The grand jury, assembled to look into what District 3 Commissioner Ashley Hendrix called the wrongful death of a Temple man in June, is required to issue a presentment and recommendation for the county commissioners.
Coweta Circuit District Attorney Peter Skandalakis said Thursday that the group of 23 grand jurors will reconvene at 8:30 a.m. next Thursday to listen to more witness testimony and investigate more relevant documents.
The grand jury met Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week, listening to testimony, visiting the 911 call center and investigating the computer-assisted dispatch (CAD) system.
Skandalakis said the grand jury is waiting another week to reconvene so it can make plans to attend the proceedings, since the original schedule called for only three days.
“That was the original schedule, and we have to remember that these people have jobs,” Skandalakis said. “They blocked out these three days for jury duty, but now they haven’t finished. If the jurors come back next Thursday and still can’t come to a decision by the end of that day, I believe they will meet once a week until they can reach a decision.”
Hendrix requested the investigation when an emergency responder was sent to a wrong address by a 911 dispatcher.
Fred Langley, 73, of Temple, fell in his driveway June 28 and died from diabetic shock. His wife, Reba, called 911 at 2:30 p.m. that day, telling emergency dispatchers to send responders to their house on Kathy Lane in Temple. Instead, responders went to Kathy Lane in Carrollton, about nine miles away, before realizing the mistake.
The dispatcher was terminated from the position. Commission Chairman Bill Chappell has called the mixup “pure human error,” but Hendrix disagrees.
“We have a system that was recently updated. I voted against it, and I said at the meeting when we voted that it was going to cost someone his life,” Hendrix said in July
The grand jury will hear testimony from Hendrix, Chappell and Daley in its proceedings. Afterward, the jury will have the power to summon additional witnesses, examine documents and inspect any facilities it deems necessary to complete its investigation.
At the end of the investigation, the jury will issue a report setting forth its findings and making recommendations it finds appropriate, a press release from the district attorney’s office states.
The special grand jury will be a purely investigative body and will have no authority to hand down criminal indictments.
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