2010.10.09 - Adam Baker's 911 call

[Reannan]

I totally agree that Zahra was already dead when AB made the 911 phone call, so it is certainly not Zahra in the background speaking. I have also learned that the longer I live, the more I don't know or understand, and there are stranger things in real life than most authors can dream to write into fiction. Therefore, I cannot discount the "Daddy" I hear on that tape as some sort of strange phenomenon that is beyond explanation by the laws of physics and logic that glue our lives together. I guess it sort of comforts me to know Zahra may have left a vocal soundbite behind that will haunt her murder(s) for eternity. MOO.

 

[mistressammie]

Oh - I completely believe she was dead by then as well...still, hearing a little girl's voice say 'daddy' right then is quite odd.

 

[Cinderella.]

I remember reading about people hearing the voice say daddy very early in the case... Maybe when the 911 calls first came out... if I get a chance to dig ill try to find out what was said then... It is quite creepy.


On a different topic; AB being SO sure the prosthetic leg is gone is weird to me. If I noticed my child missing I wouldn't be searching for her prosthetic leg... And how he says they took it, not she has it on or something like that makes me feel like he KNOWS its separate from her body

 

[vjlaw]

Maybe there was someone else with a child at the house when they made the 911 call.

 

[mysticrose]

Do we have a thread on EB 911 call about the fire ? Thanks

 

[Wagara]

While I totally think AB is guilty, it is possible that the child's voice was on TV.

Have to admit, if my child was missing I would look for the leg. If the leg is missing, the child could have left on their own. If the leg is there, the child running away is immediately ruled out.

AB seems to be a bland person. No personality, no spark, and not an actor. He doesn't seem to express emotion and wasn't able to fake it. EB seems to possess enough energy to fake any call to any one in a heartbeat.

 

[angelswatchoverthem]

I don't know what the 911 calls mean in any of this except the calls appear "ignorant" & "callous" to me! A 10 nearly 11 yr. old girl going thru PMS! REALLY! I freakin don't think so! Sounds like something "the witch" would have told him though. She had raised two other daughters after all, and AB probably believed her, just sayin'.I still can't believe a lot of the other stuff i have read about AB and how he never checked on Zahra, especially the carp about the fire etc. And even though Zahra had a hearing impairment, she would of surely been awake after the fire trucks etc. with all that going on. Surely sirens and all that commotion would have frightened her? Not buying their nonsense stories!
I have watched true crime shows on T.V. Forensic Files, Murder By the Book, etc. and have seen callers making 911 calls, one comes to mind of a guy that murdered his wife, and he was practically "hysterical" on the 911 call, like, "Oh God, come quick my wife has been shot, she is bleeding, oh god",etc. and turns out he had killed her.And there have been others like that too, where they are all distraught and yet they have been the murderers. Maybe in these cases it is one extreme to the other, and LE have to try and figure it all out with forensics etc., because as they say, forensics don't lie.
These two must be dumb as a sack of rocks if they think they are "believable", with all the stupid things they have done.

 

[mssheila]

I am bringing a few posts over from another thread where we were going O\T... so I hope everyone that I quote here is okay with me copying their posts and bringing the discussion here. I found the topic of the 911 call very interesting, and it's part of Zahra's case that probably has the the MOST baffled. The 911 call by AB just doesn't "fit" with anything that I think could have happened... I can't seem to make it work out in my head.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Allusonz [ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5906601#post5906601"]

[/ame]
There seems to be a perception that people should act/respond in certain ways. This has been proven to not always be the case, and I personally don't believe that there is a template for "how you are suppose to act" as per a 911 call or in any situation.

I know I would probably be calm simply for the reason I would be in denial, thinking that my child was probably at a friend's house, went to the park, to the store before I would believe that a child of mine had been abducted/murdered. Yes I do know that this happens, but I know I would hold on to the belief that there is a rational explanation thus I don't see myself in panic mode or even thinking I would be accused down the road for her murder. Never would I then dream that there would be hundreds, thousands, millions dissecting each and every word I had spoke.

