incidents.
Sadie Gurman: sgurman@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1878.
Read more: http://www.postgazette.com/pg/10048/1036403-53.stm#ixzz0fqg3GOKD
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Denise Amber Lee Act Clears Comittee
from Capitol News Service:
Denise Amber Lee Act Clears Committee
February 16th, 2010 by Mike Vasilinda
9-1-1 Emergency operators will have to undergo increased training under legislation approved by a State House Committee this morning in Tallahassee. The legislation was inspired by the preventable death, as Mike Vasilinda tells us, of Denise Amber Lee, a Sarasota woman kidnapped and murdered in 2008.
The young mother was abducted in January 2008. Surprisingly she was able to use her kidnapper’s cell phone to call 911.
A second 9-1-1 call came from a motorist who saw Denise stressed out in the back of a car.
The hitch came when the calls were not relayed to police by an untrained operator. By some accounts, the kidnapper drove past at least three police cars who could have saved Denise.
Denise’s mother-in-law teared as a House committee debated a bill to require training. Police and sheriffs question the cost of additional training. So do some lawmakers.
“I want to be assured that there is no cost, that it is financially neutral,” Rep. Bill Proctor (R-St. Augustine) said.
Sponsors say what is not acceptable is calling 9-1-1 and getting a different response, depending on what part of the state you’re calling from.
15 other states already have similar laws on the books.
“Florida is certainly lagging behind in that regard,” Richard Pinsky with the Emergency Operators Association.
And there were more tears when the bill passed.
“This is about saving future lives and we just don’t want this to happen to anybody else,” Peggy Lee, Denise Amber Lee’s mother-in-law said.
“When you hear about the costs, you know, we all know what the cost is, it’s a lost life,” Mark Lee said.
Michael King has been sentenced to death in the case.
A Senate Committee hears similar legislation Thursday….but in tight budget times, passage is not a sure thing.
link: http://www.flanews.com/?p=8644
also from NBC2: http://www.nbc-2.com/Global/story.asp?S=11994018
another: http://vodpod.com/watch/3063099-denise-lee-act-clears-committee
Denise Amber Lee Act Clears Committee
February 16th, 2010 by Mike Vasilinda
9-1-1 Emergency operators will have to undergo increased training under legislation approved by a State House Committee this morning in Tallahassee. The legislation was inspired by the preventable death, as Mike Vasilinda tells us, of Denise Amber Lee, a Sarasota woman kidnapped and murdered in 2008.
The young mother was abducted in January 2008. Surprisingly she was able to use her kidnapper’s cell phone to call 911.
A second 9-1-1 call came from a motorist who saw Denise stressed out in the back of a car.
The hitch came when the calls were not relayed to police by an untrained operator. By some accounts, the kidnapper drove past at least three police cars who could have saved Denise.
Denise’s mother-in-law teared as a House committee debated a bill to require training. Police and sheriffs question the cost of additional training. So do some lawmakers.
“I want to be assured that there is no cost, that it is financially neutral,” Rep. Bill Proctor (R-St. Augustine) said.
Sponsors say what is not acceptable is calling 9-1-1 and getting a different response, depending on what part of the state you’re calling from.
15 other states already have similar laws on the books.
“Florida is certainly lagging behind in that regard,” Richard Pinsky with the Emergency Operators Association.
And there were more tears when the bill passed.
“This is about saving future lives and we just don’t want this to happen to anybody else,” Peggy Lee, Denise Amber Lee’s mother-in-law said.
“When you hear about the costs, you know, we all know what the cost is, it’s a lost life,” Mark Lee said.
Michael King has been sentenced to death in the case.
A Senate Committee hears similar legislation Thursday….but in tight budget times, passage is not a sure thing.
link: http://www.flanews.com/?p=8644
also from NBC2: http://www.nbc-2.com/Global/story.asp?S=11994018
another: http://vodpod.com/watch/3063099-denise-lee-act-clears-committee
Lee's 911 bill sparks opposition in today Charlotte Sun
Group: 50-cent fee is too small of a funding source
HB 355 Public Safety Telecommunicators
King Convicted
"I would have let you go but ..." jurors heard Michael King tell his victim, Denise Amber Lee, in a 911 call Denise secretly made that convinced them to convict him of her murder.
But it was another 911 call by an eyewitness who saw Denise struggling in the back seat of King's Camaro -- in which help was never sent -- that led her family and friends to start a foundation to correct flaws in the 911 system.
Today, Mark and Peggy Lee, parents of Denise's widower, Nathan Lee, both members of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation, plan on attending the state House health-care hearing in Tallahassee, where a bill promoting universal training for 911 call takers and dispatchers will be introduced. Peggy plans to speak at the hearing. On Thursday, Denise's father, Rick Goff, a longtime Charlotte County sheriff's sergeant, and Nathan plan on attending the hearing when the bill is heard in the Senate.
Denise was kidnapped from her North Port home in January 2008. After five 911 calls from family, witnesses and Denise herself regarding her whereabouts, no one could find the missing 21-year-old mother of two. Her remains were discovered near a wooded area along Toledo Blade Boulevard -- the same road eyewitness Jane Kowalski told a Charlotte County sheriff's 911 call taker she last saw King's Camaro. The call taker never sent deputies.
The nine-page House Bill 355 -- known as "Electronic 911" or E911 -- introduced by state Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte -- would require 911 call takers and dispatchers to take mandatory public safety telecommunications training and pass an examination administered by the state Department of Health with competency and proficiency testing.
Funding for the training would come from 50 cents that's already paid by telephone customers. Currently, the $50 million in the Public Safety Trust Fund generated from the counties' 911 charge on each telephone bill is used to pay for police training and equipment, Roberson said. Funding guidelines don't specify the money be used for 911 training.
The bill calls for universal training -- from 208 hours of voluntary training that's in place now to 232 mandatory hours -- with 20 additional hours of training for the biennial renewal requirement. The CCSO maintains it already exceeds voluntary training hours.
North Port City Commission Chair David Garofalo, a Lee Foundation board member, also plans to speak at the hearing today.
"There might be some opposition," Garofalo said Monday, alluding to a letter sent to the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials from Doug Christ, president of the Florida Chapter of National Emergency Number Association opposing the bill.
According to Christ's letter, NENA clearly "supports standardized training and certification of 911 call-taking personnel," but the 50-cent fee is simply too small of a funding source.
"There are no more rabbits we can pull out of the hat regarding how we can stretch the 911 fees," he wrote. "There has also been concern expressed regarding the apparent requirement of retraining telecommunicators who may have already gone through hundreds of hours of expensive training prior to the legislation taking effect."
However, state Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, said she doesn't buy the arguments.
"They are not happy because they will have to pay overtime for the training," she said. "It's bogus. I've had enough of this -- safety can't wait.
"How many more times do we want to be on television shows like '20/20' showing the horrible mistakes that have been made in our 911 system? A North Port dispatcher left a man lying in the middle of the street for 18 hours because she didn't send help. She clearly didn't have the proper training," Detert said, referring to Brian Wood, who in December had crashed his truck in a remote area of North Port Estates. A teenager saw Wood and called 911, but could not remember the name of the street he was on. The dispatched failed to send help, and no police responded until a second 911 call was made the next evening.
Christ said Monday that NENA wants to "wait a year" and study the issue and how to fund it. He is supporting a substitution bill initiated in Pinellas County delaying implementation for a year.
"We'd like to see a task force established," Christ said. "We want a true statewide cost analysis. Our research and experience indicates that current 911 fees simply cannot absorb the cost of mandatory training. No one is giving us how much this will cost. I hear it could be $2 million just in Pinellas alone. Our goal is to ensure this becomes a successful piece of legislation as opposed to a costly 'feel good' bill."
Detert disagreed, saying there was no time to "rip apart" the bill.
"It's time to close the book on the bill," she said, adding she met Monday with lobbyists for the Police Chiefs Association, Sheriffs Association, Florida League of Cities and Florida Department of Law Enforcement regarding the bill.
"If they don't like it, they are going to have to get used to it and learn to like it," she said.
Garofalo said 911 funds should be spent for training telecommunication employees.
"Once the money is spent on training, it's up to the employee to pay for recertification," he said. "As far as making employees who have already had the training get retrained, it's not a bad idea. There have been some longtime operators who made mistakes that created liabilities for departments."
Nathan has said he wants to see positive changes made so his wife didn't die in vain. If the bill passes, it would take effect in July.
E-mail: eallen@sun-herald.com
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
North Port Community News Editor
HB 355 Public Safety Telecommunicators
King Convicted
"I would have let you go but ..." jurors heard Michael King tell his victim, Denise Amber Lee, in a 911 call Denise secretly made that convinced them to convict him of her murder.
But it was another 911 call by an eyewitness who saw Denise struggling in the back seat of King's Camaro -- in which help was never sent -- that led her family and friends to start a foundation to correct flaws in the 911 system.
Today, Mark and Peggy Lee, parents of Denise's widower, Nathan Lee, both members of the Denise Amber Lee Foundation, plan on attending the state House health-care hearing in Tallahassee, where a bill promoting universal training for 911 call takers and dispatchers will be introduced. Peggy plans to speak at the hearing. On Thursday, Denise's father, Rick Goff, a longtime Charlotte County sheriff's sergeant, and Nathan plan on attending the hearing when the bill is heard in the Senate.
Denise was kidnapped from her North Port home in January 2008. After five 911 calls from family, witnesses and Denise herself regarding her whereabouts, no one could find the missing 21-year-old mother of two. Her remains were discovered near a wooded area along Toledo Blade Boulevard -- the same road eyewitness Jane Kowalski told a Charlotte County sheriff's 911 call taker she last saw King's Camaro. The call taker never sent deputies.
The nine-page House Bill 355 -- known as "Electronic 911" or E911 -- introduced by state Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte -- would require 911 call takers and dispatchers to take mandatory public safety telecommunications training and pass an examination administered by the state Department of Health with competency and proficiency testing.
Funding for the training would come from 50 cents that's already paid by telephone customers. Currently, the $50 million in the Public Safety Trust Fund generated from the counties' 911 charge on each telephone bill is used to pay for police training and equipment, Roberson said. Funding guidelines don't specify the money be used for 911 training.
The bill calls for universal training -- from 208 hours of voluntary training that's in place now to 232 mandatory hours -- with 20 additional hours of training for the biennial renewal requirement. The CCSO maintains it already exceeds voluntary training hours.
North Port City Commission Chair David Garofalo, a Lee Foundation board member, also plans to speak at the hearing today.
"There might be some opposition," Garofalo said Monday, alluding to a letter sent to the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials from Doug Christ, president of the Florida Chapter of National Emergency Number Association opposing the bill.
According to Christ's letter, NENA clearly "supports standardized training and certification of 911 call-taking personnel," but the 50-cent fee is simply too small of a funding source.
"There are no more rabbits we can pull out of the hat regarding how we can stretch the 911 fees," he wrote. "There has also been concern expressed regarding the apparent requirement of retraining telecommunicators who may have already gone through hundreds of hours of expensive training prior to the legislation taking effect."
However, state Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, said she doesn't buy the arguments.
"They are not happy because they will have to pay overtime for the training," she said. "It's bogus. I've had enough of this -- safety can't wait.
"How many more times do we want to be on television shows like '20/20' showing the horrible mistakes that have been made in our 911 system? A North Port dispatcher left a man lying in the middle of the street for 18 hours because she didn't send help. She clearly didn't have the proper training," Detert said, referring to Brian Wood, who in December had crashed his truck in a remote area of North Port Estates. A teenager saw Wood and called 911, but could not remember the name of the street he was on. The dispatched failed to send help, and no police responded until a second 911 call was made the next evening.
Christ said Monday that NENA wants to "wait a year" and study the issue and how to fund it. He is supporting a substitution bill initiated in Pinellas County delaying implementation for a year.
"We'd like to see a task force established," Christ said. "We want a true statewide cost analysis. Our research and experience indicates that current 911 fees simply cannot absorb the cost of mandatory training. No one is giving us how much this will cost. I hear it could be $2 million just in Pinellas alone. Our goal is to ensure this becomes a successful piece of legislation as opposed to a costly 'feel good' bill."
Detert disagreed, saying there was no time to "rip apart" the bill.
"It's time to close the book on the bill," she said, adding she met Monday with lobbyists for the Police Chiefs Association, Sheriffs Association, Florida League of Cities and Florida Department of Law Enforcement regarding the bill.
"If they don't like it, they are going to have to get used to it and learn to like it," she said.
Garofalo said 911 funds should be spent for training telecommunication employees.
"Once the money is spent on training, it's up to the employee to pay for recertification," he said. "As far as making employees who have already had the training get retrained, it's not a bad idea. There have been some longtime operators who made mistakes that created liabilities for departments."
Nathan has said he wants to see positive changes made so his wife didn't die in vain. If the bill passes, it would take effect in July.
E-mail: eallen@sun-herald.com
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
North Port Community News Editor
Monday, February 15, 2010
Florida NENA
Unbelievable. We're on our way up to Tallahassee as I type to speak in front of the Florida House committee to urge them to pass HB355. Nathan and Rick will be there on Thursday to speak to the Senate Committee to urge them to pass SB742. Both bills are identical and both bills call for mandatory certification and training for all 9-1-1 call takers in the state of Florida.
Now, FL NENA opposes it. Why? Money. At least that's what they say. There are not enough funds. That's ridiculous! They oughta find the funds. It should not take rocket science and more studies. Get someone in there smart enough to find it. We're paying for it on our cell phone bills already. Where is that money going?
How many more people have to die due to call taker error???? They are the first link in the chain of our public safety. How can you put a price on Denise's life? or Olidia Kerr Day's life? or Brian Woods life? or Jennifer Johnson's life? and they are just a few in the past two years that we've HEARD about. How many have we not heard about that were covered up?
It's also odd considering we're working with and have the support of national NENA.... Unfriggin' believable.
These bills will not only help protect our citizens but they will help protect our first responders. The Florida Fraternal of Police support the bill! They agree wholeheartedly that something must be done.
But FL NENA apparently wants to spend the money elsewhere. That's just unconscionable IMO. If the call taker does not get the call right then the fireman may not make it to the fire, the EMT may not make it to the medical emergency, and the police may not be able to prevent an abduction about to be murder (as in Denise's case) in progress.
And more people like Brian Wood from North Port may be left lying beside the road "barely alive" and "soon to be dead" and then finally "dead" for 18 hours!
Ugh~
Now, FL NENA opposes it. Why? Money. At least that's what they say. There are not enough funds. That's ridiculous! They oughta find the funds. It should not take rocket science and more studies. Get someone in there smart enough to find it. We're paying for it on our cell phone bills already. Where is that money going?
How many more people have to die due to call taker error???? They are the first link in the chain of our public safety. How can you put a price on Denise's life? or Olidia Kerr Day's life? or Brian Woods life? or Jennifer Johnson's life? and they are just a few in the past two years that we've HEARD about. How many have we not heard about that were covered up?
It's also odd considering we're working with and have the support of national NENA.... Unfriggin' believable.
These bills will not only help protect our citizens but they will help protect our first responders. The Florida Fraternal of Police support the bill! They agree wholeheartedly that something must be done.
But FL NENA apparently wants to spend the money elsewhere. That's just unconscionable IMO. If the call taker does not get the call right then the fireman may not make it to the fire, the EMT may not make it to the medical emergency, and the police may not be able to prevent an abduction about to be murder (as in Denise's case) in progress.
