Murder Victim Repp’s Parents Plan to Appeal to the Court
Parents of murder victim Kerry Repp plan to appeal the dismissal of their civil suit against the city of Medford for its failure to answer Repp’s 9-1-1 call. As their alleged emotional distress following Repp’s death did not arise out of physical injuries they suffered, as required by Oregon law, Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Mark Schiveley dismissed Ron and JoeAnn Johnson’s $2.1 million suit against the city.
“Since the Johnsons themselves were not on that 9-1-1 call … the judge ruled that even though the case is compelling … the law does not yet go far enough to provide a remedy,” Andersen said Friday.
The Johnsons’ attorney, Kelly Andersen, said he will file a case with the Oregon Court of Appeals within 30 days. Repp phoned 9-1-1 from her Central Point home the morning of her May 4, 2002, murder.
Forensic analysts later found blood and pieces of her teeth on a cordless telephone hand set. The city’s Central Communications (C-COM) did not hold the line open or dispatch law enforcement to Repp’s house, where she was found dead later that day.
Testifying in last year’s trial of Repp’s husband, Gary Marvin Repp Jr., former dispatcher Celia Jones told the court she did not follow police department policy when handling the call.
Dispatchers must either phone back if the caller doesn’t respond or send officers to the address. A jury in March 2004 found Gary Repp not guilty of his wife’s murder. He was the only one charged with the crime, and Jackson County District Attorney Mark Huddleston said there were no other suspects.
While local Circuit Court judges cannot circumvent state law, the Court of Appeals has the discretion to rule outside of it, possibly deciding if current statutes applying to the Johnsons’ case are still valid, Andersen said.
Filed under Lemon Law
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July 26th, 2008 at 1:48 am
My girlfriend works with Gary Repp’s girlfriend. Similar to Kerry Johnson Repp, she is often covered in scars, one time showed up to work with two black eyes and a loose tooth. When Carol asks her what happened she mades up outlandish stories like tripping over things and running into trees. No one is buying it. We all know that he is a violent angry man, and worry that she will be the next victim. The one time she almost admitted the abuse he was putting her through she said she deserved it because she talked back, but later took it back. Why didn’t we lock this menace to society up when we had a chance rather than put another woman in danger, and posibly in danger of being killed. Who do I talk to to save this woman’s life from this monster?
July 26th, 2008 at 1:52 am
My girlfriend works with Gary Repp’s girlfriend. Similar to Kerry Johnson Repp, she is often covered in scars, one time showed up to work with two black eyes and a loose tooth. When Carol asks her what happened she mades up outlandish stories like tripping over things and running into trees. No one is buying it. We all know that he is a violent angry man, and worry that she will be the next victim. The one time she almost admitted the abuse he was putting her through she said she deserved it because she talked back, but later took it back. Why didn’t we lock this menace to society up when we had a chance rather than put another woman in danger, and posibly in danger of being killed. Who do I talk to to save this woman’s life from this monster? P.S. Military big wigs protect him and when peole get suspicious they bring him overseas. Why do they want to protect this beast? WHY!