I know in a life and death situation how extremely calm I was and this included the 911 call. It was not till after the shock wore off that I even allowed myself or should I say gave myself permission to react.

I have heard guilty individuals make frantic calls and give the performance of their life. Conversely, I have heard innocent ones act very calm.

***End of allusonz post_____________________________________




***Mssheila's reply _______________________________________________________
I am bringing a few posts over from another thread where we were going O\T... so I hope everyone that I quote here is okay with me copying their posts and bringing the discussion here. I found the topic of the 911 call very interesting, and it's part of Zahra's case that probably has the the MOST baffled. The 911 call by AB just doesn't "fit" with anything that I think could have happened... I can't seem to make it work out in my head.



Mssheila: As I've told people many times.... hopefully not broken-record, like... but probably close! lol.... :blushing:
I was a 911 operator, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that this call is NOT an appropriate- or normal- or natural reaction to not knowing where your child is. That is speaking from experience in handling missing child calls.... when a parent simply hasnt seen them for 10 MINUTES. Let alone 8 HOURS!

Now, as a parent, I have lost my child temporarily in a store. Have you? I know the panic that rises up inside you when you realilze that your child could be ANYWHERE, or with ANYONE. Have you ever been unable to find your child for 10 min, 20 min? 30? It's utterly terrifying. Paralyzing fear. There is no fear like that. As evidenced by my own experience with my child, and as evidenced by speaking with numerous other parents in that exact same position, I can truly tell you that AB's 911 call is an abberation of normal.

*END OF Mssheila post**
__________________________________________________

Mountain_Kat
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: East TN
Posts: 1,490


If you look at EB's 911 fire call, and then look at AB's 911 missing child call, the differences are stark. Her answers are short and sweet and without any elaboration, save her feeling the need to throw in that her husband works for a tree removal company. So, with her, only THAT point needed to be firmly established, imo. He, on the other hand, seems to need to establish much more in the mind of the 911 operator.

I have definite thoughts on why this might be the case, but I'll leave it at that. Feel free to ponder this thought for yourselves, though.

End of Mountain_Kat's post____________________________________________



Mountain_Kat

Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: East TN
Posts: 1,490


DISPATCHER: 911 what is your emergency?

ADAM BAKER: Ah.. yeah my daughter is missing.



Note the pause. He's thinking about how to begin, imo.

DISPATCHER: What is your address?

ADAM BAKER: 21 21st Ave. Northwest.

ADAM BAKER: The police were out here last night. They found a ransom note for my bosses daughter… um… I got up a little while ago… and it appears they took my daughter instead of my bosses daughter.



Note how he immediately jumps to the fire story. In fact, taken in context of the entire 911 call, this is one of the very first things AB says. Note too all of the pauses. He's double checking himself before he speaks, imo. In between these pauses, he remembers to add in that he "just got up alittle while ago". According to him, later in an interview, he had gotten up some time ago, went to check on a possible job, came home and was doing yard work when AB runs out to tell him Z is missing. This "just got up alittle while ago" isn't part of the "Zahra is missing" story, it's part of the "fire story". He's tripped himself up.


ADAM BAKER: Ummm. We checked in there last night about 2:30 and she was there... and all this happened last night around 5 ...so I don't know if they set a fire in the yard to distract us to go out and then they snuck in the door... or.. I don't know.

States that both parents checked in on her, and states that Zahra was there, as if he had in fact seen this for himself. He later tells media that HE didn't actually check on her at 2:30, his wife did. If that's the case, why did he state with so much certainty that they BOTH checked on her, and she was there? (Another trip up.)

DISPATCHER: How old is your daughter?

ADAM BAKER: She is 10. She's handicapped.. she has a prosthetic leg… so that…



So that, what? Where was he going to go with this statement before 911 operator interupted him? Also, again...note all the pauses.