And more people like Brian Wood from North Port may be left lying beside the road "barely alive" and "soon to be dead" and then finally "dead" for 18 hours!
Ugh~
Friday, January 15, 2010
Sunday marks 2 years
This Sunday will mark the second anniversary of Denise's death. My mind has been on her quite a bit recently. Between the holidays, Noah turning 4 (gosh I still think of him as 2), the trial, end of year newspaper stories etc... It's tough not having Denise on my mind.
I keep visualizing her coming through the door into the kitchen at our old house carrying Adam in his carseat. The carseat was huge, Adam weighed a ton, and Denise was so petite. Every time I think of her she's smiling.
"Every time I think of her she's smiling"...... hmmm... that's not totally true. In the beginning I could not get what happened to her out of my mind. It was hard thinking of her without visualising in some way the pain and terror of how she suffered. She was a beautiful, sweet young woman. If there were any flaws about her, I certainly never saw them.
But, it's true that now when I think of Denise the evil part (michael King's evil) does not always intrude.
The world lost a very wonderful person when it lost Denise. She was innocent, she was kind, she was sweet, loving, giving and truly selfless. The boys and Nathan always came first with her. Gosh, how she loved Nathan. She worshiped the ground he walked on. And how Nathan loved her and still loves her. He says he'll never stop loving her. It is all so very humbling.
The boys are doing well. We do not see them as much as we were and I miss them desperately. Adam has become a 2 year old hellion. He's so damn cute and he has Denise's smile. He's a stinker! And he knows it... he also knows how damn cute he is! Noah on the other hand is a tad bit more serious and very practical about just about everything. Both are precious... Oh, Denise... I'm crying not having you here. I know you are with us. I believe that or at least I do my best to believe that. We are doing our part to keep your spirit alive. I miss you so much.
It's unbelievable that people question our grieving. They have absolutely no clue.
Sunday we will be going to church as a family.
We are still working on the 9-1-1 front. We're doing our best behind the scenes to see that legislation in Florida passed. We are speaking at different county delegations trying to encourage the legislators to make 9-1-1 reform a priority. The response has been very good. Mark usually has me speak when Nathan cannot be there. I'm getting better at it. It is not so easy putting pain on display. My nerves are usually frazzled before I speak and afterward. But it is something I want to do.
Denise should be alive today. There is no doubt in my mind about that. She'd be damaged, sure. But she'd be home with people loving her.
As to Michael King? His picture was in the paper the other day. (His appeals have started.) He looks like Uncle Fester in the Addams Family only evil. But no matter. Even if they were to hang him tomorrow it would not bring Denise back.
Miss you, Denise. I wish we could hug. I wish I could caress your face just one more time. You were beautiful inside and out. Oh sweetie.
sigh
I keep visualizing her coming through the door into the kitchen at our old house carrying Adam in his carseat. The carseat was huge, Adam weighed a ton, and Denise was so petite. Every time I think of her she's smiling.
"Every time I think of her she's smiling"...... hmmm... that's not totally true. In the beginning I could not get what happened to her out of my mind. It was hard thinking of her without visualising in some way the pain and terror of how she suffered. She was a beautiful, sweet young woman. If there were any flaws about her, I certainly never saw them.
But, it's true that now when I think of Denise the evil part (michael King's evil) does not always intrude.
The world lost a very wonderful person when it lost Denise. She was innocent, she was kind, she was sweet, loving, giving and truly selfless. The boys and Nathan always came first with her. Gosh, how she loved Nathan. She worshiped the ground he walked on. And how Nathan loved her and still loves her. He says he'll never stop loving her. It is all so very humbling.
The boys are doing well. We do not see them as much as we were and I miss them desperately. Adam has become a 2 year old hellion. He's so damn cute and he has Denise's smile. He's a stinker! And he knows it... he also knows how damn cute he is! Noah on the other hand is a tad bit more serious and very practical about just about everything. Both are precious... Oh, Denise... I'm crying not having you here. I know you are with us. I believe that or at least I do my best to believe that. We are doing our part to keep your spirit alive. I miss you so much.
It's unbelievable that people question our grieving. They have absolutely no clue.
Sunday we will be going to church as a family.
We are still working on the 9-1-1 front. We're doing our best behind the scenes to see that legislation in Florida passed. We are speaking at different county delegations trying to encourage the legislators to make 9-1-1 reform a priority. The response has been very good. Mark usually has me speak when Nathan cannot be there. I'm getting better at it. It is not so easy putting pain on display. My nerves are usually frazzled before I speak and afterward. But it is something I want to do.
Denise should be alive today. There is no doubt in my mind about that. She'd be damaged, sure. But she'd be home with people loving her.
As to Michael King? His picture was in the paper the other day. (His appeals have started.) He looks like Uncle Fester in the Addams Family only evil. But no matter. Even if they were to hang him tomorrow it would not bring Denise back.
Miss you, Denise. I wish we could hug. I wish I could caress your face just one more time. You were beautiful inside and out. Oh sweetie.
sigh
Monday, January 11, 2010
NENA letter written by Craig Whittington to NBC
The letter below is from the current President of NENA to NBC in response to the Today Show airing last week. Momentum for National training and certification standards is building!!
To all NENA members and 9-1-1 professionals proudly serving in our nation's PSAP's. The follow letter was sent to NBC Last Friday...
Craig W
Craig Whittington, ENP
9-1-1 & Special Projects Coordinator
Guilford Metro 9-1-1
Greensboro, NC
NC NENA 9-1-1 Hall of Frame
President
National Emergency Number Association (NENA)
On Thursday, January 7, NBC's Today show ran a segment entitled, "911 [sic] Emergency: Are Operators Ready for Your Call?" Like anyone who saw this report, my heart goes out to Ms. Cantrell and her family. The loss of a child, especially one as young as Matthew, is every parent's worst nightmare. Mr. Rossen's report highlighted a number of the most pressing issues facing 9-1-1 today, including insufficient training requirements and standards, the
raiding of state 9-1-1 funds, and a lack of strong coordination and oversight at both the state and federal levels.
However, I regret that the story did not adequately represent the reality of 9-1-1 service in this country. Americans have come to expect a high quality of service when dialing 9-1-1, and rightly so; the public's expectations have been generated because our nation's emergency communications professionals have provided the public they serve with reliable, consistent, timely, and professional service literally billions of times since the nation's first 9-1-1 system was implemented just more than forty years ago.
Since the beginning, 9-1-1 has continuously and successfully adapted to changes in communication technologies and devices (cell phones, Voice over IP, etc.), overcoming a lack of funding, cooperative and proactive system planning and deployment, or comprehensive, nationwide standards for training of 9-1-1 telecommunicators. While the calls highlighted in the Today segment (including a Detroit call taker chastising a young boy for calling 9-1-1 and another telecommunicator falling asleep during a call) provide ample fodder for television and print stories, they are certainly the extreme exception and not the rule when it comes to everyday 9-1-1 center operations.
Additionally, no 9-1-1 call taker should ever be blamed if their local government or 9-1-1 Authority has not implemented practices designed to help telecommunicators save lives, such as Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD).
These implementations are major local policy decisions involving the 9-1-1 center, the local government, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provider, and Medical Director in order to ensure proper training, oversight, and regular audit and review. The decision to use EMD cannot be made at the discretion of the telecommunicator working in the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). Further, just "knowing CPR" as discussed in Mr. Rossen's interview with Ms. Cantrell does not sufficiently prepare a telecommunicator to provide CPR instructions over the phone. Walking a caller to 9-1-1 through a medical procedure, even one that may seem as basic as CPR, requires that an approved EMD training and certification provider certify the telecommunicator in EMD and that the 9-1-1 agency have an ongoing and approved EMD program (most often operated under strict state guidelines and inclusive of a regular Quality Assurance and Improvement process to assure compliance with the EMD program).
Nevertheless, no call for help should ever be mishandled. Any tragedy occurring because of a lack of training, supervision, or other shortfall of the 9-1-1 system is simply unacceptable. I, along with the thousands of NENA Members across North America, stand beside APCO President Mirgon, his association's membership, Congresswoman Eshoo, and the Congressional E9-1-1 Caucus in our commitment to working with all stakeholders in the emergency communications field, including decision makers at all levels of government, to ensure that our nation's 9-1-1 professionals are trained and equipped to deliver the same
high-level service to every caller - no matter where they live or travel or what device they use to contact 9-1-1. That is why NENA, in no uncertain terms, supports the development and implementation of standardized, mandatory, nationwide training requirements for every 9-1-1 telecommunicator serving in each of our nation's more than 6,000 PSAPs.
Further, in order to ensure that all Americans have access to the 9-1-1 service they expect and deserve, the patchwork technical solutions of the past will no longer suffice. Our nation's safety and security from threats both natural and manmade necessitate a new approach. As was alluded to during the Today story, most states underfund the vital system and infrastructure upgrades that are needed to ensure that 9-1-1 is able to effectively and efficiently handle all calls. The public and policy makers must be made aware of the need for an IP-based Next Generation emergency communications system that harnesses the power of broadband to ensure that all entities in the response chain can communicate and transmit voice, images, and data seamlessly.
In closing, I am sure we can agree that 9-1-1 personnel are our nation's first first responders and their training must be of the highest possible caliber. Each and every dollar spent on the training of our 9-1-1 professionals should be looked at as an investment in the quality of life for the community they serve and NOT as just another government expense. No one should ever call 9-1-1 for assistance and not get the very best trained public safety professional (with access to the best available technological resources) to answer their call for help. Lives depend on it.
I look forward to working with NBC and all other media outlets on future stories fully portraying both the successes and shortfalls of the 9-1-1 system as we work to educate and inform the public and government officials about the challenges faced by public safety professionals every day and how we can work together to solve them.
Respectfully,
Craig Whittington, ENP
NENA President
To all NENA members and 9-1-1 professionals proudly serving in our nation's PSAP's. The follow letter was sent to NBC Last Friday...
Craig W
Craig Whittington, ENP
9-1-1 & Special Projects Coordinator
Guilford Metro 9-1-1
Greensboro, NC
NC NENA 9-1-1 Hall of Frame
President
National Emergency Number Association (NENA)
On Thursday, January 7, NBC's Today show ran a segment entitled, "911 [sic] Emergency: Are Operators Ready for Your Call?" Like anyone who saw this report, my heart goes out to Ms. Cantrell and her family. The loss of a child, especially one as young as Matthew, is every parent's worst nightmare. Mr. Rossen's report highlighted a number of the most pressing issues facing 9-1-1 today, including insufficient training requirements and standards, the
raiding of state 9-1-1 funds, and a lack of strong coordination and oversight at both the state and federal levels.
However, I regret that the story did not adequately represent the reality of 9-1-1 service in this country. Americans have come to expect a high quality of service when dialing 9-1-1, and rightly so; the public's expectations have been generated because our nation's emergency communications professionals have provided the public they serve with reliable, consistent, timely, and professional service literally billions of times since the nation's first 9-1-1 system was implemented just more than forty years ago.
Since the beginning, 9-1-1 has continuously and successfully adapted to changes in communication technologies and devices (cell phones, Voice over IP, etc.), overcoming a lack of funding, cooperative and proactive system planning and deployment, or comprehensive, nationwide standards for training of 9-1-1 telecommunicators. While the calls highlighted in the Today segment (including a Detroit call taker chastising a young boy for calling 9-1-1 and another telecommunicator falling asleep during a call) provide ample fodder for television and print stories, they are certainly the extreme exception and not the rule when it comes to everyday 9-1-1 center operations.
Additionally, no 9-1-1 call taker should ever be blamed if their local government or 9-1-1 Authority has not implemented practices designed to help telecommunicators save lives, such as Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD).
These implementations are major local policy decisions involving the 9-1-1 center, the local government, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provider, and Medical Director in order to ensure proper training, oversight, and regular audit and review. The decision to use EMD cannot be made at the discretion of the telecommunicator working in the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). Further, just "knowing CPR" as discussed in Mr. Rossen's interview with Ms. Cantrell does not sufficiently prepare a telecommunicator to provide CPR instructions over the phone. Walking a caller to 9-1-1 through a medical procedure, even one that may seem as basic as CPR, requires that an approved EMD training and certification provider certify the telecommunicator in EMD and that the 9-1-1 agency have an ongoing and approved EMD program (most often operated under strict state guidelines and inclusive of a regular Quality Assurance and Improvement process to assure compliance with the EMD program).
Nevertheless, no call for help should ever be mishandled. Any tragedy occurring because of a lack of training, supervision, or other shortfall of the 9-1-1 system is simply unacceptable. I, along with the thousands of NENA Members across North America, stand beside APCO President Mirgon, his association's membership, Congresswoman Eshoo, and the Congressional E9-1-1 Caucus in our commitment to working with all stakeholders in the emergency communications field, including decision makers at all levels of government, to ensure that our nation's 9-1-1 professionals are trained and equipped to deliver the same
high-level service to every caller - no matter where they live or travel or what device they use to contact 9-1-1. That is why NENA, in no uncertain terms, supports the development and implementation of standardized, mandatory, nationwide training requirements for every 9-1-1 telecommunicator serving in each of our nation's more than 6,000 PSAPs.
Further, in order to ensure that all Americans have access to the 9-1-1 service they expect and deserve, the patchwork technical solutions of the past will no longer suffice. Our nation's safety and security from threats both natural and manmade necessitate a new approach. As was alluded to during the Today story, most states underfund the vital system and infrastructure upgrades that are needed to ensure that 9-1-1 is able to effectively and efficiently handle all calls. The public and policy makers must be made aware of the need for an IP-based Next Generation emergency communications system that harnesses the power of broadband to ensure that all entities in the response chain can communicate and transmit voice, images, and data seamlessly.
In closing, I am sure we can agree that 9-1-1 personnel are our nation's first first responders and their training must be of the highest possible caliber. Each and every dollar spent on the training of our 9-1-1 professionals should be looked at as an investment in the quality of life for the community they serve and NOT as just another government expense. No one should ever call 9-1-1 for assistance and not get the very best trained public safety professional (with access to the best available technological resources) to answer their call for help. Lives depend on it.
I look forward to working with NBC and all other media outlets on future stories fully portraying both the successes and shortfalls of the 9-1-1 system as we work to educate and inform the public and government officials about the challenges faced by public safety professionals every day and how we can work together to solve them.
Respectfully,
Craig Whittington, ENP
NENA President
Today's Sun
King's Lawyers file death penalty appeal
SARASOTA -- Attorneys for Michael King have listed 21 reasons why he should not be put to death, including that the death penalty is "unconstitutional" and the state should not have used eyewitness 911 calls as evidence during his trial.
On Dec. 21, King's attorney, Assistant Public Defender Carolyn Schlemmer, filed a motion to the Attorney General Criminal Appeals and the Clerk of the Florida Supreme Court appealing a judge's decision to sentence King to death.
Last year, King was found guilty in the kidnapping, rape and murder of 21-year-old Denise Amber Lee.
King held Lee at gunpoint when he took her from her North Port home on Jan. 17, 2008. Her remains were found two days later, buried in a wooded area of Toledo Blade Boulevard.
After a three-week trial at the Sarasota County Courthouse that ended in September, all 12 jurors recommended a death sentence.
During the December sentencing, 12th Circuit Judge Deno Economou became emotional while reading into the record what King did to Lee. He agreed with the jury, sentencing King to death.
Florida law requires an automatic appeal in all capital murder cases such as King's.
