Tucson police have released the recordings of several 911 calls that were made last month in connection with the kidnapping and torture of a former Pima County beauty queen’s ex-boyfriend.
In the recordings, callers reported hearing gunfire along with a man screaming for help.
Kumari Fulbright, 25, a UA law student who has since been suspended from school, is accused of kidnapping the 24-year-old man, binding him with plastic cable and duct tape and holding him captive in two homes.
Police say she was assisted by two or three men, one of whom has been taken in to custody.
Court documents say four suspects pointed pistols at the man, threatened his life and stole his wallet, cell phone and briefcase and $500 to $600 in cash.
The documents also say Fulbright bit her ex-boyfriend several times while he was tied up and that she stuck a butcher knife to his ear.
After nearly 10 hours, the man was able to grab Fulbright’s gun and the gun went off, court documents say. The man escaped, running out of the house screaming for help, according to the documents.
Police said the man’s injuries were consistent with his story.
Fulbright told police that her ex-boyfriend stole several items of jewelry from her while she was out of town, according to police reports. She told investigators she knew he’d taken them because he was the only one with access to her house, but he denied taking them when she confronted him.
Fulbright said she “jumped on” him in an attempt to get the truth and he pulled a gun on her, the report says.
A struggle ensued and she knocked the gun from his hand then picked it up. The gun fired into the ground when her ex-boyfriend tried to grab it back from her, she said, and the man left before police arrived, according to the reports.
Fulbright ran in the Miss Arizona contest and was named Miss Pima County in 2005 and Miss Desert Sun in 2006. She also volunteered in U.S. District Judge Raner Collins’ office as an extern.
She may be named Fullbright… but she is definetly not a scholar.
— mike b 01/23/2008 07:26 AM #
Are beauty queens suppose to look like dudes these days?
— cambones 01/25/2008 07:35 AM #
Did anyone hear how many times the original caller was transferred around by 911?? The victim could have been killed 6 times over by the time spoke to the “right” peson!!!
— Opp 01/25/2008 08:21 AM #
Whoever wrote this last comment should probably pack up their computer and send it back to wherever they got it from. The recording is of many calls going into 911, not just one person being transferred multiple times. Maybe you should switch to CNN news, you may fit in better over there.
— SS 01/25/2008 08:40 AM #
Beauty Queen? Who were the judges, the Society for The Blind? Yuk.
— bombeni 01/25/2008 08:43 AM #
I used to work as a 911 dispatcher. I can’t believe how many times a caller is transferred for an emergency call! Lots can happen within those minutes! the deputies should have been on seen by the time she got to the right caller!
— Angela 01/25/2008 09:02 AM #
this 911 call is unreal! i probably would have just hung up
— mary 01/25/2008 09:19 AM #
Why is it that these commenters can’t seem to comprehend that this is a recording of multiple 911 calls and not just a single call being rerouted multiple times? For Pete’s sake, get a clue already!!
— annoyed 01/25/2008 09:29 AM #
As many time folks had called in for help the police should have been there on the scene. Like someone said the victim could have been dead several time before anyone talked to the right person. This system of ours needs to do better with emergency.
— Sandy 01/25/2008 09:31 AM #
Who every you are need not generalize because some of us do understand that it is a recording. That’s not the issue here, the problem is the system needs to come up with a better plan as to how to get help to these folks. So maybe folks won’t get hurt or alot more lives will be saved.
— Sandy 01/25/2008 09:38 AM #
She must have been on some drugs. she looks terrible.
— sandy 01/25/2008 09:47 AM #
Sandy –
Do you realize how much it would cost to somehow anticipate and prevent these types of crimes? That’s not the system we have in place, our cops respond to someone getting hurt or killed and then investigations begin, until then its nobody’s business apparently. Its like no one knows anything about whats going on outside or with their neighbors and then there’s still some sleeping with the doors unlocked, geezsh!
— Pirelli Jones 01/25/2008 09:55 AM #
The other thing a lot of posters here don’t seem to have noodled through is that according to the story, by the time there were “gunshots” the incident was already over. He escaped after he fired the gun. You have to wonder how long he was yelling for “Help” before the Police actually got there.
— reality 01/25/2008 10:04 AM #
The calls were by all different people. This also does not mean the system has failed. If you think about it, it probably takes 5 minutes, 10 at the most to get to were they are going, the authorities are never sitting right outside. These calls were probably made within a couple of seconds each time. Nothing indicates how long it took for anyone to get there.
