911 Call Under Scrutiny in Lorenzen Wright Murder Case

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Most homicide detectives will tell you the key time to get a jump on a murder case is within 48 hours after it's committed. But, an unexplained delay of reporting a 911 call has now robbed Memphis Police investigators not just of valuable hours, but days.

"It's been since Sunday since anybody has heard or seen from you. You know you've got these six kids who needed you. But, if you're in the sound of my voice, you need to be calling home and let us know that you're okay."

Those were the impassioned words of Lorenzen Wright's worried mother Debora Marion. But, a day after the discovery of what's now confirmed by Memphis Police to be the body of the missing former U of M Tigers and Grizzlies basketball star, evidence is mounting that Marion's desperate plea might have already come too late to be heard by her son.

Although MPD chose not make any public statements about their investigation into Wright's murder on Thursday, some answers might be emerging as to why it took so long to locate Wright's bullet-riddled body in a wooded area in Southeast Memphis.

Speculation centers around a confirmed 911 call received by a Germantown dispatcher in the early morning hours of July 19th.

Germantown Police Department provided the following statement:

The copy of a recording of a recent 911 call has been released to the custody of Memphis Police Department as evidence in a criminal investigation. Germantown Police Department is conducting an administrative review of how the call has handled.

Reportedly a male voice can be heard followed by gunfire in the background. A reliable source told FOX13 News the call did display a number. But, it's not known if the dispatcher reported the call or pursued the incident anymore.

Three days later on July 22nd, Wright's mother filed a missing person's report with Collierville Police. FOX13 News was told if the call had been pursued it might have been possible to get a coordinate off the nearest cell phone tower for a general location of where the call came from. However, we have also learned that call wasn't disclosed until 9 days after it was made.

Both the Collierville and Germantown Police have forwarded all questions about the 911 call to MPD. Our source says Wright's body wasn't found until all the agencies started to share their information, including the July 19th emergency call.

The search for Wright's body tragically ended on Wednesday when a Shelby County Sheriff's Department cadaver dog discovered the victim. With Memphis homicide detectives now in charge of the investigation, Wright's family and friends hope the effort to bring his killer or killers to justice has begun in earnest.

"I'm praying that God received him. But, at the same time while we're down here, nobody's getting away with anything. You can bet on that," said Wright's personal assistant Wendy Wilson.