In Schlemmer's appeal, she calls the death penalty -- reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976 -- unconstitutional. The appeal states the defense counsel should have been allowed to further interview jurors, and criticizes a unanimous decision needed for the jury to conclude in the penalty phase of the trial, as well as "unreliable and misleading evidence" from a state Department of Law Enforcement firearms analyst.
It goes on to state the 911 call Lee made while trapped inside of King's Camaro should not have been allowed in court, as well as another 911 call played in court made by witness Jane Kowalski, who saw King's car on the evening Lee was taken. Kowalski reported someone -- now known to be Lee -- screaming and slapping the window in the back seat of the Camaro, stopped at a traffic light next to her.
The prosecution's use of bullet casings, voice identification and allowing state doctors to evaluate King during the trial is also being appealed. Schlemmer being denied a motion for a mistrial and an acquittal are also listed as grounds for an appeal, according to the attorney.
Schlemmer wrote that King was denied a change of venue outside Sarasota, therefore, he was not given a "fair trial." The suppression of certain evidence and the court's finding of King's competency during the trial are also listed.
Schlemmer noted there were "errors" made in the sentencing order, as well as "the court's error" in allowing "certain portions of victim impact statements during the penalty phase" of the trial.
However, before the trial, Schlemmer filed motions to have some evidence suppressed -- such as King's demeanor when he was arrested and early evidence collected in a police raid of King's North Port house where Lee was raped -- and won.
Schlemmer could not be reached for comment.
Assistant State Attorney Lon Arend said he believed King, who stared straight ahead and was emotionless through most of the trial, faked a mental illness.
"He was competent to stand trial," Arend said. "We had tapes from the night he was arrested showing Michael speaking and moving around. They were suppressed, so the jury never saw them."
Arend said an appeal is the appropriate step in King's case.
"It is important that each and every issue brought up by the defense in the trial be included on the notice of appeal so that they can be reviewed by the Supreme Court," he said. "In order for a just, true sentence to be carried out, everyone has to be ensured that the defendant received a fair trial, and the Supreme Court review is an automatic part of the process.
"The fact that his attorneys have so thoroughly documented every possible argument is a testament to their professionalism, and should assist the Florida Supreme Court in what hopefully will be a thorough yet expeditious review of the trial," he said.
Arend said that if King's appeal is not overturned, he could be executed -- most likely by lethal injection -- in five years.
"It should not take 15 years," he said. "Laws have changed to make executions more speedy when appeals have been exhausted."
E-mail: eallen@sun-herald.com
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
North Port Community News Editor
http://sunnewspapers.net/articles/pnnews.aspx?NewsID=450595&a=newsarchive2/011110/ew2.htm&pnpg=0
SARASOTA -- Attorneys for Michael King have listed 21 reasons why he should not be put to death, including that the death penalty is "unconstitutional" and the state should not have used eyewitness 911 calls as evidence during his trial.
On Dec. 21, King's attorney, Assistant Public Defender Carolyn Schlemmer, filed a motion to the Attorney General Criminal Appeals and the Clerk of the Florida Supreme Court appealing a judge's decision to sentence King to death.
Last year, King was found guilty in the kidnapping, rape and murder of 21-year-old Denise Amber Lee.
King held Lee at gunpoint when he took her from her North Port home on Jan. 17, 2008. Her remains were found two days later, buried in a wooded area of Toledo Blade Boulevard.
After a three-week trial at the Sarasota County Courthouse that ended in September, all 12 jurors recommended a death sentence.
During the December sentencing, 12th Circuit Judge Deno Economou became emotional while reading into the record what King did to Lee. He agreed with the jury, sentencing King to death.
Florida law requires an automatic appeal in all capital murder cases such as King's.
In Schlemmer's appeal, she calls the death penalty -- reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976 -- unconstitutional. The appeal states the defense counsel should have been allowed to further interview jurors, and criticizes a unanimous decision needed for the jury to conclude in the penalty phase of the trial, as well as "unreliable and misleading evidence" from a state Department of Law Enforcement firearms analyst.
It goes on to state the 911 call Lee made while trapped inside of King's Camaro should not have been allowed in court, as well as another 911 call played in court made by witness Jane Kowalski, who saw King's car on the evening Lee was taken. Kowalski reported someone -- now known to be Lee -- screaming and slapping the window in the back seat of the Camaro, stopped at a traffic light next to her.
The prosecution's use of bullet casings, voice identification and allowing state doctors to evaluate King during the trial is also being appealed. Schlemmer being denied a motion for a mistrial and an acquittal are also listed as grounds for an appeal, according to the attorney.
Schlemmer wrote that King was denied a change of venue outside Sarasota, therefore, he was not given a "fair trial." The suppression of certain evidence and the court's finding of King's competency during the trial are also listed.
Schlemmer noted there were "errors" made in the sentencing order, as well as "the court's error" in allowing "certain portions of victim impact statements during the penalty phase" of the trial.
However, before the trial, Schlemmer filed motions to have some evidence suppressed -- such as King's demeanor when he was arrested and early evidence collected in a police raid of King's North Port house where Lee was raped -- and won.
Schlemmer could not be reached for comment.
Assistant State Attorney Lon Arend said he believed King, who stared straight ahead and was emotionless through most of the trial, faked a mental illness.
"He was competent to stand trial," Arend said. "We had tapes from the night he was arrested showing Michael speaking and moving around. They were suppressed, so the jury never saw them."
Arend said an appeal is the appropriate step in King's case.
"It is important that each and every issue brought up by the defense in the trial be included on the notice of appeal so that they can be reviewed by the Supreme Court," he said. "In order for a just, true sentence to be carried out, everyone has to be ensured that the defendant received a fair trial, and the Supreme Court review is an automatic part of the process.
"The fact that his attorneys have so thoroughly documented every possible argument is a testament to their professionalism, and should assist the Florida Supreme Court in what hopefully will be a thorough yet expeditious review of the trial," he said.
Arend said that if King's appeal is not overturned, he could be executed -- most likely by lethal injection -- in five years.
"It should not take 15 years," he said. "Laws have changed to make executions more speedy when appeals have been exhausted."
E-mail: eallen@sun-herald.com
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
North Port Community News Editor
http://sunnewspapers.net/articles/pnnews.aspx?NewsID=450595&a=newsarchive2/011110/ew2.htm&pnpg=0
Friday, January 8, 2010
Today's Herald Tribune Editorial
When 911 goes right
Tampa episode offers a model for other departments to emulate
Published: Friday, January 8, 2010 at 1:00 a.m. Last Modified: Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 6:48 p.m.
Sometimes, 911 call-takers fail to live up to the public's high expectations. But sometimes they exceed them, in extraordinary fashion.
A Tampa 911 case this week fell into the latter category, exemplifying all that can go right when technology and operators work well together.
As described in the St. Petersburg Times and other Tampa Bay area news sources, the case involved an attempted rape in progress.
Ve'Etta Bess took the 911 call, secretly dialed by the victim, and heard only silence and screams. Yet, with a combination of skill, intuition and grace-under-pressure teamwork, she and her colleagues tracked and confirmed the location of the crime, dispatching police in time to stop the assault.
That is the kind of performance that people expect from the emergency communications system, yet 911 calls don't always have such a happy ending.
Dispatching errors, operator mistakes and address confusion, for example, were seen in North Port, Charlotte County and Sarasota in the past two years. Other communities and states have had problems as well.
Such cases -- most infamously the failure to relay emergency calls that might have caught a kidnapper before he killed Denise Lee of North Port -- have sparked a strong push for 911 reforms in Florida. Local legislators have proposed bills that would improve oversight of the emergency-call system and work to make it more seamless.
Lawmakers weighing these reforms may learn something from the Tampa case.
A few points stand out:
Bess, the Tampa 911 call-taker, has more than three years' experience.
The Tampa department trains call-takers extensively, using close observation, and hands-on and role-playing strategies. Diana Hall, training coordinator for the Tampa department, said 600 hours of training and classes are required.
The crew had recently taken a refresher course on how to find callers through cell-tower location -- a skill that proved crucial in this case.
The Tampa episode embodies the often stressful conditions involved in 911 work.
At one point, when the attacker discovered the cell phone on the floor, Bess had the presence of mind to stay silent so the man would think the 911 call -- the numbers visible on the phone screen -- had not gone through.
All the while, she was multitasking to identify the location, signal her co-workers and alert police.
With a little less skill, luck and technology, the call could have gone disastrously wrong -- but it went right. All communities should learn from this example.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100108/OPINION/1081011/2198/OPINION?Title=When-911-goes-right
Tampa episode offers a model for other departments to emulate
Published: Friday, January 8, 2010 at 1:00 a.m. Last Modified: Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 6:48 p.m.
Sometimes, 911 call-takers fail to live up to the public's high expectations. But sometimes they exceed them, in extraordinary fashion.
A Tampa 911 case this week fell into the latter category, exemplifying all that can go right when technology and operators work well together.
As described in the St. Petersburg Times and other Tampa Bay area news sources, the case involved an attempted rape in progress.
Ve'Etta Bess took the 911 call, secretly dialed by the victim, and heard only silence and screams. Yet, with a combination of skill, intuition and grace-under-pressure teamwork, she and her colleagues tracked and confirmed the location of the crime, dispatching police in time to stop the assault.
That is the kind of performance that people expect from the emergency communications system, yet 911 calls don't always have such a happy ending.
Dispatching errors, operator mistakes and address confusion, for example, were seen in North Port, Charlotte County and Sarasota in the past two years. Other communities and states have had problems as well.
Such cases -- most infamously the failure to relay emergency calls that might have caught a kidnapper before he killed Denise Lee of North Port -- have sparked a strong push for 911 reforms in Florida. Local legislators have proposed bills that would improve oversight of the emergency-call system and work to make it more seamless.
Lawmakers weighing these reforms may learn something from the Tampa case.
A few points stand out:
Bess, the Tampa 911 call-taker, has more than three years' experience.
The Tampa department trains call-takers extensively, using close observation, and hands-on and role-playing strategies. Diana Hall, training coordinator for the Tampa department, said 600 hours of training and classes are required.
The crew had recently taken a refresher course on how to find callers through cell-tower location -- a skill that proved crucial in this case.
The Tampa episode embodies the often stressful conditions involved in 911 work.
At one point, when the attacker discovered the cell phone on the floor, Bess had the presence of mind to stay silent so the man would think the 911 call -- the numbers visible on the phone screen -- had not gone through.
All the while, she was multitasking to identify the location, signal her co-workers and alert police.
With a little less skill, luck and technology, the call could have gone disastrously wrong -- but it went right. All communities should learn from this example.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100108/OPINION/1081011/2198/OPINION?Title=When-911-goes-right
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
North Port Police Chief Terry Lewis
I commend Chief Lewis for having the strength, courage and wisdom to do the right thing.
And thank you, THANK YOU, Chief Lewis, for not hiding behind this with arrogant airs. Thank you for not sweeping this under the rug.
And especially thank you for showing compassion for the family.
My heartfelt condolences go out to the Wood family. It's tragic enough to lose someone but to add this on top of it is....... There's no word for it.
Again, I commend you.
God bless you.
From the Charlotte Sun website
NORTH PORT — North Port Police Chief Terry Lewis has fired the dispatcher who failed to send officers to a crash scene where a man was found dead almost 19 hours later.
Lewis said Nadezhda Kashitskaya, who had been with the NPPD for about a year and a half, violated two city policies.
In a press conference Tuesday at the police department, Lewis apologized to the family of Brian Wood, 55, and said his heart goes out to Kashitskaya, whom he said "made a mistake."
About 11:30 p.m. Dec. 11, teens saw a man slumped over on the ground next to his truck in a dark, remote area of North Port Estates. Mark Mininci Jr., 19, called 911 from a convenience store about six miles away.
When Mininci called 911, he didn't know the exact street name — Lovering Avenue — of where the man and his pickup were located, calling it "Lovesong" or "Lovebird." However, he gave detailed directions on how to get to the area.
Around 6:30 p.m. the next day, a curious Mininci returned to the area and saw the man was still there. Mininci went to a nearby house and asked the residents to call police.
Officers arrived and found Wood, the longtime owner of Suncoast V-Twin motorcycle repair in North Port, dead. On the way to visiting his friend and business partner, Ricky "Railroad" Johnson, Wood had apparently crashed his pickup into a power pole. He managed to get out of the truck after the crash but could not get help before succumbing to his injuries.
In the 911 call, Kashitskaya explained to Mininci the system doesn't work without giving a specific street name.
But Lewis said earlier this month that other techniques could have been used to assist the caller.
"We use maps similar to Google Earth to find streets and locations," he said. "We should have gone to the area where the caller described, despite not having a proper street name."
The Sarasota County Medical Examiner has not yet completed Wood's autopsy report.
link: http://sunnewspapers.net/articles/llnews.aspx?articleID=15232&bnpg=0
And thank you, THANK YOU, Chief Lewis, for not hiding behind this with arrogant airs. Thank you for not sweeping this under the rug.
And especially thank you for showing compassion for the family.
My heartfelt condolences go out to the Wood family. It's tragic enough to lose someone but to add this on top of it is....... There's no word for it.
Again, I commend you.
God bless you.
From the Charlotte Sun website
NORTH PORT — North Port Police Chief Terry Lewis has fired the dispatcher who failed to send officers to a crash scene where a man was found dead almost 19 hours later.
Lewis said Nadezhda Kashitskaya, who had been with the NPPD for about a year and a half, violated two city policies.
In a press conference Tuesday at the police department, Lewis apologized to the family of Brian Wood, 55, and said his heart goes out to Kashitskaya, whom he said "made a mistake."
About 11:30 p.m. Dec. 11, teens saw a man slumped over on the ground next to his truck in a dark, remote area of North Port Estates. Mark Mininci Jr., 19, called 911 from a convenience store about six miles away.
When Mininci called 911, he didn't know the exact street name — Lovering Avenue — of where the man and his pickup were located, calling it "Lovesong" or "Lovebird." However, he gave detailed directions on how to get to the area.
Around 6:30 p.m. the next day, a curious Mininci returned to the area and saw the man was still there. Mininci went to a nearby house and asked the residents to call police.
Officers arrived and found Wood, the longtime owner of Suncoast V-Twin motorcycle repair in North Port, dead. On the way to visiting his friend and business partner, Ricky "Railroad" Johnson, Wood had apparently crashed his pickup into a power pole. He managed to get out of the truck after the crash but could not get help before succumbing to his injuries.
In the 911 call, Kashitskaya explained to Mininci the system doesn't work without giving a specific street name.
But Lewis said earlier this month that other techniques could have been used to assist the caller.
"We use maps similar to Google Earth to find streets and locations," he said. "We should have gone to the area where the caller described, despite not having a proper street name."
The Sarasota County Medical Examiner has not yet completed Wood's autopsy report.
link: http://sunnewspapers.net/articles/llnews.aspx?articleID=15232&bnpg=0
Monday, December 28, 2009
Christmas can be so damn difficult
Not many people think about the stresses and anxieties 9-1-1 call takers face and the tragedies they listen to. I've met hundreds perhaps thousands of telecommunicators and believe me, they do not have it easy. I believe they go through their own form of post traumatic stress. I've listened to many calls now where the outcomes have been tragic. Yet, these call takers have to listen to it and sometimes never know what happened to the person on the other end. I couldn't do it. Yes, I believe there are some out there that are only in it for the paycheck but the majority are compassionate, diligent and dedicated.
Anyhow, I do not know this young man's story. But do, please, keep his family in your prayers and send condolences if possible.
