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04-26-2005, 09:16 PM
ELGIN (CBS 2) The Elgin Police Department is investigating a call made by a kidnapped teen who was later found brutally murdered. David Steeves dialed 911 from inside the trunk of a car seconds after his abduction, but as CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman reports, there's now speculation that operators thought the call was a prank.
On Friday, April 8, a call came into Elgin's 911 communication center. The voice on the line was 19-year-old David Steeves.
“Hello, Elgin 911”
“I'm on South Street,” Steeves said. “You need to bring a police officer.”
Somehow the phone disconnected, but police say the operator got Steeves back on the line. A frantic conversation followed.
“What's your name?”
“We're going fast. My name is David Steeves. Please find me... ,” he said. “I'm in a trunk right now. I don't know where I'm at.”
“All right. Stay on the phone then.”
“Oh my God. You guys, please help me. Please help me. Oh my God, please help me.”
Again the line went dead.
But by that time 911 had Steeves’ name and his general location. There was a question, though, about the validity of the call. A recorded voice says, "Call taker thinks it could be a prank. But isn't definite on it.”
Activity didn't end there. The recording shows that in less than a minute Elgin officers were heading toward the area of South Street. But they didn't find anything. However, the next morning a South Street resident discovered a gym shoe and blood in a driveway.
An investigation Steeves' family called "tireless" led to the Rockford location of the Toyota Steeves placed the call from and to the ultimate arrest of two suspects.
Still, there's an internal investigation into the actions and responses the department took relative to the case. At the end of the 911 transmission there's a reference to what someone labels a prank call.
Elgin police wouldn't comment on specifics except to say that because of this ongoing investigation no further comment will be offered.
On Friday, April 8, a call came into Elgin's 911 communication center. The voice on the line was 19-year-old David Steeves.
“Hello, Elgin 911”
“I'm on South Street,” Steeves said. “You need to bring a police officer.”
Somehow the phone disconnected, but police say the operator got Steeves back on the line. A frantic conversation followed.
“What's your name?”
“We're going fast. My name is David Steeves. Please find me... ,” he said. “I'm in a trunk right now. I don't know where I'm at.”
“All right. Stay on the phone then.”
“Oh my God. You guys, please help me. Please help me. Oh my God, please help me.”
Again the line went dead.
But by that time 911 had Steeves’ name and his general location. There was a question, though, about the validity of the call. A recorded voice says, "Call taker thinks it could be a prank. But isn't definite on it.”
Activity didn't end there. The recording shows that in less than a minute Elgin officers were heading toward the area of South Street. But they didn't find anything. However, the next morning a South Street resident discovered a gym shoe and blood in a driveway.
An investigation Steeves' family called "tireless" led to the Rockford location of the Toyota Steeves placed the call from and to the ultimate arrest of two suspects.
Still, there's an internal investigation into the actions and responses the department took relative to the case. At the end of the 911 transmission there's a reference to what someone labels a prank call.
Elgin police wouldn't comment on specifics except to say that because of this ongoing investigation no further comment will be offered.