The Clues to Martin MacNeill’s 911 Call
I’ve highlighted the clues I see in the 911 transcript below.
Police are currently investigating the death of Michele MacNeill who died in her bathtub in 2007 a week after she had plastic surgery. She was married to a doctor who supposedly found her unconscious in the tub. Michele’s death was originally considered death by natural causes by the medical examiner, but investigators are taking another look.
Here is his 911 call. What do you see when you read it? You can hear the 911 call here. I can’t believe this is real…
911 Call Transcript
911 OPERATOR: Pleasant Grove Police Department.
MACNEILL: I need — I need an ambulance!
911 OPERATOR: OK, what`s the problem, sir? We need medical. Sir, what`s wrong?
MACNEILL: My wife`s fallen in the bathtub!
If your wife is unconscious, face down in the tub, wouldn’t getting her out immediately be the first thing anyone would do?
911 OPERATOR: Who`s in the bathtub? Who`s in the bathtub?
MACNEILL: My wife!
911 OPERATOR: OK, is she conscious?
MACNEILL: She`s not. I`m a physician. I need help! (INAUDIBLE)
Who is better to help than a trained physician? Am I missing something? I would expect to hear him give a run down of the basic life support he had tried to do and what the status was so the EMT could be prepared. He does none of this.
911 OPERATOR: Sir, sir, I need you to calm down. Sir, I can`t understand you, OK? Can you calm down just a little bit?
MACNEILL: I need help!
911 OPERATOR: OK, what — your wife is unconscious?
MACNEILL: She is unconscious. She`s under water.
She’s under the water? Why isn’t this physician taking his wife out of the water BEFORE he called 911? It makes no sense. Most people respond naturally to circumstances like this. This man isn’t. Doctors deal with trauma all the time and are typically able to think under pressure, too, yet this man can’t?
911 OPERATOR: OK, did you get her out of the water?
MACNEILL: I can`t! I just (INAUDIBLE) I let the water out (INAUDIBLE)
Why on earth couldn’t he get his wife out of the water?
911 OPERATOR: She`s under the water?
MACNEILL: She`s under the water, and I need an ambulance!
What is his excuse for not getting her out?
911 OPERATOR: OK, is she breathing at all?
MACNEILL: She`s not!
911 OPERATOR: OK, sir, the ambulance has been paged. They`re on their way, OK? Do not hang up.
MACNEILL: Why?
Why on earth would he ask why??
911 OPERATOR: What? Sir?
MACNEILL: Hello?
911 OPERATOR: Sir, this is 911. Can I help you?
MACNEILL: I need help!
911 OPERATOR: OK, sir, they`re on their way. Is your wife breathing?
MACNEILL: She is not! I am a physician. I`ve got CPR in progress! (INAUDIBLE)
How can he have CPR in progress if she is under water? Hello!
911 OPERATOR: You`re doing CPR?
(CROSSTALK)
911 OPERATOR: Sir, how old is your wife?
MACNEILL: My wife is 50 years old. She just had surgery a couple of days, a week ago.
911 OPERATOR: What kind of surgery did she have?
MACNEILL: She had a facelift.
911 OPERATOR: She had a facelift?
MACNEILL: Yes.
911 OPERATOR: OK, do you know how to do CPR?
MACNEILL: I`m doing it!
How can he be doing this if she is underwater? We didn’t hear him get her out at any point. Even if he did, he should be winded if he is doing this…on a speaker phone. I wonder if anyone checked if he was on a speaker phone.
911 OPERATOR: OK, do not hang…
When you listen to the 911 call, you hear this husband is mad. That raises my eyebrows. I’d like to ask him what he is mad about.
This phone call would be enough for me to say “suspicious” without any doubt.
