Murder victim's 911 call for help played during trial

10/30/2017

Terry Campbell, with defense attorney Meira Zucker, goes on trial before Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Dean Mandros for the fatal shooting of his wife, Cora Campbell, on Monday.

The Blade/Jetta Fraser
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In the moments before she was shot to death in her home, Cora Campbell pleaded with her estranged husband to leave.

“Get out of here now!” Ms. Campbell, 32, can be heard screaming after calling 911 and asking that police come quickly. “No. Please. No.”

The recording was played for a jury impaneled in Lucas County Common Pleas Court Monday for the trial of Terry Campbell, 42, of the 200 block of Mayberry Street who is charged with two counts of aggravated murder and one count each of murder and aggravated burglary for the Dec. 16 death of Ms. Campbell.

Brian Boos, an assistant county prosecutor, told the jury in his opening statement that Ms. Campbell was shot eight times just before 1 a.m. while the couple's 10-month-old son was in the house.

In the weeks leading up to her death, he said, Ms. Campbell had asked her husband to move out of the Mayberry Street home.

“He had moved out of the residence, and she was preparing to move forward with her life, a life she no longer wanted the defendant to be a part of,” Mr. Boos said. “The defendant refused to accept that.”

Defense attorney Meira Zucker conceded that Mr. Campbell shot his wife, but she said he did not plan it.

“There is no prior calculation or design,” she said. “...This was not a drawn-out act. This was almost an instantaneous eruption of events.”

Ms. Zucker said Mr. Campbell, a 10-year city of Toledo employee, was excited that his wife was pregnant again and became angry upon learning she had terminated the pregnancy.

“Yes, Terry Campbell shot Cora almost randomly... with guns that she kept in the house, guns that she purchased, bullets that she purchased,” Ms. Zucker said. “And yes, Terry was mad. He was mad Cora had an abortion without telling him ahead of time.”

She said he lost control of his emotions that night.

“There's a difference between being mad at someone and planning to kill them,” Ms. Zucker said.

On the witness stand, John Corbin identified his daughter's voice on the 911 tape. He told the jury how he and his wife had gone to his daughter's home the night of Dec. 16 after receiving a call that something may have happened to her.

Mr. Boos said police arrived shortly after receiving Ms. Campbell's 911 call and heard gunshots from inside the house. He said that as officers approached the house, Mr. Campbell came out briefly then ran back inside. A standoff ensued, and the SWAT team was called.

Mr. Corbin told the jury he didn't know what was going on that night.

“I was hoping it was just a bad domestic violence situation and eventually it was going to be resolved and everyone was going to go home,” he said.

The trial resumes at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in the courtroom of Judge Dean Mandros.

Contact Jennifer Feehan at jfeehan@theblade.com or 419-213-2134.