- 7 minutes ago
Some calls do more than summon help — they become the evidence that changes everything. Join us as we count down the most pivotal emergency calls in criminal history, from chilling domestic violence recordings to frantic cries that exposed cold-blooded killers. These recordings didn't just document tragedy — they shaped verdicts and rewrote the course of justice forever.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00This morning, a 911 call from a reported domestic situation between Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie
00:05are providing some insight to the time leading up to her disappearance.
00:09Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:11And today, we're looking at emergency calls that became pivotal evidence
00:15in some of the most shocking legal cases ever tried.
00:20All right, George, what's your last name?
00:22Zimmerman.
00:24Miles Harrison.
00:25Miles Harrison says he still has not forgiven himself for the death of his son Chase in the backseat of
00:31the car.
00:34I cry every day for Chase.
00:36On July 8, 2008, Miles Harrison dialed 911 after discovering that his 21-month-old adopted son Chase
00:43had been left in his SUV outside his workplace in Herndon, Virginia.
00:48Harrison, who lived in Purcellville and had intended to drop Chase at daycare in Ashburn,
00:53had followed his normal commute pattern and forgotten the stop.
00:57I go into my office and I work a complete day.
01:00At about 5 o'clock, a colleague of mine comes up to my office and says,
01:07hey, do you have a doll in your car?
01:10And I just then realized, oh my God.
01:15In the call, he can be heard screaming that his baby is dead and blaming himself.
01:21Prosecutors charged Harrison with involuntary manslaughter.
01:25On December 17, 2008, a Fairfax County judge acquitted him,
01:30ruling the Commonwealth had not proven criminal negligence beyond a reasonable doubt.
01:35The incident became known as a tragic example of what is often described by experts as forgotten baby syndrome.
01:43You were charged with involuntary manslaughter, eventually found not guilty.
01:48Have you forgiven yourself?
01:49No.
01:50No.
01:51And for people that I don't know anybody that has done what I have done that ever will ever really
01:59forgive themselves,
02:00I personally don't know how I'm going to.
02:03Christopher Porco.
02:05Hey, Chris.
02:06Whereabouts are you?
02:07I'm at school in Rochester, New York.
02:10Okay.
02:10Are you in a dorm there?
02:12Yes, I am.
02:13Okay.
02:14Do you have a dorm name or?
02:16It's called Monroe.
02:18Okay.
02:21And you're hearing from the Times Union?
02:24Shortly after 4 a.m. on November 15, 2004,
02:28police responded to the Porco residence in Del Mar, New York,
02:32after a neighbor reported a violent scene.
02:35Christopher Porco had been fatally attacked with an axe.
02:38His wife, Joan, had sustained catastrophic head injuries.
02:43Detective Christopher Bodish later testified that he asked Joan whether her son,
02:48Christopher Porco, a student at the University of Rochester, had done this.
02:53Okay.
02:54Now, as far as, when was the last thing you said you came down to tell your parents?
02:58About three weeks ago.
02:59It was on the weekend.
03:01I can't give you a day.
03:02I have to figure it out.
03:03I'm not really sure.
03:04According to police testimony, she nodded yes.
03:08That early identification became pivotal.
03:10Although Joan later said she had no memory of the attack and supported her son in court,
03:15forensic evidence and timeline inconsistencies undermined his alibi.
03:20In 2006, Christopher was convicted of second-degree murder and attempted murder.
03:25I think our system is by far the best in the world, but it's flawed.
03:30You know, nobody's perfect.
03:32And the system is only as good as, you know, the people in it.
03:36And it makes mistakes.
03:39They made one here.
03:41Sharika Adams.
03:42Adams called 911 from her BMW in Charlotte, North Carolina,
03:47after being shot multiple times on Ray Road in November of 1999.
03:51Pregnant with NFL wide receiver Ray Carruth's child,
03:55she told dispatchers that Carruth's vehicle had slowed in front of hers
03:59before another car pulled alongside and gunfire erupted.
04:03Despite several injuries, Adams identified Carruth by name
04:07and described how he appeared to block her lane.
04:09She's obviously conscious, talking.
04:11She's in somewhat of a state of shock at that point in time.
04:13I'm trying to get the information of who she is,
04:16and she's more concerned about telling me that her baby's daddy was the one who...
04:21That her baby's daddy was the one who did it.
04:25Adams survived long enough to deliver her son, Chancellor Lee Adams,
04:30but died on December 14, 1999.
04:33That single call locked the conspiracy into the timeline,
04:37preserving details no defense theory could easily erase.
04:41In 2001, Carruth was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and related charges
04:47and sentenced to prison, accordingly.
04:51In a week, one of Charlotte's most notorious criminals will be released from prison.
04:55Former Carolina Panthers player Ray Carruth served nearly 18 years
04:59for planning his girlfriend's murder.
05:02Cindy Anthony.
05:06I called a little bit ago to Deputy Sheriff Sonny.
05:09I found out my granddaughter has been taken.