Audrain County (MO) E-911 Joint Communications lost a dispatcher to suicide on Christmas Eve. The 23 year old dispatcher left behind a 1 year old son, family, friends, and co-workers. All of the Joint Communications staff and public safety officials in Audrain County are mourning the loss, especially the dispatchers that handled the frantic 911 call and those who responded to the scene after his
body was discovered. Prayers and support are appreciated. Anyone wishing to send condolences can direct them to the PSAP. Condolences for the family will be passed on to the family.
--
Daniel G. Barnett
Assistant 911 Director
Audrain County E-911
1854 East Liberty Street
PO Box 415
Mexico, MO 65265
Anyhow, I do not know this young man's story. But do, please, keep his family in your prayers and send condolences if possible.
Audrain County (MO) E-911 Joint Communications lost a dispatcher to suicide on Christmas Eve. The 23 year old dispatcher left behind a 1 year old son, family, friends, and co-workers. All of the Joint Communications staff and public safety officials in Audrain County are mourning the loss, especially the dispatchers that handled the frantic 911 call and those who responded to the scene after his
body was discovered. Prayers and support are appreciated. Anyone wishing to send condolences can direct them to the PSAP. Condolences for the family will be passed on to the family.
--
Daniel G. Barnett
Assistant 911 Director
Audrain County E-911
1854 East Liberty Street
PO Box 415
Mexico, MO 65265
Call For 911 Improvements/ today's Herald Tribune editorial
Calling for 911 improvements
Legislation would help create a seamless system
Published: Monday, December 28, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, December 24, 2009 at 1:48 p.m.
In a recent editorial about the latest local breakdown in 911 communications, we posed the question: What must Florida -- and its counties and cities -- do to create a seamless system designed to ensure that all emergency calls receive an appropriate, prompt response?
The first step would be to recognize key findings and implement important recommendations contained in "Florida 911: The State of Emergency." That report, funded by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, was released in August.
"Florida does not have a 911 'system,' but rather a patchwork of agencies, protocols and technologies cobbled together," the report concluded. The report criticized state funding policies that sever "the call-taking function from the inherently linked function of dispatching emergency personnel."
Another report on the 911 "system" is in the works, we recently learned from state Rep. Ken Roberson, a Republican from Port Charlotte. Roberson and Sen. Nancy Detert, a Sarasota County Republican, gained approval for an arm of the Legislature to analyze the 911 process statewide. The study, conducted by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, is scheduled to be completed next month.
If the OPPAGA report reflects the typical depth of its work, the analysis will help Roberson and Detert gain passage of identical bills they've filed (HB 355 and SB 742.)
The bills seek to sensibly authorize the use of an existing 911-access fee for certification, training and oversight of "public safety communicators." The bills would redefine the term "emergency dispatcher" to include anyone who answers, receives or transfers 911 calls -- including those who dispatch law enforcement officers, firefighters or emergency-medical personnel.
The authorization of funding for these efforts will be vital; that may require increasing the fee. As well-publicized incidents in our region have shown, the inclusion of police dispatchers in statewide certification, training and oversight of the 911 system is crucial to the creation of a seamless system.
The proposed legislation, if adopted, won't prevent human error from occurring. But the Detert-Roberson proposal would lower the odds and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency communications in Florida.
This story appeared in print on page A10
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20091228/OPINION/912281006/2198/OPINION?Title=Calling-for-911-improvements
my opinion? This needs to be done. I highlighted the word "oversight" because I imagine this is what the sheriff's and police chief's across the state will struggle with.
Legislation would help create a seamless system
Published: Monday, December 28, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, December 24, 2009 at 1:48 p.m.
In a recent editorial about the latest local breakdown in 911 communications, we posed the question: What must Florida -- and its counties and cities -- do to create a seamless system designed to ensure that all emergency calls receive an appropriate, prompt response?
The first step would be to recognize key findings and implement important recommendations contained in "Florida 911: The State of Emergency." That report, funded by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, was released in August.
"Florida does not have a 911 'system,' but rather a patchwork of agencies, protocols and technologies cobbled together," the report concluded. The report criticized state funding policies that sever "the call-taking function from the inherently linked function of dispatching emergency personnel."
Another report on the 911 "system" is in the works, we recently learned from state Rep. Ken Roberson, a Republican from Port Charlotte. Roberson and Sen. Nancy Detert, a Sarasota County Republican, gained approval for an arm of the Legislature to analyze the 911 process statewide. The study, conducted by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, is scheduled to be completed next month.
If the OPPAGA report reflects the typical depth of its work, the analysis will help Roberson and Detert gain passage of identical bills they've filed (HB 355 and SB 742.)
The bills seek to sensibly authorize the use of an existing 911-access fee for certification, training and oversight of "public safety communicators." The bills would redefine the term "emergency dispatcher" to include anyone who answers, receives or transfers 911 calls -- including those who dispatch law enforcement officers, firefighters or emergency-medical personnel.
The authorization of funding for these efforts will be vital; that may require increasing the fee. As well-publicized incidents in our region have shown, the inclusion of police dispatchers in statewide certification, training and oversight of the 911 system is crucial to the creation of a seamless system.
The proposed legislation, if adopted, won't prevent human error from occurring. But the Detert-Roberson proposal would lower the odds and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency communications in Florida.
This story appeared in print on page A10
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20091228/OPINION/912281006/2198/OPINION?Title=Calling-for-911-improvements
my opinion? This needs to be done. I highlighted the word "oversight" because I imagine this is what the sheriff's and police chief's across the state will struggle with.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Chief Terry Lewis and the North Port Police Department
Gosh, lots going on in the past week. At the forefront, another 9-1-1 tragedy in Southwest Florida. Sadly, it occurred in North Port. For those of you that do not know North Port is where Denise was kidnapped, raped and murdered. During the abduction the convicted murderer, Michael King, drove over the county line into Charlotte County. After an eye witness spotted Denise and called 9-1-1 the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office failed to dispatch a car and missed several BOLOs (Be On the Look Outs). Their 9-1-1 center (CCSO) failed miserably in several areas on just that one call. Then they were not forthcoming with the information. They tried to cover up. It was not until 2 days AFTER Denise was abducted that North Port found out about the call. Denise was found that same day, 2 days after her abduction, in a 4' hole in a fetal position having been shot in the head. Where? On a side street off Toledo Blade, the last street the eyewitness saw the kidnapping on. It still disgusts me, and most like always will, that the CCSO 9-1-1 center failed, and worse they were not forthcoming. They chose to try a shove it under the rug. To me, that department is being run by politicians and not sheriffs.
Anyhow, now North Port has their own 9-1-1 tragedy. Brian Wood was seen outside his truck last Friday evening. He appeared in distress. A young couple drove to the nearest 7-11 and called 9-1-1 on a payphone. The young man, Mark Macinski Jr, did not get the name of the street properly. He knew it began with "love" but could not remember whether it was Lovebird or Lovesong. But he had directions to the spot. He gave them to the call taker. She said the system does not work that way and she could not find a road beginning with "love". The next day in the early evening, Manisci went back. The road was "Lovering" and the man was still there. 18 hours later and he was now dead.
The similarities of the cases are how tragic they are. The loss of life. The breakdown. Something gone wrong. Another person dead due to 9-1-1 inefficiencies. Who is at fault? Some blame the caller for not going back yet he was uncomfortable going back. He was not sure of the danger. Others blame the call taker. Others blame the supervisors. All I know is we have to do something because people are dying.
The differences? The most glaring difference in my opinion is the leadership. Having worked with Chief Lewis throughout Denise's case, we have great confidence that he will do the right thing by finding out what went wrong and doing something about it unlike Charlotte County who still does not admit doing anything wrong.
God be with you, Chief Lewis, and give you guidance, courage and strength to do the right thing.
What would I do? I would probably not fire the call taker. But, I would remove her from the 9-1-1 center and transfer her to a different job. Having listened to the 9-1-1 call, I really do not think she should be in there accepting calls. Unlike the call taker in our case, Millie Stepp, who had received previous reprimands for not using the CAD appropriately, it appears this call taker has an unblemished record. So, transfer her. Not all people are cut out to be call takers. But that's just my opinion.
Anyhow, now North Port has their own 9-1-1 tragedy. Brian Wood was seen outside his truck last Friday evening. He appeared in distress. A young couple drove to the nearest 7-11 and called 9-1-1 on a payphone. The young man, Mark Macinski Jr, did not get the name of the street properly. He knew it began with "love" but could not remember whether it was Lovebird or Lovesong. But he had directions to the spot. He gave them to the call taker. She said the system does not work that way and she could not find a road beginning with "love". The next day in the early evening, Manisci went back. The road was "Lovering" and the man was still there. 18 hours later and he was now dead.
The similarities of the cases are how tragic they are. The loss of life. The breakdown. Something gone wrong. Another person dead due to 9-1-1 inefficiencies. Who is at fault? Some blame the caller for not going back yet he was uncomfortable going back. He was not sure of the danger. Others blame the call taker. Others blame the supervisors. All I know is we have to do something because people are dying.
The differences? The most glaring difference in my opinion is the leadership. Having worked with Chief Lewis throughout Denise's case, we have great confidence that he will do the right thing by finding out what went wrong and doing something about it unlike Charlotte County who still does not admit doing anything wrong.
God be with you, Chief Lewis, and give you guidance, courage and strength to do the right thing.
What would I do? I would probably not fire the call taker. But, I would remove her from the 9-1-1 center and transfer her to a different job. Having listened to the 9-1-1 call, I really do not think she should be in there accepting calls. Unlike the call taker in our case, Millie Stepp, who had received previous reprimands for not using the CAD appropriately, it appears this call taker has an unblemished record. So, transfer her. Not all people are cut out to be call takers. But that's just my opinion.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
articles in today's paper December 5, 2009
Herald Tribune
It's death for the man who killed Denise Lee
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20091205/ARTICLE/912051043/2416/NEWS?Title=It-s-death-for-the-man-who-killed-Denise-Lee
Paying the price
Justice in Denise Lee case, but harsh realities remain
Published: Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, December 4, 2009 at 8:10 p.m.
There are crimes so heinous, with guilt so certain, that they melt opposition to the death penalty.
The 2008 abduction, rape and murder of North Port mom Denise Lee is one such crime.
Friday, a Sarasota judge sentenced Lee's killer, Michael King, to the ultimate punishment. The sentence followed the unanimous recommendation of the jury that found King guilty of first-degree murder and other horrible offenses.
By most measures, the sentence is just. But any satisfaction that may be taken from it must be weighed against harsh realities.
The first and most tragic of these is that King's execution will not bring back the murdered woman, nor restore the normal life that her husband and two young children once had.
The second is that a death penalty automatically triggers procedures that could delay execution for years, putting the family on an agonizing merry-go-round of appeals.
The third is that this and dozens of other capital cases drain the resources of Florida's criminal justice system.
Because of heightened constitutional requirements, death penalty cases are far more expensive than murder trials in which life with no possibility of parole is sought.
In Florida, the difference between death-penalty and life-without-parole adds up to tens of millions of dollars per year, studies indicate.
It is wrong to put a price tag on justice. But at a time when recession has forced serious budget cuts on law enforcement agencies and the courts, who can feel good about spending so much on a punishment that does so little for crime prevention?
Studies indicate that the death penalty is not an effective deterrent to violent crime, especially in comparison with the less expensive life-without-parole option.
The millions spent on death-penalty pursuits could pay for important crime prevention measures. They could fund additional police, probation and corrections officers, investigators and prosecutors.
They could fund additional crime labs to process large backlogs in DNA samples and evidence.
They could fund substance-abuse programs and facilities for handling severe mental illness.
The dollars could even fund better 9-1-1 emergency communications -- a critical lifesaving link that was disastrously mishandled in Lee's case, causing a missed opportunity to save her.
Budgets aside, the trial and conviction of Michael King stand as proof that, even amid cuts and shortages, the justice system worked. Law enforcement found, analyzed and preserved crucial evidence; the killer was caught; and a jury of his peers convicted him.
Jurors, the judge, and probably the vast majority of Southwest Florida residents agree that King deserves the death penalty.
The punishment fits the crime. It's the cost -- not the penalty -- that is out of line.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20091205/OPINION/912051031/2198/OPINION?Title=Paying-the-pricee
From the Sun
King sentenced to death
SARASOTA -- Sobs reverberated across the courtroom Friday as family members of Denise Amber Lee reacted to Michael King getting the death penalty for her murder.
An elderly man sitting in front of King's parents at the Sarasota County Courthouse, who wore a button of Denise smiling, raised his fists in the air twice and grinned as 12th Circuit Judge Deno Economou read from his 45-page decision.
A clean-shaven King stared ahead and didn't move.
The 38-year-old also showed no emotion when the judge read how, on Jan. 17, 2008, King kidnapped Lee from her North Port home at gunpoint. He brought her to his home for about three hours, raped her, then drove her to his cousin's house to borrow a shovel, a flashlight and a gas can to dispose of her body. He promised to let the 21-year-old mother of two young sons go, but then shot her and buried her remains in a wooded area off Toledo Blade Boulevard.
Denise's widower, Nathan, was joined by his parents, Mark and Peggy, as well as her parents, Rick and Susan Goff, and other family members. At times they cried as the judge read graphic details of the rape and spoke of her bruising and the fatal gunshot wound above her eyebrow.
Economou's voice cracked several times as he read Denise's words from her desperate 911 call. He said Denise managed to call 911 without King knowing. She gave the operator valuable information, such as her address and that she was bound and could not see where she was. She repeatedly begged for King -- who was a stranger to her -- to let her go.
The judge said King's "words and actions" revealed a crime that was "conscienceless, pitiless and unnecessarily tortuous with an utter indifference to Denise's suffering.
"His telling her that he would let her go as soon as she gave him the cell phone was a lie, knowing full well that he was going to take her to a secluded area and murder her," Economou said.
The judge weighed little consideration for the arguments that King had a low IQ, suffered an alleged brain injury when he was 6, and was paranoid, which may have been contributing factors to him killing Denise.
Assistant State Attorney Lon Arend said Denise's actions helped solve the case.
"She was the best witness we had," Arend said of Denise leaving her heart-shaped ring and strands of her hair in King's Camaro for investigators to link her to her killer.
Arend said he didn't buy King's bizarre, catatonic-like behavior during his three-week trial.
"I think he faked a mental illness," Arend said.
Outside the courthouse, Nathan joined the Goffs to thank everyone who has been supportive. He said he made "lifelong friends" through the process.
"I want to thank Denise," he said. "She was the most awesome person I've ever known. She was a wonderful wife and mother."
Rick Goff, a 26-year veteran with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, agreed, adding several longtime friends from out of state came to support them in court. For some of them, it was the first time hearing the judge's overview of the murder.
"We wouldn't have found Denise or him (King) if it weren't for Denise leaving behind clues," Goff said. "I could not have done what she did. She was a great detective."
Goff said he understands there will be appeals -- but said he cannot wait until King is executed.
"I will rent the bus for us to go up there and watch that man die," he said. "I may have to go in a wheelchair (following years of appeals), but myself and my family will be there."
Several jurors, who have formed a bond with each other and have met with Nathan and his sons, Noah and Adam, following the trial, were in court Friday.
"I'm so happy that he is going to pay for what he did to that beautiful girl," said Pat O'Quinn, who was one of 12 jurors who recommended the death penalty for King in September.
