November 7, 2005
Albany-- An Albany cab driver was stabbed to death sometime last Thursday. As he lay dead or dying beside his car on Wadkins Avenue, Albany police were sent to the scene. But the officer says when he rode by the address, he didn't see the cab, so he left.
Nearly 20 hours later, the cab driver's body was found at the very location where the officer was sent.
J. M. King was stabbed to death. The Albany Police Department says they responded to the call as they should have, but cannot tell us if the officer who responded even got out of his car.
The big question is: Would J. M. King have lived if he had been found a day earlier?
J. M. and Kim King were married for 21 years. "Everybody loved my husband" she said.
They stayed in constant contact, and talked several times while J. M. was working last Thursday night. "He said I'm just about to drop off Tremont. I'm almost to Tremont drop off."
J. M. King had a pickup from a group of apartments at 618 Residence Avenue. His drop-off point was somewhere along Tremont, which is just across the street from where his body would eventually be found.
Police say robbery was the motive in his death. "If they attempted to rob him, he fought back." It is that fight that may have brought King to his final resting place. It appears he jumped the curb on MLK drive, and ended up in the woods behind 404 Wadkins Avenue.
"They told me that he had crawled out the car and they found him on the ground," said the widow. Presumably for help that he would not receive, even though police were called to the area when someone heard a loud crash and saw a car in his back yard at 10:39 Thursday night.
"I think if those police had of gotten out and thoroughly checked, they might have been able to get some medical help to him," said Mrs. King.
Why didn't Albany Police find a stabbing victim's body when they were called to the scene? Tracey "We had received a call that evening about a suspicious auto back behind the area," said APD Lt. Tracey Barnes. "An officer did respond, and we have talked to our officer and we are looking into it."
Looking into why the officer did not find the car and find King, who may have lived if found 19 hours sooner. "I'm angry about that," said Mrs. King. "If somebody had of gotten there in time, they might have gotten him some medical help."
An autopsy is being conducted at the Crime lab in Moultrie to determine exactly how and when King died.
Albany Cab Company wants people to know that drivers only carry $20.00 in change on them at all times, certainly not enough to kill someone over.
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