911 caller draws attention to police response time after murder of Milwaukee mom, daughters

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MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Sharee Lee says she was woken up Feb. 8 just before 2 a.m. by a domestic violence incident.

"It was like a lot of loud thumps against my bedroom wall," Lee said.

She heard a woman, who she eventually learned was Amarah Banks, crying for help.

"So I jumped up, I grabbed my phone, and I called 911."

According to the criminal complaint for the homicide investigation into how Banks and her two daughters were killed, Lee told police a woman was yelling "don't kill me, don't kill me."

"So the operator answered," Lee said. "I told her what was going on. I think there's some lady next door getting the hell beat out of her."

The criminal complaint does not specify if or when police responded to that call. Lee says police arrived about eight to nine hours later.

"We're telling you that she's getting assaulted. Dragged back into the apartment building. That should have been a red flag. We're going to go check on it, but nobody came until the next day."

This all happened on Feb. 8. On Feb. 9, a missing persons report was filed. On Feb. 15, an AMBER alert was issued, and on Feb.16, the family members were found deceased in a garage.

Lee says outside of improved response times, all she wants now is justice for Arzel Ivery.

"They can't see the sun anymore," Lee said. "He shouldn't be able to either."

MPD did not answer questions about their response time, other than saying they are aware of the 911 call.

The records division said they cannot give any information on the call until the trial is finished.


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