O'Quinn says she has been following Nathan's fight against the CCSO in a wrongful death lawsuit he filed in October. Nathan contends the CCSO was negligent in not sending any deputies to Toledo Blade Boulevard on the night Denise was kidnapped, despite receiving a 911 call from Jane Kowalski saying there was a person screaming and banging on the window in the back seat of the Camaro next to her.
Reached by phone Friday night, Kowalski, of Tampa, said she was pleased with the judge's decision.
"If there was any case for the death penalty, this was one," she said. "It shouldn't be anything else."
After most left the courthouse Friday, North Port Police Chief Terry Lewis returned to Nathan the ring and necklace -- that was marked as "evidence" for nearly two years -- that Nathan had given to Denise.
Sun staff writers Carol Sakowitz and Anne Klockenkemper contributed to this report.
E-mail: eallen@sun-herald.com
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
North Port Community News Editor
http://sunnewspapers.net/articles/tsnews.aspx?ArticleID=448590&pubdate=12/5/2009
Case Ends, Appeals Begin
SARASOTA -- Twelfth Circuit Judge Deno Economou handed down the death penalty Friday for convicted killer Michael King in the 2008 murder of young mother of two, Denise Amber Lee.
For those connected to the case, one question remains.
What's next?
* King's death sentence automatically will be appealed to the Florida Supreme Court, according to Dennis Menendez, spokesman for the 12th Judicial Circuit. The process could take at least three years, and if upheld, there is a likelihood that it will be 15 years before King is executed.
There are 387 inmates currently on Florida's death row. King makes it 388.
* King himself will wait in a Sarasota County Jail cell until he is transferred to a state penitentiary, according to Maj. Jim Lilly, who oversees county corrections operations. No date has been scheduled for the transfer.
* Denise's younger sister, Amanda Goff, answered, "Yes and no," when asked Friday if the judge's decision puts the case to rest for her.
"(There's an) end in the sense that the trial is completely over," she said. "But it's not over until the day he dies."
For now, she said, "I can put it out of my mind."
Amanda will return to the University of Central Florida, where the school semester will end next week. She also holds two jobs in Orlando.
Friends at school have been great, she said, and added one of them came to the Sarasota County Courthouse to support the family.
She had one final thought before leaving the courthouse: "I want to thank the jury. They were great."
* North Port Police Chief Terry Lewis said his department is starting to prepare for the Coralrose Fullwood murder trial, scheduled to begin in April. Patrick Murphy, 28, is accused in the 6-year-old's 2006 slaying.
"We'll move to the next case and, sadly, the next case is Coralrose," he said.
Preparations will involve up to five detectives, he said, and the department has been given "incredible assistance" almost daily by members of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.
Looking over to where journalists waited for a press conference by the Lee and Goff families, a somber Lewis said they "are now part of the North Port police family."
"That's not a cliché," he added.
* In October, Nathan filed a wrongful death suit against the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office. He contends the CCSO was negligent for not sending any deputies to Toledo Blade Boulevard on the night Denise was kidnapped, despite receiving a 911 call from the area saying a man driving a dark Camaro had a person screaming and banging on the window for help in his back seat. Last month, the CCSO filed a motion to dismiss the suit. A judge will determine if the case will continue.
* David Garofalo, North Port City Commission chair, attended Friday's hearing. Garofalo has been part of the local movement to set standards for 911 operators.
Friday, Garofalo said he has 411 letters ready to send to other Florida municipalities asking them to support legislation making its way to law in Tallahassee.
That legislation, he said, could "pave the way for the rest of the country."
* Bonnie Turgeon of Sarasota is a stranger to the Lee and Goff families but she was in court Friday, just as she had been for King's trial.
Turgeon said she was there to support the man who sold her and her family a TV set at Best Buy in January. When she went home, she saw the salesman -- Nathan Lee -- on that TV.
During the trial, Turgeon said she met Nathan's mother, Peggy, and learned of a cookbook that she and Denise's mother, Susan, were compiling as a fundraiser. Turgeon said she bought one.
Turgeon spoke Friday of Denise's two young sons. She said Peggy told her the 2-year-old, Noah, remembers the last words his mother said to him: "Goodbye ... and I love you."
E-mail: csakowitz@sun-herald.com
By CAROL SAKOWITZ
North Port Assistant Editor
http://sunnewspapers.net/articles/pnnews.aspx?NewsID=448608&a=newsarchive2/120509/ew5.htm&pnpg=1
It's death for the man who killed Denise Lee
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20091205/ARTICLE/912051043/2416/NEWS?Title=It-s-death-for-the-man-who-killed-Denise-Lee
Paying the price
Justice in Denise Lee case, but harsh realities remain
Published: Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, December 4, 2009 at 8:10 p.m.
There are crimes so heinous, with guilt so certain, that they melt opposition to the death penalty.
The 2008 abduction, rape and murder of North Port mom Denise Lee is one such crime.
Friday, a Sarasota judge sentenced Lee's killer, Michael King, to the ultimate punishment. The sentence followed the unanimous recommendation of the jury that found King guilty of first-degree murder and other horrible offenses.
By most measures, the sentence is just. But any satisfaction that may be taken from it must be weighed against harsh realities.
The first and most tragic of these is that King's execution will not bring back the murdered woman, nor restore the normal life that her husband and two young children once had.
The second is that a death penalty automatically triggers procedures that could delay execution for years, putting the family on an agonizing merry-go-round of appeals.
The third is that this and dozens of other capital cases drain the resources of Florida's criminal justice system.
Because of heightened constitutional requirements, death penalty cases are far more expensive than murder trials in which life with no possibility of parole is sought.
In Florida, the difference between death-penalty and life-without-parole adds up to tens of millions of dollars per year, studies indicate.
It is wrong to put a price tag on justice. But at a time when recession has forced serious budget cuts on law enforcement agencies and the courts, who can feel good about spending so much on a punishment that does so little for crime prevention?
Studies indicate that the death penalty is not an effective deterrent to violent crime, especially in comparison with the less expensive life-without-parole option.
The millions spent on death-penalty pursuits could pay for important crime prevention measures. They could fund additional police, probation and corrections officers, investigators and prosecutors.
They could fund additional crime labs to process large backlogs in DNA samples and evidence.
They could fund substance-abuse programs and facilities for handling severe mental illness.
The dollars could even fund better 9-1-1 emergency communications -- a critical lifesaving link that was disastrously mishandled in Lee's case, causing a missed opportunity to save her.
Budgets aside, the trial and conviction of Michael King stand as proof that, even amid cuts and shortages, the justice system worked. Law enforcement found, analyzed and preserved crucial evidence; the killer was caught; and a jury of his peers convicted him.
Jurors, the judge, and probably the vast majority of Southwest Florida residents agree that King deserves the death penalty.
The punishment fits the crime. It's the cost -- not the penalty -- that is out of line.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20091205/OPINION/912051031/2198/OPINION?Title=Paying-the-pricee
From the Sun
King sentenced to death
SARASOTA -- Sobs reverberated across the courtroom Friday as family members of Denise Amber Lee reacted to Michael King getting the death penalty for her murder.
An elderly man sitting in front of King's parents at the Sarasota County Courthouse, who wore a button of Denise smiling, raised his fists in the air twice and grinned as 12th Circuit Judge Deno Economou read from his 45-page decision.
A clean-shaven King stared ahead and didn't move.
The 38-year-old also showed no emotion when the judge read how, on Jan. 17, 2008, King kidnapped Lee from her North Port home at gunpoint. He brought her to his home for about three hours, raped her, then drove her to his cousin's house to borrow a shovel, a flashlight and a gas can to dispose of her body. He promised to let the 21-year-old mother of two young sons go, but then shot her and buried her remains in a wooded area off Toledo Blade Boulevard.
Denise's widower, Nathan, was joined by his parents, Mark and Peggy, as well as her parents, Rick and Susan Goff, and other family members. At times they cried as the judge read graphic details of the rape and spoke of her bruising and the fatal gunshot wound above her eyebrow.
Economou's voice cracked several times as he read Denise's words from her desperate 911 call. He said Denise managed to call 911 without King knowing. She gave the operator valuable information, such as her address and that she was bound and could not see where she was. She repeatedly begged for King -- who was a stranger to her -- to let her go.
The judge said King's "words and actions" revealed a crime that was "conscienceless, pitiless and unnecessarily tortuous with an utter indifference to Denise's suffering.
"His telling her that he would let her go as soon as she gave him the cell phone was a lie, knowing full well that he was going to take her to a secluded area and murder her," Economou said.
The judge weighed little consideration for the arguments that King had a low IQ, suffered an alleged brain injury when he was 6, and was paranoid, which may have been contributing factors to him killing Denise.
Assistant State Attorney Lon Arend said Denise's actions helped solve the case.
"She was the best witness we had," Arend said of Denise leaving her heart-shaped ring and strands of her hair in King's Camaro for investigators to link her to her killer.
Arend said he didn't buy King's bizarre, catatonic-like behavior during his three-week trial.
"I think he faked a mental illness," Arend said.
Outside the courthouse, Nathan joined the Goffs to thank everyone who has been supportive. He said he made "lifelong friends" through the process.
"I want to thank Denise," he said. "She was the most awesome person I've ever known. She was a wonderful wife and mother."
Rick Goff, a 26-year veteran with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, agreed, adding several longtime friends from out of state came to support them in court. For some of them, it was the first time hearing the judge's overview of the murder.
"We wouldn't have found Denise or him (King) if it weren't for Denise leaving behind clues," Goff said. "I could not have done what she did. She was a great detective."
Goff said he understands there will be appeals -- but said he cannot wait until King is executed.
"I will rent the bus for us to go up there and watch that man die," he said. "I may have to go in a wheelchair (following years of appeals), but myself and my family will be there."
Several jurors, who have formed a bond with each other and have met with Nathan and his sons, Noah and Adam, following the trial, were in court Friday.
"I'm so happy that he is going to pay for what he did to that beautiful girl," said Pat O'Quinn, who was one of 12 jurors who recommended the death penalty for King in September.
O'Quinn says she has been following Nathan's fight against the CCSO in a wrongful death lawsuit he filed in October. Nathan contends the CCSO was negligent in not sending any deputies to Toledo Blade Boulevard on the night Denise was kidnapped, despite receiving a 911 call from Jane Kowalski saying there was a person screaming and banging on the window in the back seat of the Camaro next to her.
Reached by phone Friday night, Kowalski, of Tampa, said she was pleased with the judge's decision.
"If there was any case for the death penalty, this was one," she said. "It shouldn't be anything else."
After most left the courthouse Friday, North Port Police Chief Terry Lewis returned to Nathan the ring and necklace -- that was marked as "evidence" for nearly two years -- that Nathan had given to Denise.
Sun staff writers Carol Sakowitz and Anne Klockenkemper contributed to this report.
E-mail: eallen@sun-herald.com
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
North Port Community News Editor
http://sunnewspapers.net/articles/tsnews.aspx?ArticleID=448590&pubdate=12/5/2009
Case Ends, Appeals Begin
SARASOTA -- Twelfth Circuit Judge Deno Economou handed down the death penalty Friday for convicted killer Michael King in the 2008 murder of young mother of two, Denise Amber Lee.
For those connected to the case, one question remains.
What's next?
* King's death sentence automatically will be appealed to the Florida Supreme Court, according to Dennis Menendez, spokesman for the 12th Judicial Circuit. The process could take at least three years, and if upheld, there is a likelihood that it will be 15 years before King is executed.
There are 387 inmates currently on Florida's death row. King makes it 388.
* King himself will wait in a Sarasota County Jail cell until he is transferred to a state penitentiary, according to Maj. Jim Lilly, who oversees county corrections operations. No date has been scheduled for the transfer.
* Denise's younger sister, Amanda Goff, answered, "Yes and no," when asked Friday if the judge's decision puts the case to rest for her.
"(There's an) end in the sense that the trial is completely over," she said. "But it's not over until the day he dies."
For now, she said, "I can put it out of my mind."
Amanda will return to the University of Central Florida, where the school semester will end next week. She also holds two jobs in Orlando.
Friends at school have been great, she said, and added one of them came to the Sarasota County Courthouse to support the family.
She had one final thought before leaving the courthouse: "I want to thank the jury. They were great."
* North Port Police Chief Terry Lewis said his department is starting to prepare for the Coralrose Fullwood murder trial, scheduled to begin in April. Patrick Murphy, 28, is accused in the 6-year-old's 2006 slaying.
"We'll move to the next case and, sadly, the next case is Coralrose," he said.
Preparations will involve up to five detectives, he said, and the department has been given "incredible assistance" almost daily by members of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.
Looking over to where journalists waited for a press conference by the Lee and Goff families, a somber Lewis said they "are now part of the North Port police family."
"That's not a cliché," he added.
* In October, Nathan filed a wrongful death suit against the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office. He contends the CCSO was negligent for not sending any deputies to Toledo Blade Boulevard on the night Denise was kidnapped, despite receiving a 911 call from the area saying a man driving a dark Camaro had a person screaming and banging on the window for help in his back seat. Last month, the CCSO filed a motion to dismiss the suit. A judge will determine if the case will continue.
* David Garofalo, North Port City Commission chair, attended Friday's hearing. Garofalo has been part of the local movement to set standards for 911 operators.
Friday, Garofalo said he has 411 letters ready to send to other Florida municipalities asking them to support legislation making its way to law in Tallahassee.
That legislation, he said, could "pave the way for the rest of the country."
* Bonnie Turgeon of Sarasota is a stranger to the Lee and Goff families but she was in court Friday, just as she had been for King's trial.
Turgeon said she was there to support the man who sold her and her family a TV set at Best Buy in January. When she went home, she saw the salesman -- Nathan Lee -- on that TV.
During the trial, Turgeon said she met Nathan's mother, Peggy, and learned of a cookbook that she and Denise's mother, Susan, were compiling as a fundraiser. Turgeon said she bought one.
Turgeon spoke Friday of Denise's two young sons. She said Peggy told her the 2-year-old, Noah, remembers the last words his mother said to him: "Goodbye ... and I love you."
E-mail: csakowitz@sun-herald.com
By CAROL SAKOWITZ
North Port Assistant Editor
http://sunnewspapers.net/articles/pnnews.aspx?NewsID=448608&a=newsarchive2/120509/ew5.htm&pnpg=1
Friday, December 4, 2009
Michael King Sentencing Order
http://www.heraldtribune.com/assets/pdf/SH18992124.PDF
My heartfelt thanks to Judge Economou for his fairness, diligence, professional and thoroughness. My heartfelt thanks to Lon Arend and his prosecuting team. My heartfelt thanks to all the jurors. My heartfelt thanks to the North Port Police Department.
Job well done.
Oh, sweet Denise, you brave brave girl. The world needs more people like you. Let God know that. Miss you, baby.
My heartfelt thanks to Judge Economou for his fairness, diligence, professional and thoroughness. My heartfelt thanks to Lon Arend and his prosecuting team. My heartfelt thanks to all the jurors. My heartfelt thanks to the North Port Police Department.
Job well done.
Oh, sweet Denise, you brave brave girl. The world needs more people like you. Let God know that. Miss you, baby.
the sentencing
was truly hell on earth.
For those of you who have never witnessed something like this, let me tell you, I've had quite a few truly horrific days in my life and this can be counted right up there with the worst.
First the judge was awesome and yes we are very pleased with the judicial system. Justice has not been as swift has KathyK stated. It's been almost two years. But all in all justice was swift with the trial lasting only a week, the verdict coming in less than two hours, the sentencing phase of the trial only lasted a week with the jury's recommendation coming in less than 3 hours.
