The Dane County Public Safety Communications Office has released the audio of two 911 calls related to the Joel Marino homicide in response to open records requests from Isthmus and other media. The Madison man was killed in his home by Monona Bay on Monday, Jan. 28. Police have released the sketch of a suspect but the case remains unsolved. The police investigation has been criticized by Marino's parents and grandmother, who was the last to speak with the victim on the day of his murder.
The first 911 call is from a woman who was among the first people to find Marino in the alley outside of his home after he had been fatally stabbed.
The second 911 call was received March 21 from a man who purportedly saw the chief suspect on the day of the killing and was calling to report that he had spotted the man walking through his neighborhood again. This witness is a former Madison firefighter discussed his interactions with the MPD in an Isthmus story.
As noted in the open records release, the identifying information about the caller has been redacted following a request from the Madison Police Department. "The identifying information is still vital evidence in an active homicide investigation," declares the MPD. "There is a strong public interest to ensure that law enforcement officials are conducting a proper, thorough and aggressive investigation in regards to this case. The release of this information could jeopardize the continuing investigation process and currently serves no public interest in its release."
Bill Lueders and Kristian Knutsen contributed to this story.