ADAM BAKER: OK. Last night...we woke up.. my dog woke me up and I had a fire in the back yard and somebody had poured gas in my company vehicle I drive to work. They left a ransom note on my company vehicle to my boss saying they had his daughter and his son was next.



WE woke up (pause)... MY dog woke ME up and I had a fire (pause). He's nervous here, imo. Not sure how much he should say regarding "we", so he switches to "me" "my" and "I". It's no longer "our dog woke us up", or "we had a fire", it's now "my dog woke me up and I had a fire".
Note also how much he belabors the point about the "company vehicle" that "he drives to work", and that this "comapny vehicle" belongs to his boss. He's making sure to re-direct the listeners attention to the company, the company vehicle, and the boss. He wants to make sure he's established that thought firmly in her mind, imo.

DISPATCHER: OK, Do you know who this was?

ADAM BAKER: I don't know who... No... no ma'am..

DISPATCHER: Do you know any idea why they were threatening to take his daughter?

ADAM BAKER: I don't know.



Note the pauses and short answers. This part doesn't require elaboration on his part, so he doesn't offer any. It's just part of the story.

DISPATCHER: OK, so.. No one has seen your daughter since 2:30 this morning...? [It is now after 2 pm that day]

ADAM BAKER: No.. like I said we, uh, had all that drama last night and we... me and my wife went back to bed. And my daughter is I think's coming into puberty.. cause she is hitting that brooding stage (laughter) so we only see her when she comes out when she wants something. And that's about it.



Notice what the operator asks, and then look at his response. He doesn't just succinctly say "no", he offers excuses and completely irrelevent information. He adds the "broody puberty part" and then giggles. I believe that is nervous laughter. He's thrown in something he felt needed to be established, is suddenly hearing how absurb it sounds and is now trying to make light of it, imo. I think he fears this statement might be viewed as suspicious.

DISPATCHER: OK, she has one leg and it is partially amputated?

ADAM BAKER: Yes, she has a prosthetic leg that they apparently have taken with them.

DISPATCHER: So... Prosthetic leg was taken with her?

ADAM BAKER: Yes ma'am..



Recall that early on in this call, he was clearly establishing that Zahra had a prosthetic leg. He's returning to that now, and adding info that he is convinced "they" must also have taken Z's leg. How does he KNOW this? If you look at the time he later (in interview) says he returned home from work, and the time the actual missing call was logged in, there is no possible way he could have searched the house, yard, etc. thoroughly, imo. He knows the leg isn't there, so HOW does he know that? IMO, it's because he does, in fact, know where the leg is, and he knows LE isn't going to find it in the house or on the property. JMO

DISPATCHER: OK. And you don't have any idea at all...

ADAM BAKER: Like I said it was it was all addressed to him and it was all taken out on him and.. I guess.. they thought he lived in this house...



Again, we see the pauses and the re-direction of attention to all things boss. Only this time, he makes sure to add the info that, not only is the "company vehicle" attached to the boss, but so is the house.

ALL JUST MOO, Speculation, and all that jazz.

***End of Mountain Kat's Post________________________________________________________
(Thank you MK, I appreciate your thoughts on the call. Very insightful)

 

[mssheila]

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/member.php?u=60364"]Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]

NcMomma
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: NC Mountains
Posts: 95


Quote:
Originally Posted by Allusonz [ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5907845#post5907845"]

[/ame]
respectfully

I know I still would be calm simply for the fact I would think there would be a rational explanation.

If I had seen an individual take her then I know I would not be calm

You'd be calm even given the fact that there had been a fire on your property the night before and a ransom note found on your vehicle stating that they had taken a girl? To me, that would negate the possibility of a rational explanation. JMO

 

[mssheila]

Allusonz

Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 110


Quote:
Originally Posted by NcMomma [ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5907903#post5907903"]

[/ame]
You'd be calm even given the fact that there had been a fire on your property the night before and a ransom note found on your vehicle stating that they had taken a girl? To me, that would negate the possibility of a rational explanation. JMO

Actually yes I would. In fact I know in past situations I was. If you had of asked me prior to these situations how I would of acted I would of thought I would of acted differently but I did not.