Today the judge pronounced his sentence. It took probably around 45 minutes. First he listed all the aggravating factors and then stated one by one how these were proved beyond a reasonable doubt by the prosecution. To do this he recited the entire story with graphic detail of how Denise was taken, brutally raped, sodomized, terrorized and then shot in the head. He had to state (to keep appeals at bay) how she was terrorized. He read Denise's 9-1-1 call. We had to sit and listen to it all, all over again. It was unbearably painful. Sue, me, Amanda, Nathan and most of the audience was openly sobbing.
Then the judge goes over the mitigating factors presented by the defense one by one and in this case most were given little merit.
Then the sentence.
By this time we are numb. Literally numb with emotion.
A reporter asked me if I was "happy" with the sentence and I just gave him a blank stare. Happy? What's there to be happy about?
Closure? What's closed? Today brought nothing to us but more pain. No joy.
Had he been taken out right then and there and shot, maybe there would be some closure. No happiness but maybe closure.
This man deserves what he got. All you have to do is listen to Denise's 9-1-1 call. The man had ample opportunity to let her go and allow her to live. And he made a choice.
My friends all wanted to celebrate. Celebrate? We just witnessed a man sentenced to die.
So, I told the reporter I was "satisfied" with the justice served. But, happy? I'm too damn numb to be happy.
Also, the state sentenced him to death. Not me or my family.
I have to say after listening to the judge (and he himself got choked up talking about the events) it's going to be a very long while before this man gets any forgiveness from me. He's scum.
Sorry to sound so angry. But it is what it is and I'm sorry you all have to share it. And that I've been so angry.
I posted this in a piano forum earlier this evening. I would like to add that IMHO Denise was the best witness the prosecution had. It's interesting the 9-1-1 could not save Denise but it did give King the death sentence. Judge Economou clearly stated how unusual it is to hear a victim's last words. You, Denise, were so smart and clever. I miss you dearly. Kudos to Lon Arend and the prosecuting team, the North Port Police Department, the jurors and Judge Economou. God bless you all.
For those of you who have never witnessed something like this, let me tell you, I've had quite a few truly horrific days in my life and this can be counted right up there with the worst.
First the judge was awesome and yes we are very pleased with the judicial system. Justice has not been as swift has KathyK stated. It's been almost two years. But all in all justice was swift with the trial lasting only a week, the verdict coming in less than two hours, the sentencing phase of the trial only lasted a week with the jury's recommendation coming in less than 3 hours.
Today the judge pronounced his sentence. It took probably around 45 minutes. First he listed all the aggravating factors and then stated one by one how these were proved beyond a reasonable doubt by the prosecution. To do this he recited the entire story with graphic detail of how Denise was taken, brutally raped, sodomized, terrorized and then shot in the head. He had to state (to keep appeals at bay) how she was terrorized. He read Denise's 9-1-1 call. We had to sit and listen to it all, all over again. It was unbearably painful. Sue, me, Amanda, Nathan and most of the audience was openly sobbing.
Then the judge goes over the mitigating factors presented by the defense one by one and in this case most were given little merit.
Then the sentence.
By this time we are numb. Literally numb with emotion.
A reporter asked me if I was "happy" with the sentence and I just gave him a blank stare. Happy? What's there to be happy about?
Closure? What's closed? Today brought nothing to us but more pain. No joy.
Had he been taken out right then and there and shot, maybe there would be some closure. No happiness but maybe closure.
This man deserves what he got. All you have to do is listen to Denise's 9-1-1 call. The man had ample opportunity to let her go and allow her to live. And he made a choice.
My friends all wanted to celebrate. Celebrate? We just witnessed a man sentenced to die.
So, I told the reporter I was "satisfied" with the justice served. But, happy? I'm too damn numb to be happy.
Also, the state sentenced him to death. Not me or my family.
I have to say after listening to the judge (and he himself got choked up talking about the events) it's going to be a very long while before this man gets any forgiveness from me. He's scum.
Sorry to sound so angry. But it is what it is and I'm sorry you all have to share it. And that I've been so angry.
I posted this in a piano forum earlier this evening. I would like to add that IMHO Denise was the best witness the prosecution had. It's interesting the 9-1-1 could not save Denise but it did give King the death sentence. Judge Economou clearly stated how unusual it is to hear a victim's last words. You, Denise, were so smart and clever. I miss you dearly. Kudos to Lon Arend and the prosecuting team, the North Port Police Department, the jurors and Judge Economou. God bless you all.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
quote from Vern Buchanan
I want to share a quote from Congressman Vern Buchanan:
"The abduction and murder of Denise Amber Lee of North Port was a horrific crime," said Congressman Vern Buchanan (FL-13). "The fact that her death could have been prevented makes it all the more tragic.
"Most of Florida's 911 calls are handled correctly, but any mistake can mean the difference between life and death," added Buchanan. "Standardized training and testing for 911 operators and dispatchers is a worthy concept that could help save lives in the future."
There have been several articles this week in the paper and i have not had the time to post them all.
from today's Sun papers. I'm so grateful that Rick spoke up.
Charlotte Sheriff Speaks Out
CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- One week after learning Denise Amber Lee was found dead in the woods, then-Charlotte County Chief Deputy Bill Cameron says he went on TV and apologized to Denise's father, Rick Goff, and her widower, Nathan Lee.
Cameron, who was not the sheriff at the time when Denise was murdered on Jan. 17, 2008, was second in command to then-sheriff John Davenport.
Since becoming sheriff in 2008, Cameron says it's simply "not true" that the Charlotte County Sheriff's top brass has not told the families "countless times" they regret the loss of Denise and admitted mistakes were made leading up to her death.
"We have been painted as heartless monsters by Nathan Lee," Cameron said following the kidnapping, rape and murder of Denise, a 21-year-old North Port mother of two young boys. Her father, Goff, is a 25-year veteran with the Sheriff's Office.
Cameron was with Davenport at a Jan. 24, 2008, press conference that was called because the CCSO said the media kept reporting incorrect details of Denise's murder.
Davenport told the media several reported facts regarding a 911 call from eyewitness Jane Kowalski of Tampa weren't true.
On the night of Denise's death, Kowalski called 911 after seeing a dark Camaro with someone she described as a child in the back seat banging on the window and screaming.
She gave the CCSO call taker details of every cross street the suspicious vehicle passed. She also described the driver -- later identified as Michael King -- and the left turn he took onto Toledo Blade Boulevard back toward North Port. Denise's body was found buried off Toledo Blade two days later.
Following an Internal Affairs investigation, CCSO telecommunications staff members were disciplined for not dispatching the 911 call to North Port police officers already on a massive citywide manhunt for Denise and the Camaro.
Believing CCSO telecommunications didn't follow protocol, Nathan notified the CCSO he intended to sue for negligence and wrongful death on behalf of himself, Denise's estate, her two young sons and Denise's parents, Rick and Susan Goff.
In October, his attorney filed the lawsuit at the Charlotte County Justice Center in Punta Gorda.
Nathan has held several news conferences since Denise's death. After filing the lawsuit, he said he "never" received an apology for the critical information not reaching deputies on the night of his wife's murder.
Cameron said he couldn't speak for Davenport, but said he did apologize to the family and gave Rick and Nathan $100,000 collected by Sheriff's Office employees last year.
"After the press conference we held (on Jan. 24, 2008), we heard Rick Goff was upset because we did not apologize," Cameron said. "That wasn't the reason for the press conference, but I understood Rick was upset. After the press conference ended, I found a reporter from SNN and publicly on television, I said the Sheriff's Office was very sorry for what had happened."
Goff said he saw Cameron on SNN but didn't consider his remarks "real" because he was told the four people from the CCSO who wrote the speech didn't think to include an apology during the press conference.
"I was told by the (then) sheriff that sheriffs don't make a habit of apologizing," Goff said Friday.
Since Jan. 24, 2008, "I've apologized many times," Cameron said. "It was an emotional time for the Sheriff's Office. This is our family. Nate Lee is not our family, but Rick Goff is. This agency was devastated. We love Rick Goff."
Cameron said Nathan has "kicked us in the teeth."
"(Nathan) hired a public relations firm and is trying to win a lawsuit," he said. "Some of what has been done has been calculated by the firm."
Cameron said this week that Davenport apologized to the family in a "Dateline NBC" interview that aired in June 2008.
Davenport was shown twice during the hour-long special, but transcripts indicate he did not apologize to the family. He was asked if the botched 911 call was a missed opportunity, and he answered "certainly it was."
But Davenport said in the interview the handling of the call may not have changed the outcome that night. He said the assumption that Charlotte County "screwed up" and could've saved Denise's life is wrong.
If his department could be accused of anything, the sheriff told "Dateline," it would be trying too hard that night.
"Because it was one of our own (Rick Goff), and we knew it, and all the resources were being sent, it was chaos. It was stressful. I mean, in the course of trying to do too much, frankly, I think they missed the call," he said.
Davenport also told "Dateline" there was "no punishment" he could ever give the operators that they're not already facing themselves and living with every day.
"They feel terrible about this. Terrible," Davenport said to "Dateline." "I have total confidence in people that have been involved in this. I truly do. And they've been under pressure many times before. But they didn't make the mistake. This time they did. We all have."
Nathan said despite Davenport admitting mistakes were made, the CCSO continues to create obstacles for him, even before he filed the lawsuit.
He said the CCSO gave him a heavily redacted Internal Affairs report from the telecommunications employees suspensions. Nathan said he needed the report before filing the lawsuit. He also found out "Dateline" had obtained a "clean," unredacted copy of the document.
After taking the CCSO to court over the issue, the CCSO attorney told him to file a lawsuit to receive a clean copy. A judge agreed.
Cameron said he was "unaware" that "Dateline" ever requested a copy of the investigative report.
"Legally, we have to redact protected information about the case," Cameron said. "(Kowalski's) information has to be protected. At the time of Nathan's request, King was still being tried in court. It was an ongoing investigation. Rick works here. He could come in and see the report whenever he wants."
Nathan claims Kowalski wanted people to know who she is because she has gone on "Dateline" and other national TV shows to tell her story. She also testified in court during King's trial.
"That doesn't matter," Cameron said. "The law says we have to redact that part of the report. We told Nathan's attorneys that if they had any questions about the redacted information, that we would answer them."
Next, Nathan said the CCSO filed a motion last week to have the wrongful death lawsuit thrown out of court. Court records show the CCSO believes the agency didn't have to protect Denise any differently than any other citizen. However, on the day of the murder, the North Port Police Department issued a "be on the look out" for Denise two hours before Kowalski's call came into the CCSO dispatch center.
"I don't want to get into a fighting match with the sheriff," Nathan said. "It's tough for Rick because he works for the Sheriff's Office and he's part of my family. He loves his grandsons and his daughter so much.
"I expected the CCSO would try to block the lawsuit because they don't want to pay for their grievous incompetence," he added. "I just think the taxpayers need to know that their money is going to fight our family. The CCSO's actions speak louder than their words."
Cameron said he couldn't discuss the lawsuit, but the Sheriff's Office is supportive of Goff.
"Rick and I stay in touch all of the time," he said. "After this happened, I was with Rick and Nate the whole weekend. I kept them up to date with everything we knew."
During King's two-week murder trial in September, Cameron showed up for 25 minutes one day to support Goff. That's the last time Goff said he saw or spoke to Cameron.
Cameron maintains his agency "worked hard" to help with the details and police work needed to bring King to justice. A judge will sentence King to either death or life in prison in December.
"We worked closely with the North Port Police Department and other agencies to bring the case to a successful close," Cameron said. "You won't hear about that because our agency has been painted like the bad guy."
The Sheriff's Office recently lent support for proposed legislation by state Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, for a 911 mandatory training bill he is confident will pass next year.
Cameron said he has been working with Roberson for "a long time" in drafting the proposed legislation.
According to CCSO spokesman Bob Carpenter, "the sheriff has been in Tallahassee a few times before, giving input on this legislation."
E-mail: eallen@sun-herald.com
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
North Port Community News Editor
"The abduction and murder of Denise Amber Lee of North Port was a horrific crime," said Congressman Vern Buchanan (FL-13). "The fact that her death could have been prevented makes it all the more tragic.
"Most of Florida's 911 calls are handled correctly, but any mistake can mean the difference between life and death," added Buchanan. "Standardized training and testing for 911 operators and dispatchers is a worthy concept that could help save lives in the future."
There have been several articles this week in the paper and i have not had the time to post them all.
from today's Sun papers. I'm so grateful that Rick spoke up.
Charlotte Sheriff Speaks Out
CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- One week after learning Denise Amber Lee was found dead in the woods, then-Charlotte County Chief Deputy Bill Cameron says he went on TV and apologized to Denise's father, Rick Goff, and her widower, Nathan Lee.
Cameron, who was not the sheriff at the time when Denise was murdered on Jan. 17, 2008, was second in command to then-sheriff John Davenport.
Since becoming sheriff in 2008, Cameron says it's simply "not true" that the Charlotte County Sheriff's top brass has not told the families "countless times" they regret the loss of Denise and admitted mistakes were made leading up to her death.
"We have been painted as heartless monsters by Nathan Lee," Cameron said following the kidnapping, rape and murder of Denise, a 21-year-old North Port mother of two young boys. Her father, Goff, is a 25-year veteran with the Sheriff's Office.
Cameron was with Davenport at a Jan. 24, 2008, press conference that was called because the CCSO said the media kept reporting incorrect details of Denise's murder.
Davenport told the media several reported facts regarding a 911 call from eyewitness Jane Kowalski of Tampa weren't true.
On the night of Denise's death, Kowalski called 911 after seeing a dark Camaro with someone she described as a child in the back seat banging on the window and screaming.
She gave the CCSO call taker details of every cross street the suspicious vehicle passed. She also described the driver -- later identified as Michael King -- and the left turn he took onto Toledo Blade Boulevard back toward North Port. Denise's body was found buried off Toledo Blade two days later.
Following an Internal Affairs investigation, CCSO telecommunications staff members were disciplined for not dispatching the 911 call to North Port police officers already on a massive citywide manhunt for Denise and the Camaro.
Believing CCSO telecommunications didn't follow protocol, Nathan notified the CCSO he intended to sue for negligence and wrongful death on behalf of himself, Denise's estate, her two young sons and Denise's parents, Rick and Susan Goff.
In October, his attorney filed the lawsuit at the Charlotte County Justice Center in Punta Gorda.
Nathan has held several news conferences since Denise's death. After filing the lawsuit, he said he "never" received an apology for the critical information not reaching deputies on the night of his wife's murder.
Cameron said he couldn't speak for Davenport, but said he did apologize to the family and gave Rick and Nathan $100,000 collected by Sheriff's Office employees last year.
"After the press conference we held (on Jan. 24, 2008), we heard Rick Goff was upset because we did not apologize," Cameron said. "That wasn't the reason for the press conference, but I understood Rick was upset. After the press conference ended, I found a reporter from SNN and publicly on television, I said the Sheriff's Office was very sorry for what had happened."
Goff said he saw Cameron on SNN but didn't consider his remarks "real" because he was told the four people from the CCSO who wrote the speech didn't think to include an apology during the press conference.
"I was told by the (then) sheriff that sheriffs don't make a habit of apologizing," Goff said Friday.
Since Jan. 24, 2008, "I've apologized many times," Cameron said. "It was an emotional time for the Sheriff's Office. This is our family. Nate Lee is not our family, but Rick Goff is. This agency was devastated. We love Rick Goff."
Cameron said Nathan has "kicked us in the teeth."
