Finally, Arrest in Made in 911 Dispatcher Case
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Theresa Parker A LaFayette police officer has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of 911 operator Theresa Parker. Officials say the Officer Harben 'Ben' Chaffin is being charged with making a false statement to GBI investigators. He has not been charged with her disappearance. Chaffin works the same shift as Parker's police officer husband and reports directly to him. Both men were off the night Theresa Parker disappeared. 1:30 UPDATE: Draining the lake is taking longer than anticipated. Crews cannot use any mechanical devices because of Department of Natural Resourses restrictions. The lake is about 20 feet deep. The level is down about five feet. 12:50 UPDATE: The sheriff is escorting Action News reporter Tara Jones to the lake. He tells her officials should know by 2 p.m. if Parker's body is in the lake. 11:05 UPDATE: Walker County Steve Wilson has called a 2 p.m. news conference to update the search for Parker. Authorities have begun draining a lake in their search for a missing Walker County 911 dispatcher. The lake is near the home of Theresa Parker's estranged husband, Sam Parker, Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said Monday. He said Sam Parker, a LaFayette police officer, has fished in the pond. "We felt like it was one we needed to search," the sheriff said, adding that the lake will take a couple of days to drain. Divers searched the lane Saturday, but the sheriff said darkness and brush in the water made the search difficult. Georgia Bureau of Investigation special agent James Harris told the Chattanooga Times Free Press on Saturday that Sam Parker is considered a "person of interest" in the disappearance of his wife, who was last seen March 21. The couple was in the process of getting a divorce when the woman disappeared. Sam Parker was expected to be back at work this week. But his boss, LaFayette Director of Public Safety Tommy Freeman, said Parker has extended his leave until sometime next week. Christina Hill, Theresa Parker's sister, also told FOX News she had similar concerns about Sam Parker. "I can honestly say that I do believe he's involved. That’s what I feel, that’s what I know in my heart," Hill said. “I know of an incident last year where she was really scared, she was really afraid. And she looked me in the eyes and told me that she was afraid that she was going to die." Sam Parker had moved out of the home he and his wife once shared, and Theresa was in the midst of moving to a neighboring town when she disappeared. |
