Sheriff Asks for Investigation of Deputy's Response to 911 Call

Sheriff Rahr will ask her Internal Investigations Unit to investigate the response of two deputies to a 9-1-1 hang up call that originated at the time of the Carnation area homicides on December 24th.

“Lets be very clear”, said Sheriff Rahr. “The evidence at the scene of the homicides, as well as statements from both suspects, clearly show all of the victims were killed before the deputies arrived. Never-the-less, we have certain procedures for specific reasons, and I want to find out if those procedures were followed. And if not, why not.”

The Sheriff Office investigation has shown that Erika Anderson made the 9-1-1 call after she had been shot twice, and after her mother, father, and husband were already dead. Joe McEnroe took the phone out of Erica’s hands, tore the phone apart, then shot her in the head. Then the two children were shot.

The time line for the 9-1-1 hang up call is as follows:

-- 5:13.47 PM Communications Center receives a call lasting about 10 seconds from the Anderson residence. The Call Receiver did not hear any talking on the call, and noted information for the dispatcher: “Heard a lot of yelling in the background….sounded more like party noise than angry heated arguing”.

-- 5:15.11 PM Call Receiver calls back into the residence but it the call goes to voicemail.

-- 5:19.11 PM Two deputies are dispatched to the call, and are given the information provided by the Call Receiver.

-- 5:21.32 PM A second call is made back to the residence. Still voicemail.

-- 5:45.10 PM Two deputies in separate patrol cars arrive.

-- 5:55.31 PM Both deputies clear the location, and tell the Dispatcher “Gate is locked….Unable to access”.

During their time at the location, they speak with a neighbor on the same access drive as the Anderson residence. They are told by the neighbor that she had not seen or heard anything suspicious at the Anderson residence before they arrived.

The deputies who were dispatched to the call are 55 years-old and 27 years-old, respectively. The first has been with the Sheriff's Office for 9 years with prior police experience in Hawaii. The second has been a police officer for one year.

The 9-1-1 hang-up call to the Sheriff's Office will not be released at this time because of privacy interests of the victim’s family and the on-going homicide investigation and prosecution.