That is how I know I would remain calm. Guess that is just who I am...

During these times it was like I felt I needed to get as much information as I could so that appropriate action could be taken. Again just the type of person I am

 

[Makara]

I would love to know the 911 Operator's take on AB's call. IMO she sounds like she doesn't quite believe what she's hearing and probably thinks it's a crank call. You hear her say "I'm sorry, your daughter is missing?" AB then waffles on about the fire, the ransom note and Zahra's prosthetic leg. I'm guessing that she is not permitted to talk about the call to MSM. Shame that.

 

[Allusonz]

here was another post i made if you are going to pull them over

I find this call totally off the wall

The 911 operator did not ask childs name, race, height, weight, hair colour, eye colour, what she was wearing, medication if she was on it, so much not asked

Then so much time dwelling on the fire incident, i almost thought she was probing for info for that...must be getting cranky again lol

There is usually a standard procedure in place for these things and much of the list was not asked

There was alot of background noise, at first it seemed to me he was outside calling but it could simply of been noise from the call center

 

[chckmate22]

I would love to know the 911 Operator's take on AB's call. IMO she sounds like she doesn't quite believe what she's hearing and probably thinks it's a crank call. You hear her say "I'm sorry, your daughter is missing?" AB then waffles on about the fire, the ransom note and Zahra's prosthetic leg. I'm guessing that she is not permitted to talk about the call to MSM. Shame that.

IMO-I have been a 911 dispatcher for 15 years and to be totally honest that call would not have been a ref flag for me and here is why I think that - There would be more hysteria if the missing child is usually under the age of 7 - in my experiences only a child over 7 has usually left the house and went to another friends house etc. I know that we now know more info on this case then at the time of this call. I would not have thought that there was any issue than she went out to play because she was 12- and it is 2 pm but again this is my opinion only

 

[mssheila]

here was another post i made if you are going to pull them over

I find this call totally off the wall

The 911 operator did not ask childs name, race, height, weight, hair colour, eye colour, what she was wearing, medication if she was on it, so much not asked

Then so much time dwelling on the fire incident, i almost thought she was probing for info for that...must be getting cranky again lol

There is usually a standard procedure in place for these things and much of the list was not asked

There was alot of background noise, at first it seemed to me he was outside calling but it could simply of been noise from the call center

Thank you! I had started, but didn't get to finish... (Christmas night and all that) but I agree with you on this post. And you're 100% correct. Most 911 calls are practically scripted on the operators part. The Operator was WAY off protocol. I couldn't believe what all she didn't ask! What if the officers, on their way to the call, had seen the child matching her description? As we now know, that wasn't going to happen... but that's WHY they are supposed to ask all those identifying questions.

 

[mssheila]

IMO-I have been a 911 dispatcher for 15 years and to be totally honest that call would not have been a ref flag for me and here is why I think that - There would be more hysteria if the missing child is usually under the age of 7 - in my experiences only a child over 7 has usually left the house and went to another friends house etc. I know that we now know more info on this case then at the time of this call. I would not have thought that there was any issue than she went out to play because she was 12- and it is 2 pm but again this is my opinion only

But again... He hadn't seen her for somewhere between 8 and 12 hours! I dont agree that a parent of a 12 year old (which I am) would not be panicked if their child had not been seen for 8 to 12 hours! I know where my 12 year old is at all times still. He's not allowed to be anywhere that he doesn't tell me ahead of time, and if I go to get him, and he's not there, and lets say they haven't seen him for over 8 hours... I'm gonna start freakin OUT!:twocents:

 

[Allusonz]

Thank you! I had started, but didn't get to finish... (Christmas night and all that) but I agree with you on this post. And you're 100% correct. Most 911 calls are practically scripted on the operators part. The Operator was WAY off protocol. I couldn't believe what all she didn't ask! What if the officers, on their way to the call, had seen the child matching her description? As we now know, that wasn't going to happen... but that's WHY they are supposed to ask all those identifying questions.