"(Nathan) hired a public relations firm and is trying to win a lawsuit," he said. "Some of what has been done has been calculated by the firm."
Cameron said this week that Davenport apologized to the family in a "Dateline NBC" interview that aired in June 2008.
Davenport was shown twice during the hour-long special, but transcripts indicate he did not apologize to the family. He was asked if the botched 911 call was a missed opportunity, and he answered "certainly it was."
But Davenport said in the interview the handling of the call may not have changed the outcome that night. He said the assumption that Charlotte County "screwed up" and could've saved Denise's life is wrong.
If his department could be accused of anything, the sheriff told "Dateline," it would be trying too hard that night.
"Because it was one of our own (Rick Goff), and we knew it, and all the resources were being sent, it was chaos. It was stressful. I mean, in the course of trying to do too much, frankly, I think they missed the call," he said.
Davenport also told "Dateline" there was "no punishment" he could ever give the operators that they're not already facing themselves and living with every day.
"They feel terrible about this. Terrible," Davenport said to "Dateline." "I have total confidence in people that have been involved in this. I truly do. And they've been under pressure many times before. But they didn't make the mistake. This time they did. We all have."
Nathan said despite Davenport admitting mistakes were made, the CCSO continues to create obstacles for him, even before he filed the lawsuit.
He said the CCSO gave him a heavily redacted Internal Affairs report from the telecommunications employees suspensions. Nathan said he needed the report before filing the lawsuit. He also found out "Dateline" had obtained a "clean," unredacted copy of the document.
After taking the CCSO to court over the issue, the CCSO attorney told him to file a lawsuit to receive a clean copy. A judge agreed.
Cameron said he was "unaware" that "Dateline" ever requested a copy of the investigative report.
"Legally, we have to redact protected information about the case," Cameron said. "(Kowalski's) information has to be protected. At the time of Nathan's request, King was still being tried in court. It was an ongoing investigation. Rick works here. He could come in and see the report whenever he wants."
Nathan claims Kowalski wanted people to know who she is because she has gone on "Dateline" and other national TV shows to tell her story. She also testified in court during King's trial.
"That doesn't matter," Cameron said. "The law says we have to redact that part of the report. We told Nathan's attorneys that if they had any questions about the redacted information, that we would answer them."
Next, Nathan said the CCSO filed a motion last week to have the wrongful death lawsuit thrown out of court. Court records show the CCSO believes the agency didn't have to protect Denise any differently than any other citizen. However, on the day of the murder, the North Port Police Department issued a "be on the look out" for Denise two hours before Kowalski's call came into the CCSO dispatch center.
"I don't want to get into a fighting match with the sheriff," Nathan said. "It's tough for Rick because he works for the Sheriff's Office and he's part of my family. He loves his grandsons and his daughter so much.
"I expected the CCSO would try to block the lawsuit because they don't want to pay for their grievous incompetence," he added. "I just think the taxpayers need to know that their money is going to fight our family. The CCSO's actions speak louder than their words."
Cameron said he couldn't discuss the lawsuit, but the Sheriff's Office is supportive of Goff.
"Rick and I stay in touch all of the time," he said. "After this happened, I was with Rick and Nate the whole weekend. I kept them up to date with everything we knew."
During King's two-week murder trial in September, Cameron showed up for 25 minutes one day to support Goff. That's the last time Goff said he saw or spoke to Cameron.
Cameron maintains his agency "worked hard" to help with the details and police work needed to bring King to justice. A judge will sentence King to either death or life in prison in December.
"We worked closely with the North Port Police Department and other agencies to bring the case to a successful close," Cameron said. "You won't hear about that because our agency has been painted like the bad guy."
The Sheriff's Office recently lent support for proposed legislation by state Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, for a 911 mandatory training bill he is confident will pass next year.
Cameron said he has been working with Roberson for "a long time" in drafting the proposed legislation.
According to CCSO spokesman Bob Carpenter, "the sheriff has been in Tallahassee a few times before, giving input on this legislation."
E-mail: eallen@sun-herald.com
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
North Port Community News Editor
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Today's Sun Herald by Elaine Allen-Emrich
The nice thing about today's article is the Sun had a picture of Denise and Nathan. Usually the papers print a picture of Denise and a shot of King or they print a picture of Nathan and a shot of King. Today there was one of Nate and one of Denise. I know this sounds like a silly comment but it's been difficult and, yes, painful at times seeing Denise and King's pictures taking up the same print on the same page.
As to the article and Bill Cameron all I can say is "friggin' unbelievable".
Sheriff's Office Wants Lees Lawsuit Thrown Out
Published on: Saturday, November 14th, 2009
PUNTA GORDA -- The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office has asked that the civil lawsuit Nathan Lee filed against the agency a month ago in the death of his wife Denise be thrown out of court, according to court documents filed this week.
The CCSO states the case should be dismissed with prejudice and asks for Lee to pay court fees.
In the 13-page motion, the Sheriff's Office claims no responsibility for Denise Amber Lee's death due to a "mishandled" 911 call because her murder was committed by a third party -- Michael King.
The motion states, "Absent a special duty to protect a person from being victimized by a criminal act, a governmental agency's duty to protect a citizen is a general duty owed to the public at large, and any actions taken in fulfilling that responsibility will not be subject to scrutiny by way of a suit for damages."
A court hearing has not been set yet in the case..
Lee maintains that a 911 call taker and dispatchers failed to send any help for his wife on Jan. 17, 2008, after an eyewitness, Jane Kowalski, called to report suspicious activity in the vehicle next to her while she was driving south on U.S. 41 in Charlotte County. Denise, 21, had been kidnapped by King from her North Port home and was blindfolded and bound in the back seat of his Camaro, which was traveling near Kowalski's car.
In a detailed, nine-minute call, Kowalski told a 911 call taker that the person in the Camaro's back seat was screaming and slapping the window. King turned left on Toledo Blade Boulevard, and Kowalski was unable to follow.
Denise's body was found two days later in a wooded area off Toledo Blade.
Lee claims the botched handling of the 911 call in the CCSO dispatch center helped lead to Denise's death. He says employees proved "severe incompetence" in handling the 911 call and "breached their duties" by incorrectly performing numerous operational acts -- including failing to timely air BOLOs about King's Camaro from the North Port Police Department to deputies, failing to communicate the information from Kowalski, failing to timely log her call into the system for 12 minutes after the call was made, and failing to dispatch the information from the call.
"I just think people who live in Charlotte County should be concerned that (the CCSO) are saying they had no duty to protect Denise," Lee said Friday. "It's so unbelievable to say."
Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Cameron was named as the defendant in Lee's 17-page wrongful death lawsuit. Although Cameron was not the sheriff at the time -- John Davenport was -- Lee is required to name him on behalf of the Sheriff's Office for legal purposes, said his attorney, Patrick Boyle of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz.
Boyle said he expected the Sheriff's Office to fight the suit "every step of the way."
"It's common for challenges in most civil cases," Lee agreed.
The civil suit doesn't specify an amount Lee is seeking. State law allows only $200,000 to be awarded in a settlement of such a suit, but a jury can award more.
The CCSO conducted an Internal Affairs investigation following the incident. Two dispatchers were suspended for not following protocol.
The sheriff's motion filed this week states Lee's lawsuit puts a spin on the 911 call, saying that because Kowalski called 911 and alerted law enforcement about the situation, she didn't take any further action to help Denise (because she expected the Sheriff's Office to respond timely) -- "thereby increasing the risk of harm faced by Mrs. Lee."
In the call, Kowalski gave specific street names and explained that King turned onto Toledo Blade. She told the operator she didn't follow him because traffic was too heavy. Kowalski pulled over and asked that someone follow up with her.
The operator indicated in the call that the vehicle was headed toward Interstate 75.
Denise's body was found less than a mile from the Interstate. King was pulled over as he entered I-75 nearly three hours after Kowalski's call.
The CCSO motion also contends that no special relationship existed between the Sheriff's Office and Denise compared to anyone else in the general public -- meaning she wasn't entitled to any special protection.
The CCSO suggests the agency is only liable when a special relationship exists if employees make promises to provide assistance "uniquely responsive to someone, and the person relies upon those assurances to his detriment," according to the motion.
Jurors recommended the death penalty for King in September. A Sarasota judge ultimately will decide his fate in December.
E-mail: eallen@sun-herald.com
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
As to the article and Bill Cameron all I can say is "friggin' unbelievable".
Sheriff's Office Wants Lees Lawsuit Thrown Out
Published on: Saturday, November 14th, 2009
PUNTA GORDA -- The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office has asked that the civil lawsuit Nathan Lee filed against the agency a month ago in the death of his wife Denise be thrown out of court, according to court documents filed this week.
The CCSO states the case should be dismissed with prejudice and asks for Lee to pay court fees.
In the 13-page motion, the Sheriff's Office claims no responsibility for Denise Amber Lee's death due to a "mishandled" 911 call because her murder was committed by a third party -- Michael King.
The motion states, "Absent a special duty to protect a person from being victimized by a criminal act, a governmental agency's duty to protect a citizen is a general duty owed to the public at large, and any actions taken in fulfilling that responsibility will not be subject to scrutiny by way of a suit for damages."
A court hearing has not been set yet in the case..
Lee maintains that a 911 call taker and dispatchers failed to send any help for his wife on Jan. 17, 2008, after an eyewitness, Jane Kowalski, called to report suspicious activity in the vehicle next to her while she was driving south on U.S. 41 in Charlotte County. Denise, 21, had been kidnapped by King from her North Port home and was blindfolded and bound in the back seat of his Camaro, which was traveling near Kowalski's car.
In a detailed, nine-minute call, Kowalski told a 911 call taker that the person in the Camaro's back seat was screaming and slapping the window. King turned left on Toledo Blade Boulevard, and Kowalski was unable to follow.
Denise's body was found two days later in a wooded area off Toledo Blade.
Lee claims the botched handling of the 911 call in the CCSO dispatch center helped lead to Denise's death. He says employees proved "severe incompetence" in handling the 911 call and "breached their duties" by incorrectly performing numerous operational acts -- including failing to timely air BOLOs about King's Camaro from the North Port Police Department to deputies, failing to communicate the information from Kowalski, failing to timely log her call into the system for 12 minutes after the call was made, and failing to dispatch the information from the call.
"I just think people who live in Charlotte County should be concerned that (the CCSO) are saying they had no duty to protect Denise," Lee said Friday. "It's so unbelievable to say."
Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Cameron was named as the defendant in Lee's 17-page wrongful death lawsuit. Although Cameron was not the sheriff at the time -- John Davenport was -- Lee is required to name him on behalf of the Sheriff's Office for legal purposes, said his attorney, Patrick Boyle of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz.
Boyle said he expected the Sheriff's Office to fight the suit "every step of the way."
"It's common for challenges in most civil cases," Lee agreed.
The civil suit doesn't specify an amount Lee is seeking. State law allows only $200,000 to be awarded in a settlement of such a suit, but a jury can award more.
The CCSO conducted an Internal Affairs investigation following the incident. Two dispatchers were suspended for not following protocol.
The sheriff's motion filed this week states Lee's lawsuit puts a spin on the 911 call, saying that because Kowalski called 911 and alerted law enforcement about the situation, she didn't take any further action to help Denise (because she expected the Sheriff's Office to respond timely) -- "thereby increasing the risk of harm faced by Mrs. Lee."
In the call, Kowalski gave specific street names and explained that King turned onto Toledo Blade. She told the operator she didn't follow him because traffic was too heavy. Kowalski pulled over and asked that someone follow up with her.
The operator indicated in the call that the vehicle was headed toward Interstate 75.
Denise's body was found less than a mile from the Interstate. King was pulled over as he entered I-75 nearly three hours after Kowalski's call.
The CCSO motion also contends that no special relationship existed between the Sheriff's Office and Denise compared to anyone else in the general public -- meaning she wasn't entitled to any special protection.
The CCSO suggests the agency is only liable when a special relationship exists if employees make promises to provide assistance "uniquely responsive to someone, and the person relies upon those assurances to his detriment," according to the motion.
Jurors recommended the death penalty for King in September. A Sarasota judge ultimately will decide his fate in December.
E-mail: eallen@sun-herald.com
By ELAINE ALLEN-EMRICH
Friday, November 13, 2009
Today's Herald Tribune
Since we learned about this motion I've been holding off commenting. I am doing my best to restrain myself from saying anything unladylike. It's unbelievable. "Special Relationship"? What's that? I just cannot understand how the sheriff's department, namely Bill Cameron (who was in charge the night Denise died) refuses to accept any responsibility for this debacle. He and the sheriff before him (John Davenport) and their cronies truly do not believe they did anything wrong and are doing anything wrong. It's unconscionable. No apologies. No nothing. They just want to wash their hands of the whole thing. "She would have died anyway" according to John Davenport. They would have swept the entire incident under the rug if Jane Kowalski had not persisted in her phone calls to the North Port Police Department and had we not read the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office Internal Affairs report. sigh.
Here's an article from today's paper by Jason Witz with the Herald Tribune.
Sheriff's Office wants Lee suit thrown out
By JASON WITZ Correspondent
Published: Friday, November 13, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 11:58 p.m.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY - Nathan Lee's wrongful death lawsuit against the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office should be thrown out because the agency gave no specific promises it would protect his wife, a motion released Thursday stated.
In a 13-page motion filed in Charlotte County circuit court, lawyers for the Sheriff's Office argued that 911 workers did not make "assurances to provide assistance uniquely responsive" to a key witness who reported seeing Denise Lee with her captor.
The motion asks a judge to dismiss Nathan Lee's lawsuit seeking damages from the Sheriff's Office in the murder of Denise Lee after her January 2008 kidnapping and rape. A hearing date for the motion has not been set.
The Sheriff's Office contends it would not be liable in Lee's death because no "special relationship" existed with her compared with the general public.
Although the operation of a 911 communication system is part of law enforcement services provided to the public, the agency is liable only when a special relationship is created, the motion states.
The Sheriff's Office contends that such relationship would exist only if, through employees, it makes assurances to provide assistance uniquely responsive to someone, and the person relies upon those assurances to his detriment, according to the motion.
Without that relationship, the attorneys contend, a governmental agency's duty to protect a person cannot be subject to a suit.
Lawyers say there is "no factual basis" to suggest any Sheriff's Office employees made any special promises during its 911 call with Tampa resident Jane Kowalski, who saw Denise Lee in the back of her abductor's car, near the Charlotte-Sarasota County line, pleading for help. Call takers failed to alert deputies, who were patrolling nearby.
Nathan Lee's suit accuses Sheriff Bill Cameron and his employees of being negligent in investigating the abduction of Denise Lee and contributing to her death.
Denise Lee, 21, was later found buried in a shallow grave in North Port, a few miles from where Kowalski had seen her in the car driven by unemployed North Port plumber Michael King, who awaits sentencing for his conviction for murder, kidnap and rape.
Lee is seeking a jury award of more than the statutory limit of $200,000. He said the motion seems contrary to the motto "To serve and protect."
"I'm just extremely frustrated," he said.
The Sheriff's Office is arguing it "had no duty to protect Denise," Nathan Lee added. "I definitely think the citizens of Charlotte County should be concerned about that."
Cameron said the agency would not comment.
Sheriff's Office lawyers say Kowalski was never told to take any action other than observe King's vehicle, court documents show.
But Lee's suit alleges that the Sheriff's Office's handling of Kowalski's call prevented her "from taking other action to help Denise Lee, thereby increasing the risk of harm faced by Lee."
