The Heartbreaking Story Of Robert Turner, The Boy Whose Mother Died Because 911 Failed Him
On February 20, 2006, Robert Turner, then five years old, witnessed his mother pass away in their Detroit, Michigan, home. When the terrified boy dialed 911, the emergency operators Terri Sutton and Sharon Nichols threatened to call the police if Turner wouldn’t let them speak to his dying mother, who was unable to speak.
“Ok, well, you know what, then she’s gonna talk to the police ok?
Sutton reportedly said, citing CBS News. “I’m sending the police over there, and she’s going to talk to them. You shouldn’t be playing on the phone, it doesn’t matter to me. Before I send the police to knock on the door and you get into trouble, put her on the phone.
Sherrill Turner, 46, had already passed away from a heart attack when they eventually arrived in place of an ambulance, leaving Robert Turner with nothing to do but watch in horror. Her family filed a $1 million wrongful death lawsuit, and the incident even resulted in the first-ever conviction of a 911 operator for willful neglect of duty. There have also been calls to completely restructure the current emergency dispatch system.
Robert Turner’s Tragic 911 Calls
For the Turner family, the fateful day in question appeared to be a typical Monday when it began. When Robert Turner saw his mother pass out in her bedroom just before six o’clock, their tragic loss came suddenly. The young boy made a responsible 911 call.
“My mom has passed out,” said Robert Turner.
It was the first call at 5:59. operator for emergency services Sharon Nichols received. The 5-year-old boy misinterpreted the 43-year-question old’s about his father’s whereabouts. Interestingly, Nichols reprimanded Turner before terminating the call when she refused to speak to his father when asked if she could.
“OK, well, I’m going to send the police to your house and find out what’s going on with you,” said Nichols.
Neither emergency medical personnel nor police officers arrived at the scene.
The following three hours were spent by Robert Turner observing the decline of his unconscious mother. By the time Turner dialed 911 once more at 9:02 p.m., she had tragically already passed away from complications caused by an enlarged heart. Terri Sutton, the operator, not only reprimanded the boy but also sent an officer to the apartment at 1950 Spruce Street to punish him.
“It was taking too long,” said Turner about why he called 911 a second time. “And she said the same thing.”
Sherrill Turner was declared dead and her son was given into the custody of his relatives Delaina and Tyrone Patterson after police arrived at the scene at 9:40 p.m. Geoffrey Fieger, a family lawyer, filed a lawsuit against Terri Sutton, Sharon Nichols, and even the City of Detroit.
“Had somebody even followed up and sent a policeman like they did on the later call, really, to admonish Robert, rather than to help his mother, perhaps we wouldn’t be here,” said Fieger. “But no one came at all.”
“All that happened was that Robert was threatened and, really, intimidated from doing what his mother had taught him to do, which was to make an emergency call in an emergency situation.”
The Aftermath Of Sherrill Turner’s Death
When Geoffrey Fieger took on Robert Turner’s case, he had already made a name for himself as the lawyer who defended Jack Kevorkian, the notorious pathologist who was accused of helping terminally ill patients commit suicide. He claimed that Sherrill Turner’s death was the result of negligence.
If assistance had arrived within those crucial few minutes, “we firmly believe that his mom would have survived,” said Fieger. “We’ll also demonstrate that this is a common occurrence. Much more frequently than most people realize, this occurs. Additionally, no one would believe Robert if this tape didn’t exist.
“We teach our children in the face of an emergency to call for help and call 911. But when children call and ask for help they’re ignored, they’re dismissed, and they’re threatened.”
Terri Sutton and Sharon Nichols both went on trial in Detroit’s 36th District Court in early January 2008 on one count of willful neglect of duty. Sutton was essentially charged with flouting protocol by asking for a police dispatch as opposed to emergency services, but her charge was dropped on January 16.
Nichols initially contended that she couldn’t hear Robert Turner clearly over the phone. However, with the emergency dispatch conversations recorded as evidence, the prosecution had no trouble persuading the jury of five women and one man that she could, and on January 18, the jury returned a verdict of guilty.
On March 11, 2008, she was given a one-year probationary period, 100 hours of community service, and a $450 fine.
The verdict that Ms. Nichols’ defense was without merit was welcomed by Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Lora Weingarden. She argued that she was unable to hear the child. How could she know it was a joke call if that were the case? ”
Weingarden and Fieger expressed satisfaction with the verdict but urged 911 operators nationwide to take calls seriously and claimed inadequate training had probably already resulted in many wrongful deaths. But no matter what happens to the operators or how the system is changed, Robert Turner’s mother won’t ever be back, and nothing can take away the pain of that terrible night in 2006.
The Unsolved mystery of Bobby Dunbar's Disappearance
In 1912, a four-year-old boy named Bobby Dunbar went missing on a family trip, 8 months later he was found and reunited with his family. Nearly a century later, DNA testing of his descendants revealed that the child reunited with the Dunbar family was not Bobby, but rather a boy named Charles (Bruce) Anderson who resembled Bobby.
Moondyne Joe: The story of Australia's most notorious prison escapee
A man named Joseph Bolitho Johns (A.K.A Moondyne Joe) broke out of Australian prisons so many times that the police were compelled to build a special cell just for him. He escaped from that as well.
Reason Behind The Suicide Of Christine Chubbuck Live On Air
Actor Rebecca Hall had serious reservations about tackling the macabre story around why Chubbuck killed herself in 1974. So what changed her mind?
The story of Nike's famous tagline "Just do it"
Nike’s inspiration for their slogan “Just do it.” came from a man who was about to get executed, and his final words to the firing squad was “let’s do it!”
