The body of a Dallas woman was discovered in her home by her family, two days after she called 911 for help while being attacked, allegedly by her ex-husband. What appears to be a communications breakdown has prompted a police investigation.
The family of Deanna Cook became concerned when they hadn't heard from her and saw water coming out of her house on Sunday, Cook's sister, Karletha Gundy, told ABCNews.com.
The sisters' mother called 911 and was told an officer could only be sent to the scene after she had called local hospitals and jails to see if her daughter was at another location, Gundy said.
Tired of waiting, Gundy, accompanied by her mother and her sister's two teenage daughters, kicked open the back door to the home.
"My mom walked in first, then my nieces, then myself. We just followed each other through the house," she said. "The water covered [our] ankles."
Once inside, the family found the home "torn apart" as they walked through, searching each room for Cook.
"Her bedroom door was kicked down. We did not kick down that door. Her room was torn apart. Even the toilet seat was off," Gundy said.
Deanna Cook was found in her underwear, her lifeless body in the bathtub. It was unclear how she died, her sister said.
"We screamed and we were just yelling, 'He killed her! He killed her!'" Gundy said.
The Dallas mother called for help on Friday after being attacked in her home, allegedly by ex-husband Delvecchio Patrick.
Gundy said she was told officers did a perimeter check and knocked on the door, but that no one answered -- all this, despite the 911 call that had captured Cook's screams.
On the 11-minute call, Cook calls her ex-husband out by name, while a man's voice can be heard saying he is going to kill her, sources told ABC News's Dallas affiliate.
The couple had a troubled relationship and Cook had a history of calling 911 against Patrick, Gundy said. Patrick was arrested and is charged with murder.
The Dallas Police Department has not released the audio or a transcript of the call.
A spokesperson for the department confirmed there is an "active investigation" into the situation, but was unable to provide details.
The 911 operator who took Cook's call told the Dallas Morning News it was clear Cook was calling about a disturbance.
"I can say that it's obvious that there was an active disturbance taking place, the screaming and things like that, so I can't say that I knew what was going on, other than there was a disturbance," the operator said. "Obviously my prayers go out to her family because that's just a terrible situation."
Gundy said she is upset with the way the situation has been handled.
"They have not told us anything about that call. They're trying to find a way to cover their tails. Some kind of disciplinary action should be done," she said. "I don't care how many times she has called and you get there and everything is fine. This lady is screaming for her life."
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