Ex-Husband Faces Judge in 911 Murder Case

Case lead to changes in Dallas 911 operations

An ex-husband accused of drowning his wife while she was on the phone with Dallas 911 operators appeared in court on Tuesday.

Delvecchio Patrick is charged with the murder of his former wife Deanna Cook. Cook's murder lead to significant changes in the way Dallas emergency crews log and respond to 911 calls.

Police said Cook was drowned in a bathtub in her home on Aug. 17, 2012, after she called 911 for help. Cook can be heard pleading for her life in the call, but the call-taker did not pass important details on to dispatchers, police said. When officers went to Cook's home and knocked on the door on the day of the 911 call, they got no response, looked through the windows and left.

After an investigation into the 911 operations for Cook's call, Dallas Police Chief David Brown suspended the 911 call-taker who answered Cook's 911 call and fired the call-taker who answered a call from her family two days later.

On that call, a call-taker instructed family members to contact the jail and local hospitals when they attempted to report that Cook was missing and asked that an officer go by her home. The investigation found that the call-taker failed to enter a call sheet without unnecessary delay and that, as a result, Cook's family had to force their way into her home, where they found her body.

Cook's family has filed a lawsuit in connection with her death.

Patrick appeared in court on Tuesday for a pre-trial hearing. After his attorney, the prosecuting attorney, and the judge spoke privately at the bench, the hearing was rescheduled for Monday.

Patrick remains in jail on a bond of $500,000.

Previous Coverage:

Contact Us