ITA not even her name was asked truly one of the strangest recordings i have heard in ages

 

[Allusonz]

But again... He hadn't seen her for somewhere between 8 and 12 hours! I dont agree that a parent of a 12 year old (which I am) would not be panicked if their child had not been seen for 8 to 12 hours! I know where my 12 year old is at all times still. He's not allowed to be anywhere that he doesn't tell me ahead of time, and if I go to get him, and he's not there, and lets say they haven't seen him for over 8 hours... I'm gonna start freakin OUT!:twocents:

This is the last time i will say anything with respect to calm/hysterics

I know how calm i was in a similar situation. Maybe westside put it well that when you have a child who has been through so many medical issues that are literally life and death that you do build a wall around you. My daughter spent the first 5 years of her life in hospital and it was one crisis after another while in or out of the hospital. When i think back to how far even with a prothesis she was able to get and if she had fell in that man made pond that she was right beside when found, i know after coming on this board that my 911 would be critized beyond belief and i would be assumed to be guilty based on that call alone but i cant change whom i am even if i am innocent

OT i was calm in other life and death situations such as the young man that wrapped himself around a telephone pole. I knew he was not going to make it but it was not till much later that i then kinda fell apart

 

[mssheila]

This is the last time i will say anything with respect to calm/hysterics

I know how calm i was in a similar situation. Maybe westside put it well that when you have a child who has been through so many medical issues that are literally life and death that you do build a wall around you. My daughter spent the first 5 years of her life in hospital and it was one crisis after another while in or out of the hospital. When i think back to how far even with a prothesis she was able to get and if she had fell in that man made pond that she was right beside when found, i know after coming on this board that my 911 would be critized beyond belief and i would be assumed to be guilty based on that call alone but i cant change whom i am even if i am innocent

OT i was calm in other life and death situations such as the young man that wrapped himself around a telephone pole. I knew he was not going to make it but it was not till much later that i then kinda fell apart

I really can see everyone's points and they're truly all valid. EVERYONE is different... but it's that 8 hour thing that I keep thinking of. I just don't think it was right. Not only did the dispatcher ask almost no pertinent questions, IMO she was more judgemental than she should ever have been as well... AB didn't give any important info either! He rambles on about puberty and brooding, and all that junk, and the dispatcher just LET him. No redirecting him to get the important info- no nothing. But my personal theory on this is that the dispatcher heard his dismissive tone and didn't take it seriously either- which is why none of the important info made it into the call!....

But- I dont know one thing... Have we got the entire recording? From top to bottom on this? Or is it edited for the media? I never have known that answer.

ETA: As an emergency dispatcher for quite some time, I absolutely have the capacity to be calm in emergency situations.... when they concern other people- other than myself. but as I've said- when it comes to my own kids- when they were much younger, if I had ever not seen them for 8 hours... I'd be trippin for SURE.

 

[Makara]

IMO AB's reference to Zahra brooding and coming into puberty is something that EB told him to explain why she was always in her room - sent there by EB for whatever sick reason. It has nothing to do with menstration, blood on sheets etc. I strongly doubt that Zahra was pubescent. There may have been blood on her mattress buy I doubt it was menstral blood. MOO.

 

[mssheila]

IMO AB's reference to Zahra brooding and coming into puberty is something that EB told him to explain why she was always in her room - sent there by EB for whatever sick reason. It has nothing to do with menstration, blood on sheets etc. I strongly doubt that Zahra was pubescent. There may have been blood on her mattress buy I doubt it was menstral blood. MOO.

Some crime show or other that I watched said that they (crime scene unit people) were able to tell whether it's menstrual blood or other blood. I have no idea how... but I do remember being surprised by that. I'll look around and see if I can find a link about that.

ETA: I found this- which explains it a little... there's other things in menstrual blood (like tissue, hormones, nutrients).. that would not be there when it's blood from our veins).

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061105210008AAOqG59