Link:
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20091113/ARTICLE/911131037
Here's an article from today's paper by Jason Witz with the Herald Tribune.
Sheriff's Office wants Lee suit thrown out
By JASON WITZ Correspondent
Published: Friday, November 13, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 11:58 p.m.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY - Nathan Lee's wrongful death lawsuit against the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office should be thrown out because the agency gave no specific promises it would protect his wife, a motion released Thursday stated.
In a 13-page motion filed in Charlotte County circuit court, lawyers for the Sheriff's Office argued that 911 workers did not make "assurances to provide assistance uniquely responsive" to a key witness who reported seeing Denise Lee with her captor.
The motion asks a judge to dismiss Nathan Lee's lawsuit seeking damages from the Sheriff's Office in the murder of Denise Lee after her January 2008 kidnapping and rape. A hearing date for the motion has not been set.
The Sheriff's Office contends it would not be liable in Lee's death because no "special relationship" existed with her compared with the general public.
Although the operation of a 911 communication system is part of law enforcement services provided to the public, the agency is liable only when a special relationship is created, the motion states.
The Sheriff's Office contends that such relationship would exist only if, through employees, it makes assurances to provide assistance uniquely responsive to someone, and the person relies upon those assurances to his detriment, according to the motion.
Without that relationship, the attorneys contend, a governmental agency's duty to protect a person cannot be subject to a suit.
Lawyers say there is "no factual basis" to suggest any Sheriff's Office employees made any special promises during its 911 call with Tampa resident Jane Kowalski, who saw Denise Lee in the back of her abductor's car, near the Charlotte-Sarasota County line, pleading for help. Call takers failed to alert deputies, who were patrolling nearby.
Nathan Lee's suit accuses Sheriff Bill Cameron and his employees of being negligent in investigating the abduction of Denise Lee and contributing to her death.
Denise Lee, 21, was later found buried in a shallow grave in North Port, a few miles from where Kowalski had seen her in the car driven by unemployed North Port plumber Michael King, who awaits sentencing for his conviction for murder, kidnap and rape.
Lee is seeking a jury award of more than the statutory limit of $200,000. He said the motion seems contrary to the motto "To serve and protect."
"I'm just extremely frustrated," he said.
The Sheriff's Office is arguing it "had no duty to protect Denise," Nathan Lee added. "I definitely think the citizens of Charlotte County should be concerned about that."
Cameron said the agency would not comment.
Sheriff's Office lawyers say Kowalski was never told to take any action other than observe King's vehicle, court documents show.
But Lee's suit alleges that the Sheriff's Office's handling of Kowalski's call prevented her "from taking other action to help Denise Lee, thereby increasing the risk of harm faced by Lee."
Link:
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20091113/ARTICLE/911131037
Friday, November 6, 2009
Where to begin?
Many people have been asking about me and my blog. They have expressed concern that I have not blogged lately. Where to begin? So much has happened in such a short amount of time. So many emotions have been felt. It's difficult to even know where to begin.
Life is moving forward for our family. We've had weddings, births and deaths.... Life and death are moving us forward. Joy and sorrow. Lots and lots of love. So much support. So much anger. It's been.... in a word? overwhelming and emotionally exhausting.
We've been called "killers", "media whores", "heroes", and "inspiring". Some have said we are only "in it for the money" and "publicity".
I must say the goodness in people and the kind thoughts and prayers have heavily outweighed the other less than kind comments.
As you all know, I'm very very proud of Nathan. And, Denise....... gosh, how they have both in their heroism and strength have humbled me. I thought I was a strong woman and that I've met with great hardship and tragedy in the past. But, I have never had to face or endure what Denise had to endure. And, yet, still, she rose up and maintained her grace and dignity throughout her ordeal. On her 9-1-1 call, she begged King 17 times and used the words "please". She even fought with grace and dignity. She saved Noah and Adam. Yes, I consider Denise a saint. She was nothing but pure goodness. We were so blessed to have had her as part of our family even for such a short time. Did we know it and appreciate it while she was alive. Yes, I believe we did. But did we recognize the magnitude of her goodness? No. We just took it for granted. She was a nice girl. That's all we knew. I never had a clue to as how strong, brave and smart she was. Nathan did though. Nathan knew.
And, Nathan? gosh, how he's humbled me, too. The way he's faced this horrific ordeal can only be commended. He's working so hard to turn a negative into a positive. He's working so hard to keep Denise's spirit and love alive in Noah and Adam. He's working so hard to be happy and to smile. He insists Denise would want him smiling and happy, not cowering in a corner. Not many people are aware of the pain and suffering he endured after she died. Not many people had a window into his grief. I did. Not many people have a window into how he still struggles. Why? I assume it's because he does not want to cause more pain. Pain has such a ripple affect. Pain is not easy to watch.
We went to a funeral this past Wednesday. The young man who died was Denise's age and went to school with Denise. He was 23. He spent his later years struggling with drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol won out in the end. He was at a party, went in a passed out and never woke up. Watching his family's pain was horrific. Watching his mom struggle with the "whys" we continue to struggle with. Pain on display.
Shawn the young man's older brother put his pain on display. He gave one of the most moving eulogies I have ever heard. It was heartfelt. He did not hold anything back. He hit the nail on the head and did not pull any punches. We really do have to be true to ourselves and love ourselves.
I've received derogatory comments on this blog about our travels and our sharing our story with 9-1-1 calltakers and dispatchers across the country. They termed it as "fun" and referred to these trips as "vacations". They said we were not grieving and that we were causing more pain to the Goffs who were truly grieving. sigh. I finally had to shut the "comments" button off because no matter how untrue I knew it was, it was still hurtful. Pain on display. I guess I asked for the comments when I started blogging.
No. Pain on display is never easy. Only malicious people would find joy in other's pain.
I'm proud of the girl Nathan is dating. We've gotten grief about that too. Nathan dating so soon that is. Nathan started dating her last year. Yes, that was difficult for us. We weren't ready to move on. We were still and are still grieving. We did not think that Nathan should be moving on so soon. Little did we realize at the time that Nathan "needed" to move on in order to survive. This young lady has seen Nathan through a hell that I just can barely imagine even though I'm his mother. She's been there for Nathan through hell. Hopefully someday their relationship will bloom and grow and there will be marriage in sight. The boys love her. But, if it doesn't, Nathan could not ask for a better friend. I cannot say what Denise would be thinking if she were alive. She's not alive. She's dead and since she's in heaven I can only think of her thinking loving thoughts and praying for Nathan's sanity and happiness. That's the kind of person she was. She would not want to see Nathan doomed to perpetual pain or worse driven insane through pain.
It's so easy to judge other people. We judged and we were wrong to judge. Of course, for us we were only looking out for our son, his sanity and his future. Those others who have made snide comments? Who are they looking out for? Not Nate, not Denise and not Noah and Adam.
Killers
And, yes, our family was called "killers" because Michael King's jury recommended the death penalty. What's up with that? Some families members spoke out saying unequivocally that we wanted the death penalty for King. Personally, I have mixed emotions about it. Killing King will never bring Denise back. Killing King will never take the pain away he caused her, the terror, the suffering, the violation, the brutality, the callousness of him just listening to her begging for her life..... She'll still have suffered all that pain. Nothing will ever minimize it or take it away. Well, I take that back. If there is indeed a heaven, Denise is there, and no one can ever hurt her again. But killing King is not going to help her. But killing King will do a couple of things that will help me. One, I feel better knowing he'll NEVER be able to hurt another person once he's dead. Two, he'll never be able to think of his crime and fantasize over it. He won't be able to dream about it or glory in it. And I believe he does think about it and fantasize about it. He should have Denise wiped completely out of his brain. I don't even want him visualizing her. So, if wishing King dead makes me a killer than so be it. Some people need killing. Some deserve mercy. King does not.
9-1-1
We've been doing a lot of positive stuff in helping 9-1-1 and it's industry. These trips we go on..... The lives that are touched. And it's Denise who is touching them. We're just the tools and the story tellers. We share her story in hopes that other 9-1-1 call centers can learn from it. You can see how apprehensive they all are about hearing the story. You can see their apprehension as far as talking to us. They don't know what to say. But, once the ice is broken and they hear the story, everyone just rises up and wants to do better. And some (most really) are already doing fantastic jobs. Then they take Denise's story back with them to the other call takers and dispatchers in their comm centers. They wear their bracelets with pride. They feel appreciated and thank us! We should be thanking them. It truly is a thankless job. Most of the general public still think of them as telephone operators without brains that just place the call to the appropriate department. These people have to multitask, think out of the box, listen to all kinds of horrific situations, listen to all kinds of crap, maintain control or gain some control..... all this while trying their damdest to figure out where a cell phone call is coming from. It's crazy! But still... one guy in Illinois told me of a woman in his call center that "is" just like our call taker was. She's been there 20 years or so and does not like typing into the CAD. She "still" writes things down. I did not know what to say. I wanted to yell at him. "WHAT! ARE YOU WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DIE!" But I didn't. I thought my goodness. Even after hearing our story this supervisor is "hoping" Denise's story will help his call taker see the light. sigh. Some people get it, some don't.
I better go. My emotions are starting to run away with me. I did not re-read this so, please, forgive any errors. Everything was typed off the cuff.
Life is moving forward for our family. We've had weddings, births and deaths.... Life and death are moving us forward. Joy and sorrow. Lots and lots of love. So much support. So much anger. It's been.... in a word? overwhelming and emotionally exhausting.
We've been called "killers", "media whores", "heroes", and "inspiring". Some have said we are only "in it for the money" and "publicity".
I must say the goodness in people and the kind thoughts and prayers have heavily outweighed the other less than kind comments.
As you all know, I'm very very proud of Nathan. And, Denise....... gosh, how they have both in their heroism and strength have humbled me. I thought I was a strong woman and that I've met with great hardship and tragedy in the past. But, I have never had to face or endure what Denise had to endure. And, yet, still, she rose up and maintained her grace and dignity throughout her ordeal. On her 9-1-1 call, she begged King 17 times and used the words "please". She even fought with grace and dignity. She saved Noah and Adam. Yes, I consider Denise a saint. She was nothing but pure goodness. We were so blessed to have had her as part of our family even for such a short time. Did we know it and appreciate it while she was alive. Yes, I believe we did. But did we recognize the magnitude of her goodness? No. We just took it for granted. She was a nice girl. That's all we knew. I never had a clue to as how strong, brave and smart she was. Nathan did though. Nathan knew.
And, Nathan? gosh, how he's humbled me, too. The way he's faced this horrific ordeal can only be commended. He's working so hard to turn a negative into a positive. He's working so hard to keep Denise's spirit and love alive in Noah and Adam. He's working so hard to be happy and to smile. He insists Denise would want him smiling and happy, not cowering in a corner. Not many people are aware of the pain and suffering he endured after she died. Not many people had a window into his grief. I did. Not many people have a window into how he still struggles. Why? I assume it's because he does not want to cause more pain. Pain has such a ripple affect. Pain is not easy to watch.
We went to a funeral this past Wednesday. The young man who died was Denise's age and went to school with Denise. He was 23. He spent his later years struggling with drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol won out in the end. He was at a party, went in a passed out and never woke up. Watching his family's pain was horrific. Watching his mom struggle with the "whys" we continue to struggle with. Pain on display.
Shawn the young man's older brother put his pain on display. He gave one of the most moving eulogies I have ever heard. It was heartfelt. He did not hold anything back. He hit the nail on the head and did not pull any punches. We really do have to be true to ourselves and love ourselves.
I've received derogatory comments on this blog about our travels and our sharing our story with 9-1-1 calltakers and dispatchers across the country. They termed it as "fun" and referred to these trips as "vacations". They said we were not grieving and that we were causing more pain to the Goffs who were truly grieving. sigh. I finally had to shut the "comments" button off because no matter how untrue I knew it was, it was still hurtful. Pain on display. I guess I asked for the comments when I started blogging.
No. Pain on display is never easy. Only malicious people would find joy in other's pain.
I'm proud of the girl Nathan is dating. We've gotten grief about that too. Nathan dating so soon that is. Nathan started dating her last year. Yes, that was difficult for us. We weren't ready to move on. We were still and are still grieving. We did not think that Nathan should be moving on so soon. Little did we realize at the time that Nathan "needed" to move on in order to survive. This young lady has seen Nathan through a hell that I just can barely imagine even though I'm his mother. She's been there for Nathan through hell. Hopefully someday their relationship will bloom and grow and there will be marriage in sight. The boys love her. But, if it doesn't, Nathan could not ask for a better friend. I cannot say what Denise would be thinking if she were alive. She's not alive. She's dead and since she's in heaven I can only think of her thinking loving thoughts and praying for Nathan's sanity and happiness. That's the kind of person she was. She would not want to see Nathan doomed to perpetual pain or worse driven insane through pain.
It's so easy to judge other people. We judged and we were wrong to judge. Of course, for us we were only looking out for our son, his sanity and his future. Those others who have made snide comments? Who are they looking out for? Not Nate, not Denise and not Noah and Adam.
Killers
And, yes, our family was called "killers" because Michael King's jury recommended the death penalty. What's up with that? Some families members spoke out saying unequivocally that we wanted the death penalty for King. Personally, I have mixed emotions about it. Killing King will never bring Denise back. Killing King will never take the pain away he caused her, the terror, the suffering, the violation, the brutality, the callousness of him just listening to her begging for her life..... She'll still have suffered all that pain. Nothing will ever minimize it or take it away. Well, I take that back. If there is indeed a heaven, Denise is there, and no one can ever hurt her again. But killing King is not going to help her. But killing King will do a couple of things that will help me. One, I feel better knowing he'll NEVER be able to hurt another person once he's dead. Two, he'll never be able to think of his crime and fantasize over it. He won't be able to dream about it or glory in it. And I believe he does think about it and fantasize about it. He should have Denise wiped completely out of his brain. I don't even want him visualizing her. So, if wishing King dead makes me a killer than so be it. Some people need killing. Some deserve mercy. King does not.
9-1-1
We've been doing a lot of positive stuff in helping 9-1-1 and it's industry. These trips we go on..... The lives that are touched. And it's Denise who is touching them. We're just the tools and the story tellers. We share her story in hopes that other 9-1-1 call centers can learn from it. You can see how apprehensive they all are about hearing the story. You can see their apprehension as far as talking to us. They don't know what to say. But, once the ice is broken and they hear the story, everyone just rises up and wants to do better. And some (most really) are already doing fantastic jobs. Then they take Denise's story back with them to the other call takers and dispatchers in their comm centers. They wear their bracelets with pride. They feel appreciated and thank us! We should be thanking them. It truly is a thankless job. Most of the general public still think of them as telephone operators without brains that just place the call to the appropriate department. These people have to multitask, think out of the box, listen to all kinds of horrific situations, listen to all kinds of crap, maintain control or gain some control..... all this while trying their damdest to figure out where a cell phone call is coming from. It's crazy! But still... one guy in Illinois told me of a woman in his call center that "is" just like our call taker was. She's been there 20 years or so and does not like typing into the CAD. She "still" writes things down. I did not know what to say. I wanted to yell at him. "WHAT! ARE YOU WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DIE!" But I didn't. I thought my goodness. Even after hearing our story this supervisor is "hoping" Denise's story will help his call taker see the light. sigh. Some people get it, some don't.
I better go. My emotions are starting to run away with me. I did not re-read this so, please, forgive any errors. Everything was typed off the cuff.
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