— common sense 01/25/2008 10:10 AM #
She looks like David Lee Roth after a bad day ! ! !
— Dave 01/25/2008 10:28 AM #
oh let me guess, their legal citizens of the us, can anyone spell fence
— sar 01/25/2008 11:09 AM #
Wow…Tucson’s “beauty” ratings are the lowest known to the planet. Even her modeling pics are hard to look at…she has a strange mouth. Say hello to your mother, the White Witch in Narnia, ya freak.
— Mc 01/25/2008 11:41 AM #
These are numerous callS – not just one call; thus, it sounds like multiple transfers! Apparently, the boyfriend has a good set of lungs. Terrible ordeal….she looks to be on drugs, probably crack; there could have been a death here, even if accidental.
— Mar 01/25/2008 12:05 PM #
I am so glad I do not live in Tucson! Why do they have to transfer all the f%%%n calls???????? Lord, it’s a joke. They obviously need update the 911 system!
— Laura Ficus 01/25/2008 12:14 PM #
she looks far from a beauty queen in that god awful photo
— brian 01/25/2008 12:37 PM #
How many times do you have to be transferred before you get somebody out there????????
Mark my words. This WHITE GIRL will NOT go to prison long if at all. She will probably get probation or a suspended sentence.
If the guy was doing the kidnapping and torture then he we do hard time. Especially if he was black or latin.
— Miguel 01/25/2008 01:10 PM #
maybe it would help if the 911 people could speak ENGLISH!!
An accent is one thing, but they need to be able to speak clearly so that callers can understand them….Jeez!
— stephenia 01/25/2008 01:18 PM #
She looks like Carrot Top.
— Edward 01/25/2008 01:33 PM #
She looks like a Chinese white girl
— John 01/25/2008 01:51 PM #
Did anoyone hear the guy in the background on one of the last calls? He said “We are all going to die if they do not hurry up and get here..Why would you think that. It is not like they were in the same house?
— Mike 01/25/2008 02:19 PM #
Her name should be halfbright because she sure isn’t fulbright
— Matt 01/25/2008 04:46 PM #
She looks like one of those Troll Dolls.
— GunMD 01/25/2008 05:25 PM #
I’m glad to know a lot of people are willing to call the police and get involved to save someone.
— donna 01/25/2008 05:29 PM #
Yes there were maybe a few callers that called in but I think those callers were passed around a few times until they got the Tuscon Police, like someone said above, I would of probably hung up to and said screw it. There are to many errors in our 911 Service. This should not be the case ever, seconds mean life or death
— ??????? 01/25/2008 10:45 PM #
For all of you folks with so much common sense. Let a cop fellow officer get hurt or shot and see how fast they respond. So please don’t try and blow smoke up my butt and tell me about them not being in the area or how much money it will cost them and it’s not the system faults. What world do you folks live in? In the woods!
— Sandy 01/25/2008 11:43 PM #
This is an insult to our police force, when you listen to 911 tapes
being transfered from one person to another it is the poorest system I have ever heard -. truly this is an insult to anyone’s intelligence. how sad 911 is.
— Linda 01/26/2008 07:35 AM #
I never thought of it, I might have have a very good chance to win the Miss Arizona title, if that’s my competition. Thanks to everyone that saved this mans life.
— Teresa RR 01/26/2008 07:49 AM #
If every home owner on that block were properly armed, the slow dispatch time would not have been an issue. There was no indication of how long the police response was after dispatch, but I think some posters here are taking liberty with their assumptions. This is the kind of situation most police officers signed up for. I am sure that sirens were screaming and tires were burning in the police response to this call.
— Chuck S 01/26/2008 11:07 AM #
oh let me guess, their legal citizens of the us, can anyone spell fence
— sar Jan 25, 11:09am
f-e-n-c-e…...can anyone spell they’re?
also, that chick looks like sean penn
— gibby 01/26/2008 11:22 AM #
You folks are so stupid. Making comments about how this woman look and describing how she look. Instead of posting something intelligent you rather act like juveniles and your ignorance is bliss!
Linda…
Thank you for you smart comment, because the police force and, 911 is a joke and so is our system at times. Great call on that one!
