I have acquired additional June 25, 2007, Benoit-related audio from the Fayette County E911 Center. The two new recordings raise new questions, though whether they are major questions will require further investigation and analysis.
To review, Dennis Fagan, a vice president of the giant private security firm Andrews International, a World Wrestling Entertainment contractor, called 911 at 1:16 p.m. Eastern time to request a “welfare check” on Chris Benoit’s home. As recounted here last month, Fagan twice incorrectly said Benoit had left a cryptic text message that morning; in fact, Benoit had transmitted the text message – indeed, reiterations of two different ones to both Chavo Guerrero and Scott James – more than 30 hours earlier. That audio can be downloaded at http://muchnick.net/Benoit911.mp3.
The new audio is in “wav” format, but also can be played by standard computer audio software.
At 4:24 p.m., Dennis Fagan calls again. He is simply checking in to see what was found. He is told that someone will call him back. That clip is at http://muchnick.net/2ndBenoit911.wav.
At 4:46 p.m., Rich Hering, WWE’s vice president for governmental relations, calls. Hering says he is trying to get in touch with Lieutenant Tommy Pope of the Sheriff’s Office to provide information which Hering understood Pope was seeking. (The lawyerly Hering seems to be careful to make the point that he has not directly spoken to Pope.) A message is left for Pope to call Hering. That clip is at http://muchnick.net/3rdBenoit911.wav.
I will be asking both Lieutenant Pope (now Captain Pope) and Hering to share with us what information Pope was seeking and what information Hering presumably proceeded to give him.
Meanwhile, the idea that Fagan didn’t already know the score at 4:24 p.m. is ridiculous (and I believe I am reading the log right, but I’ll correct that immediately if shown otherwise). There is no timeline of which I have any knowledge that contends the company didn’t at least know that a crime had been committed at that point!
Irv Muchnick