05:11She has been missing for a month.
05:13Her mother finally admitted that she's been missing.
05:15Okay, what is the address that you're calling from?
05:19On 937 Hope Spring Drive.
05:22We're talking about a three-year-old little girl.
05:23On July 16, 2008, Cindy Anthony placed a 911 call from her home in Orlando, Florida,
05:30reporting that her granddaughter, two-year-old Kaylee Anthony,
05:34had been missing for approximately 31 days.
05:37Her statement immediately reframed the case from a delayed missing child report
05:42to a potential homicide investigation.
05:44My daughter finally admitted that the baby's in the store.
05:48I need to find her.
05:50Your daughter admitted that the baby is where?
05:53The baby said it took her a month ago that my daughter's been looking for.
05:56I told you my daughter was missing for a month.
05:58I just found her today, but I can't find my granddaughter.
06:01She just admitted to me that she's been trying to find her herself.
06:06Law enforcement hadn't been notified during the month Kaylee was unaccounted for.
06:10Those calls fixed the clock.
06:12Authorities were learning about Kaylee's disappearance more than a month after she was last seen.
06:18Casey Anthony, Kaylee's mother, was later tried for first-degree murder but acquitted in 2011.
06:24Despite her acquittal, she was later convicted of providing false information to law enforcement.
06:29I was sentenced you to one year in the Orange County Jail,
06:36imposing a $1,000 fine on each count.
06:44All four counts to run consecutive to each other.
06:50Darlie Rudier.
06:52Rudier's 911 call from her home in Rowlett, Texas,
06:56stated that an intruder had stabbed her and her two young sons, Devin and Damon.
07:01The June 1996 call captures her pleading for help as first responders were dispatched.
07:07Devin died at the scene.
07:09Damon later died at a hospital.
07:11At trial in 1997, prosecutors argued that elements of the recording,
07:16including tone shifts and background activity,
07:19conflicted with her claim of a mysterious assailant.
07:22The defense maintained that trauma responses vary widely under extreme stress.
07:27Jurors heard the call while weighing blood spatter analysis and staged burglary claims,
07:33placing her voice at the center of the prosecution's theory.
07:36Rudier was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death.
07:40Her case remains under appellate review.
07:43Adam Baker.
07:45So no one has seen your daughter since 2.30 this morning?
07:47No, like I said, we had all that drama last night and me and my wife went back to bed.
07:55And my daughter's, I think, coming into puberty, so she's hitting that broody stage.
08:01So we only see her when she comes out when she wants something.
08:04On October 9th, 2010, North Carolina resident Adam Baker called 911,
08:10reporting that his 10-year-old daughter Zara was missing.
08:13During the call, he referenced a ransom note demanding $1 million and stated that Zara's
08:19prosthetic leg had been taken with her.
08:21We have your daughter and your son is next unless you do what is asked.
08:25$1 million, unmarked, will be in touch soon.
08:28We are questioning the validity of that note.
08:31We have no further demands from that note.
08:34Law enforcement quickly determined the ransom note was fabricated.
08:37Authorities later said Alyssa Baker admitted writing the fake note in an attempt to mislead
08:42investigators.
08:44As the investigation unfolded, the 911 call became an early benchmark against which later
08:49statements were measured.
08:51As inconsistencies mounted, Zara's remains were discovered weeks later in Caldwell County.
08:57Alyssa Baker ultimately pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2012 and received a prison sentence
09:03of 15 to 18 years, along with additional time for obstruction-related offenses.
09:09While they're relieved the case has been solved, Zara's parents say that sentence doesn't deliver
09:14justice for their 10-year-old daughter, who survived bone cancer, only to be killed by
09:20a woman she trusted.
09:21You robbed her of a future.
09:23You robbed the world of an amazing girl who I have no doubt would have changed the world.
09:28An unidentified eyewitness, Gabby Petito.
09:31We're driving by, and I'd like to report a domestic dispute.
09:34What were they doing?
09:36We drove by, and the gentleman was slapping the girl.
09:39He was slapping her?
09:41Yes, and then we stopped.
09:42They ran up and down the sidewalk.
09:44He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car, and they drove off.
09:48A male eyewitness placed a 911 call on August 12, 2021, in Moab, Utah, reporting that he
09:55saw a man slapping a woman outside the Moonflower Community Cooperative before they drove off
10:01in a white Ford Transit van.
10:03Officers from the Moab Police Department soon stopped the vehicle, driven by Brian Laundrie,
10:08with Gabby Petito in the passenger seat.
10:11Police categorized the encounter as a domestic dispute and separated the couple for the night.
10:15The call, which happened on August 12, conflicts with the story that the pair told officers.
10:20In their account, it was Gabby who was hitting Brian.
10:24Ultimately, no charges were filed, but they were separated for the night.
10:27Now, it's a piece of the puzzle investigators are trying to put together.
10:31Weeks later, on September 19, Petito's remains were found in Wyoming.
