Dispatcher placed on administrative leave after error leads police to wrong address
Danielle Watson
Keith Smith is trying not to think about what might have happened had there not been a miscommunication between him and a 911 dispatcher the night his pregnant fiancée was murdered at south Charlotte’s Stonecrest shopping center.
The body of Danielle Watson, a manager at the Flying Biscuit restaurant, was found behind a trash bin around 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning, Jan. 14, by a sanitation worker while police searched nearby for clues in what was then believed to just be a robbery at the Flying Biscuit. Smith had alerted police shortly after midnight that he thought a robbery was taking place at the restaurant, and that his fiancée, who was there, had abruptly hung up on him during some commotion and wasn’t returning his calls.
Smith told the dispatcher where his fiancée worked, but may have given the incorrect address. The 911 call isn’t exactly clear. The dispatcher then sent police out to the wrong address, telling them to look for a business called Plum Biscuits. Police didn’t arrive at the Flying Biscuit until the next morning for the separate robbery call.
The confession now has police investigating what went wrong. Police say Watson’s co-worker, Mark Anthony Cox, killed his manager during a robbery Friday night or early Saturday morning and drove away in her vehicle. Cox recently was released from prison on charges of armed robbery.
Mark Cox
Police in Fayetteville, along with members of Charlotte’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, arrested Cox on Monday afternoon, Jan. 16, after serving a search warrant on the home of an acquaintance he was staying with. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say Cox was taken into custody without incident. Cox had allegedly fled Charlotte in Watson’s vehicle, which was found near the home the suspect was arrested at.
“I’m very glad they found him,” Smith said a few hours after Cox’s arrest. Smith said he’s never met his fiancée’s alleged killer and knows nothing about him.
The discovery of Watson’s body Saturday morning near the Stonecrest Chick-fil-A came about nine hours after she had last tried to speak to Smith. Watson had called Smith at 10:15 p.m. Friday night, Smith told police, and he heard a commotion in the background before the phone was abruptly hung up. Smith said Watson was supposed to get off work at 9 p.m.
After repeated attempts to reach Watson both calling and texting, Smith called police shortly after midnight and told them he thought a robbery might be taking place at the Flying Biscuit.
“My girlfriend works there, she called me and hung up abruptly and I could hear her yelling in the background,” Smith told the 911 dispatcher when asked why he thought the business was being robbed. Smith did not specify to the dispatcher when he had received the call from Watson and may have given the wrong address for the business, according to the 911 call released by police. Though Smith clearly stated the name of the business when saying the Flying Biscuit was possibly being robbed, the 911 call released sounds like he gives the dispatcher an address at 3930 Rea Road – a private home a couple miles away from the shopping center. The Flying Biscuit is at 7930 Rea Road.
Authorities on Monday said they’d reviewed the 911 call several times and can see how someone could be unclear on exactly what address Smith gave.
After hanging up with Smith, the dispatcher put in a call for service for a business named Plum Biscuits, which does not exist. Police sent a car out to 3930 Rea Road and found nobody home at the private residence, so the officer drove to a nearby shopping center looking for a Plum Biscuits. The officer never responded to the Flying Biscuit, and police didn’t arrive to the scene until they responded to the robbery call at 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning.
Smith said on Tuesday that police never attempted to call him back after they couldn’t find the business.
Police had not been told exactly when Watson had died as of Wednesday morning, Jan. 18, and it is not clear if police would have arrived in time to stop the murder had the mistake not been made.
“I don’t really know what happened in the communication,” Smith said. “I haven’t heard the 911 tape. I know I gave the right information… I know I did.”
Smith said he has to keep telling himself that, even if the mistake hadn’t been made, it wouldn’t have stopped what happened and neither he nor the dispatcher should feel like they are to blame. He believes his fiancée had likely already died by the time he called police. “I don’t have any faults for anyone but Mark,” Smith said of the suspect.
Police have not released the name of the dispatcher who took Smith’s call, but said the person had been placed on administrative leave while officials investigate what happened.
“I think we missed some opportunities,” said CMPD Capt. Mike Campagna about the Plum Biscuit mistake.
Police said Monday that they will review their 911 procedures due to the mistake. “We don’t want this to happen again,” Campagna added.
“I feel sorry for him, and I’m sure he feels horrible if he knows he screwed that up,” Smith said of the dispatcher. “People make mistakes.”
Cox was extradited to Charlotte from Fayetteville on Tuesday, Jan. 17. He may eventually face two charges of homicide due to North Carolina’s Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which went into effect this month. The law is meant to protect unborn children.
People can leave anonymous tips on this case by calling Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
A viewing for Watson is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the McLean Funeral Home in Gastonia, 700 S. New Hope Road. Funeral services are the following morning at 11 a.m. at McLean.
“I want people to know that I and her family loved her very much,” Smith said. “Anyone who met her knows she’s an incredible person. And an amazing person… such a great person to be around.”
The family is setting up a memorial fund in Watson’s honor to help with costs of the funeral. Smith said that information on the fund will be available soon. Any other donations can be made to the American Cancer Society in Watson’s name.
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