Andre Stander: The Police Officer Who Became a Bank Robber
Like scenes from a blockbuster movie, Andre Stander robbed Banks during his lunch breaks and returned to the scene as the lead investigating officer
How a Pizza Delivery Saved a Hostage in 2015
A pizza delivery once helped end a hostage situation! In 2015, a pizza order placed by a woman being held hostage included a hidden message for help. The pizzeria staff alerted the police, leading to her rescue..!
A woman finds her ex-boyfriend living in her attic 12 years after they broke up
Most people have heard of "things that go bump in the night," but for one South Carolina lady, that "thing" was her ex-boyfriend, whom she discovered living in her attic more than 12 years after they broke up.
Scientists separated triplets at birth for a controversial experiment and had no idea what they were doing
As part of an experiment, a set of triplets was intentionally separated at birth and given to three sets of parents from different socioeconomic backgrounds. It was discovered in 1980, when two of the triplets attended the same college.
The great robbery: 300 million yen robbery
In 1968, a car driven by bank employees was pulled over by a motorcycle cop claiming the car had been rigged with a bomb. The cop got under the car to “defuse” the device. When the car started to smoke, everybody ran. Then the “cop” just drove the car away. The 300M Yen robbery remains unsolved
Chinese Couple Sell Their Three Children to Play Video Games
A young Chinese couple has sold all their three children in exchange for money to play online games at internet cafes.
In 2018, a 30-year-old survived a close-range gunshot thanks to silicone implant
In 2018, a 30-year-old woman from Toronto, Canada survived a close-range gunshot thanks to her silicone breast implant. Doctors believe that the implant deflected the bullet away from her vital organs, and her only injury was a fractured rib.
A woman accidentally tipped $7,723 for coffee and some cake and never get the money back
In 2018, a woman accidentally paid $7732 for a cup of coffee and a cake at a Swiss café after accidentally entering her PIN code as a tip. She never received a refund.
Man dressed up as his dead mother to keep home, benefits
A 51-year-old man in Brooklyn named Thomas Parkin dressed up as his dead mother Irene for six long years since 2013 and collected her social security checks. He did other real estate frauds too that totaled up to $115,000.
True Story: Russian Pilots Held by Taliban Fought Back and Flew to Freedom
A Russian cargo plane was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan with Seven crew members aboard. After being held captive in Kandahar for over a year, the crewmen were able to overpower their captors, retake their plane and fly it out of Afghanistan to safety.
During the 1996 Olympic bombing, Richard Jewell falsely accused of committing the crime after saving dozens of people
Richard Jewell, an American security guard, discovered a bomb during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and assisted in the evacuation, but was later wrongfully accused and faced public scrutiny. He was cleared, but it had a lasting impact on him until his death in 2007 at the age of 44.
The Birth of Stockholm Syndrome: The 1973 Bank Robbery That Changed Psychology
In 1973, a botched bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden, led to a six-day hostage crisis, where captives began defending their captors—giving rise to Stockholm Syndrome. Strangely, one hostage later befriended a robber, and another raised money for their legal defense, baffling psychologists and law enforcement alike!
Brazilian gang leader attempts to escape from Rio de Janeiro prison by dressing up as his daughter
In 2019, a Brazilian gang leader tried to escape from prison by dressing up as his daughter when she visited him behind bars and walking out of the penitentiary's main door in her place.
The truth behind the murder of Cara Knott
After the murder of Cara Knott in 1986, a local news station filmed a ride-along segment with a highway patrol officer named Craig Allen Peyer who talked about women’s safety and gave tips on what to do when stranded on the road. That same officer later turned out to be the “Knotts killer.” He was convicted of the crime in 1988.
Susan Kuhnhausen Killed the Hitman Sent to Kill Her
Susan Kuhnhausen's ex-husband hired a hitman to assassinate her. Susan "made a decision to live" in that terrifying moment.
'Super obedient' lookout parrot trained by Brazilian drug dealers is seized by police
In 2019, police in Brazil seized a 'super obedient' lookout parrot trained by drug dealers. According to reports, the bird had been taught to alert criminals to police operations by shouting: "Mum, the police!" As soon as the police got close, he started shouting.
Story of Dennis Lynn Rader, the BTK Killer
Dennis Lynn Rader is an American serial killer known as BTK who worked for a home security company and installed systems in the homes of numerous citizens who were concerned about the murders he himself had committed.
Albert Spaggiari: The Man Who Stole 45m Francs And Was Never Caught
In 1976, French gangster Albert Spaggiari was arrested after his gang stole 100 million francs worth of valuables from a bank. At his trial, he distracted the judge then jumped out of a window and fled on a motorcycle set up for him. He was never caught and died a free man.
A man faked his death in 2016 after his Mexican wife plotted to kill him by paying a hitman $2,000
In 2016, a guy faked his death after his Mexican wife plotted to murder him by hiring a hitman $2,000. He cooperated with the FBI to create fake murder images, which landed his wife in jail for 20 years.
The youngest person executed, George Stinney Jr was proven innocent
In 1944, George Stinney Jr. was 14 years old when he was executed in South Carolina. It took only ten minutes to convict him — and 70 years to exonerate him.
The 1978 Lufthansa Heist: Unraveling the Mystery of America's Most Infamous Airport Robbery
During the 1978 Lufthansa heist, robbers infiltrated JFK Airport, restraining employees and holding a night guard hostage. They escaped with $5.9 million—worth over $27 million today. The crime, linked to the Lucchese crime family, remained unsolved for decades, with most suspects vanishing