10:37Her death was ruled a homicide by manual strangulation.
10:40After Petito's death, that eyewitness report was revisited in reviews of whether the initial
10:46stop met domestic violence protocol standards.
10:49They told you first.
10:51They said, we found remains consistent of your daughter.
10:55I remember I was crying, and I said, you have to be sure.
10:59Like, I have to be sure if I'm making this phone call.
11:01They showed me pictures, and I confirmed it was our daughter.
11:07George Zimmerman.
11:09Sanford Police Department.
11:10Line is being recorded by Sean.
11:12Hey, we've had some break-ins in my neighborhood, and there's a real suspicious guy.
11:17It's Retrieve View Circle.
11:20The best address I can give you is 111 Retrieve View Circle.
11:25This guy looks like he's up to no good, or he's on drugs or something.
11:30Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Zimmerman called a non-emergency police line in Sanford, Florida,
11:36in which he reported 17-year-old Trayvon Martin as suspicious.
11:41During the call placed on February 26, 2012, Zimmerman said he was following Martin.
11:47The dispatcher indicated that continuing to do so wasn't necessary.
11:51He's running? Which way is he running?
11:55Down towards the entrance of the neighborhood.
11:58Okay. Which entrance is that that he's heading towards?
12:01The back entrance.
12:05He's fucking close.
12:06Are you following him?
12:08Yeah.
12:09Okay, we don't need you to do that.
12:10Separate 911 calls from neighbors captured sounds of a struggle and screams for help before a gunshot.
12:16The identity of the voice screaming became a central dispute at trial, with both prosecution and defense presenting audio experts
12:24and family testimony.
12:25The audio anchored the timeline, leaving jurors to decide whose account filled in the violent gap between the struggle and
12:33fatal gunshot.
12:34Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder, but was acquitted in July 2013.
12:40In the circuit court of the 18th Judicial Circuit, in and for Seminole County, Florida, state of Florida versus George
12:47Zimmerman.
12:48Verdict?
12:49We, the jury, find George Zimmerman not guilty.
12:52So say we all four-person.
12:55Eric and Lyle Menendez.
12:58Is that really an emergency?
12:59Yes, police.
13:00Uh, what's the problem?
13:04It sounds, uh, what's the problem?
13:07At approximately 11.47 p.m. on August 20th, 1989, Lyle Menendez made a dramatic, harrowing 911 call from his
13:16family's Beverly Hills mansion.
13:18His younger brother, Eric, can be heard sobbing in the background.
13:21Police arrived to find their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, brutally shot to death in the den.
13:28The brothers weren't initially tested for gunshot residue that night, instead treated by authorities as grieving sons.
13:36In the months that followed, they spent roughly $700,000, much of it, from insurance proceeds.
13:43Prosecutors later introduced the 911 call at trial, arguing the frantic tone masked premeditated murder.
13:50Additional evidence, including admissions Eric made in therapy, shifted the case.
13:54In 1996, both brothers were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.
14:02Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest
14:07videos.
14:08You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
14:12If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
14:18Nicole Brown Simpson.
14:20He's back.
14:21Please.
14:22Okay, what does he look like?
14:23He's O.J. Simpson.
14:24I think you know his record.
14:26Could you just send somebody over here?
14:28Okay, what is he doing there?
14:29This is all.
14:30He broke the back door down to get in.
14:31Okay, wait a minute.
14:32What's your name?
14:33Nicole Simpson.
14:34Is he threatening you?
14:36I'm going nuts.
14:38He's going to beat the shit out.
14:38Wait a minute.
14:39Wait a minute.
14:39Just stay on the line so we can know what's going on until the police get there, okay?
14:43On October 25th, 1993, Nicole Brown Simpson breathlessly called 911 from her Bundy drive
14:50home in Los Angeles.
14:51She reported that her ex-husband, the media personality and former NFL running back O.J.
14:57Simpson, had broken down her back door and was outside yelling.
15:01The recording captures Simpson's voice in the background and Nicole's escalating fear.
15:05Is he inside right now?
15:08Hey, I don't have to.
15:09I believe you.
15:10Oh, I believe you.
15:11What?
15:12Does he have any weapons?
15:13I don't know.
15:15Okay.
15:16He went the whole time back.
15:17Like, they're sleeping and I don't want anything to happen.
15:21Police responded to the scene, though Simpson had left by the time officers arrived.
15:26The tape was later played for jurors during Simpson's 1995 criminal trial as evidence of
15:32prior domestic violence.
15:34Although Simpson was acquitted in the criminal proceeding, the 911 call provided documented
15:39evidence of the pair's volatile history.
15:42It was context prosecutors argued showed motive and pattern.
15:46I started this shit before and it's all my fault.
15:51What am I going to do to sleep anymore?
15:54Okay.
15:55It's all my fault.
15:57I thought you were going to do it.
16:00Which emergency call shocked you the most?
16:04Are there any we missed?
16:05Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
Comments