The District Attorney’s office this week sent an email to the Police Advisory Commission stating that it has located a transcript of 911 recordings in its possession related to the Nizah Morris case that was made by a PGN reporter.
The Jan. 23 email from Todd M. Mosser, chief of litigation for the D.A., also stated that no additional 911 recordings have been located, other than those transcribed by the reporter.
According to Mosser’s email, the PGN transcript is stored separately from the D.A.’s Morris file, thus it wasn’t included in a batch of Morris documents supplied to the PAC last month.
This reporter transcribed Morris 911 recordings from a cassette tape that was leaked by a former police official in 2004. The transcript was submitted as an exhibit in PGN’s Right-to-Know request for additional Morris 911 recordings from the D.A.’s office.
Last week, PGN’s request was listed for oral arguments in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, but a date hasn’t been set.
Mosser’s email doesn’t clarify why the request is pending in court if the D.A.’s office only has Morris 911 recordings transcribed by a PGN reporter.
At their Jan. 23 public meeting, PAC members agreed unanimously to ask Mosser for a copy of the PGN transcript.
“After we receive the transcript, we’ll decide our next move,” said PAC member Ronda B. Goldfein, who was elected chair of the PAC at the meeting.
Morris was a transgender woman found with a fatal head wound in 2002 shortly after receiving a courtesy ride from Philadelphia police. She died two days later, on Dec. 24, 2002, from complications due to a fractured skull.
The homicide remains unsolved, and the PAC is reviewing the incident for possible police misconduct.
Before issuing a report, PAC members are seeking all Morris investigative records in the D.A.’s possession, with the exception of internal office memos.