— Sandy 01/26/2008 10:21 PM #
well now that ihad laughed my butt of on all your ignorant(but funny)comments,donna ,comment 29has actually made the only truly human statement .as it had been stated,you didnt get the completed calls .you heard only what they spliced together.notice the names and addresses were not released.duh apperently 911 did its job ,notice the photo is a police taken victim photo.apparently they got the message and was able to handle the situation.THANK GOD FOR 911.remember when we didnt have it ?it has saved many lives.
next of all you can honestly say you have all had some pretty horrific ordeals ..cand we see your picture after that pleazzze.
we will make comments about yours ..that will be fun .ya think ..sorry for all who were victimized in this situation,but thanks for the supportive laughs
— tamey_k 01/27/2008 10:21 PM #
correction police photo for evidence and for the record ..(it just appears her hair has been pulled)
— tamey_k 01/27/2008 10:23 PM #
911 calls made by cell phone are sent to the first available tower not always in the correct jurisdiction. Police cannot go over jurisdictional lines therefore a call may have to be transferred. New technology costs money and no one wants to pay for it.
— sfcrob1369 03/06/2008 02:12 AM #
She looks as if she’s on meth. It’s amazing what make up can do for a person. She would have been the last one I would have picked for the winner.
— mike b 01/23/2008 07:26 AM #
— cambones 01/25/2008 07:35 AM #
— Opp 01/25/2008 08:21 AM #
— SS 01/25/2008 08:40 AM #
— bombeni 01/25/2008 08:43 AM #
— Angela 01/25/2008 09:02 AM #
— mary 01/25/2008 09:19 AM #
— annoyed 01/25/2008 09:29 AM #
— Sandy 01/25/2008 09:31 AM #
— Sandy 01/25/2008 09:38 AM #
— sandy 01/25/2008 09:47 AM #
Do you realize how much it would cost to somehow anticipate and prevent these types of crimes? That’s not the system we have in place, our cops respond to someone getting hurt or killed and then investigations begin, until then its nobody’s business apparently. Its like no one knows anything about whats going on outside or with their neighbors and then there’s still some sleeping with the doors unlocked, geezsh!
— Pirelli Jones 01/25/2008 09:55 AM #
— reality 01/25/2008 10:04 AM #
— common sense 01/25/2008 10:10 AM #
— Dave 01/25/2008 10:28 AM #
— sar 01/25/2008 11:09 AM #
— Mc 01/25/2008 11:41 AM #
— Mar 01/25/2008 12:05 PM #
— Laura Ficus 01/25/2008 12:14 PM #
— brian 01/25/2008 12:37 PM #
Mark my words. This WHITE GIRL will NOT go to prison long if at all. She will probably get probation or a suspended sentence.
If the guy was doing the kidnapping and torture then he we do hard time. Especially if he was black or latin.
— Miguel 01/25/2008 01:10 PM #
An accent is one thing, but they need to be able to speak clearly so that callers can understand them….Jeez!
— stephenia 01/25/2008 01:18 PM #
— Edward 01/25/2008 01:33 PM #
— John 01/25/2008 01:51 PM #
— Mike 01/25/2008 02:19 PM #
— ihavenobanannas 01/25/2008 04:16 PM #
— Matt 01/25/2008 04:46 PM #
— GunMD 01/25/2008 05:25 PM #
— donna 01/25/2008 05:29 PM #
— ??????? 01/25/2008 10:45 PM #
— Sandy 01/25/2008 11:43 PM #
being transfered from one person to another it is the poorest system I have ever heard -. truly this is an insult to anyone’s intelligence. how sad 911 is.
— Linda 01/26/2008 07:35 AM #
— Teresa RR 01/26/2008 07:49 AM #
— Chuck S 01/26/2008 11:07 AM #
— sar Jan 25, 11:09am
f-e-n-c-e…...can anyone spell they’re?
also, that chick looks like sean penn
— gibby 01/26/2008 11:22 AM #
Linda…
Thank you for you smart comment, because the police force and, 911 is a joke and so is our system at times. Great call on that one!
— Sandy 01/26/2008 10:21 PM #
next of all you can honestly say you have all had some pretty horrific ordeals ..cand we see your picture after that pleazzze.
we will make comments about yours ..that will be fun .ya think ..sorry for all who were victimized in this situation,but thanks for the supportive laughs
— tamey_k 01/27/2008 10:21 PM #
— tamey_k 01/27/2008 10:23 PM #
— sfcrob1369 03/06/2008 02:12 AM #
She looks as if she’s on meth. It’s amazing what make up can do for a person. She would have been the last one I would have picked for the winner.
— Aubere98 04/05/2008 05:48 PM #