BGA Gets Phil Pagano 911 Call

The BGA gave the 911 tape story to Chris Fusco of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Why Sheriff Keith Nygren refused to release the 911 call made by former McHenry County and State Republican Party Chairman Al Jourdan is beyond me.

Now, almost most four months after Metra Exec Phil Pagano committed suicide by stepping in front of a train, the call surfaces in a Sun-Times article written by Chris Fusco.  Within the link is another link where you can hear the call itself.

The reply I received after asking for the 911 call said the investigation was still taking place and that private information was included in the call.

Guess I should have asked later or appealed to the Attorney General.

Turns out the private information was caller Al Jourdan’s home phone number and address. What a flimsy excuse not to provide the contents of the call.

And the contents were:

Jourdan got a call “10-12 minutes ago”

  • It was from Pagano.
  • He “could hear a train in the background.”
  • He knew where the car, house keys and suicide note was.
  • “I can be helpful, I think, to the police.”
  • Pagano was OK when he talked to him at 2 or 3 that morning.

Nygren is quoted as saying he had “no recollection of ever having met” Pagano.

Strange, since Nygren lived in the same subdivision as Pagano, Covered Bridge Trails, before he moved to Lakewood’s Turnberry before he moved to Hebron.

If someone ever places them together, Nygren could say, “Oh, now I recall.”

You can find the Sheriff’s Department’s report on the suicide here.

The denial I got is below.  Click to enlarge it.

Jourdan’s service on the RTA Board is mentioned in the story, as well as Jack Schaffer’s membership on the Metra Board.

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For Keith Nygren’s Democratic Party opponent’s press release, click here.


Comments

BGA Gets Phil Pagano 911 Call — 10 Comments

  1. Very sad. Listened to the tape at the Sun Times link today. Behind the backdrop of the Metra mess that led Pagano to take this sorry way out, one can take a step back and hear that this was a friend who had spent a late night consoling an old friend only to have just come to the probable realization that friend had taken his own life.

  2. Listen to the audio at the 50 second mark… Jourdan tells 911 dispatch he was ‘going to brush my teeth.’

    Folks, we just can’t make this kind of stuff up………..! Friends for 25 years, and Al has to get off the phone to go brush his teeth.

    Yea, and Im the “Insane” one!!! Too much!

  3. Jourdan stated he got the call from Pagano, “10-12 minutes ago.” While Pagano was still alive. WHY didn’t he immediately call “KEITH” or “ANDY” to get a squad directly over to the scene that Jourdan so clearly described in detail. Jourdan knew EXACTLY where to send help.

    That 10-12 minutes could have saved Mr. Pagano’s life would it not? At least the possibility exists that is could have since there was in fact, per news reports, a Deputy very close by.

    So, Jourdan waits 10-12 minutes, THEN, makes an ‘indirect’ call to 911 which cost more time… CLEARLY, Al Jourdan would have DIRECT access to “Keith” and “Andy.”

    Now please excuse me I must go brush my teeth, I’ve just ‘thrown up!”

  4. Dave, Friends of more than 25 years…no matter what trouble Pagano caused himself Jourdan was understandably in shock as realization was setting in his long time friend had just committed suicide. A few strange comments are expected.

    As for Jourdan making a call so the police could get there to save Pagano’s life….Jourdan was clear that he heard the train during the call, it is insulting to imply a squad could have made it there in time.

  5. But if he called earlier there would have been a chance. And there isn’t any shock in his voice.It is completely a matter of fact voice. He was more interested in drooping names than giving information. He was obviously on the phone long enough with Mr.Pagano to know where many things were. Even though they were in different places.
    So defend your boss through thick and thin if nothing else good can be said about you guys at least your loyal.

  6. I understand this is hard. I’m just trying to make sense of a few things

    1) At the 6 second mark, Mr. Jourdan states that Mr. Pagano was “Threatenting” to walk onto the tracks. (So he was NOT dead when Mr. Jourdan called which does not fit with your statement that Mr. Jourdan was in “shock” as realization was setting in his long time friend had just committed suicide.”

    2) At the 30 second mark, Mr. Jourdan states, “If he (Pagano) did?”

    Again, indicating that 10 to 12 minutes earlier, Mr. Jourdan “Still” did not know if his close friend was dead. Again, this goes against what you have stated. I respectfully point these facts out. I’m not trying to badger you please know that.

    When asked for his phone number, Mr. Jourdan stated he was going to brush his teeth.” Now, I certainly would agree with you, that this could well be a statement from a distaught man. Kind of a ‘nervous’ reaction if you will.

    My point is not to bash Mr. Jourdan, certainly not. I guess I would have called ‘Keith’ or ‘Andy’ directly. I think it’s not a stretch to believe that Mr. Jourdan has Keith’s number on the speed dial.

    I do not believe it is insulting to believe that within a 10-12 minute period a squad could have, and I say could have, made a difference.

    Clearly as indicated above, Mr. Pagano was NOT yet deceased, NOR, did Mr. Jourdan have knowledge that Mr. Pagano was already deceased at the time of the 911 call.

    Its very sad and that is the bottom line. I do not mean any disrespect, nor insult. Im purely going by what was stated as proved by the tapes.

    Mr. Pagano looked like the kind of man who I would like to have been friends with from looking at his photos.

    Thank you

  7. Talk about a fox in the henhouse. Have Nygren do the investigation!!!

    Any lawyer can tell you what “I do not recall” means. It is CYA at its best.

    Cannot lie and say NO or Yes just in case someone can prove the opposite. Oh my, I just did not remember that. Slipped my mind.

  8. David,
    I do get where you are coming from but the part that strikes me is where he says he heard the train coming…At that point the stark reality was that it was simply too late no matter who was called.

    We can argue if Jourdan was in denial, shock, or what ever we want to paint it as. Let’s just hope none of us sitting in judgment ever are in that same position to know how we would react. I expect many of those judging would also say some things they would not want scrutinized word by word by the local political critic crowd.

  9. AreYou…. I agree.

    Please know Im not judging, just trying to piece things together. If the train hit Mr. Pagano while he was on the phone with Mr. Jourdan, shouldn’t there have been some type of ‘signal’ or sound that would have indicated such. I think I read the phone was in pieces… I don’t recall.

    At any rate, certainly I am not faulting Mr. Jourdan and certainly not any Sheriff’s deputy. How could they have tried to help if they were never called. Obviously they could not.

    Maybe I am stuck on the ‘rumors’ that Sheriff’s Deputies were at Mr. Pagano’s home the evening PRIOR to his death. Can this be verified by anybody?

    As far as scrutinization…. I’m working hard on my own self, trying to be a better person. I’ve learned a lot via this political process. I’ve asked others to make changes and Im trying hard to change my ways as well.

    Although Mr. Pagano was a public figure, I believe we should let the authorities do their jobs and we as a community, (online) I’m sure the family may read our words, we should be supportive of their needs and sensitive to their feelings.

    While I was active in the Funeral Industry, I can’t tell you how many suicides I had attended. I always recall looking at the deceased and thinking, I hope I never feel so badly, so helpless, that I take my own life.

    Thank you very much for your open communication. I’m sure Mr. Jourdan is in need of our prayers and kindness at this time as well. Your correct and I plan to remove my post about the topic.

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