Lululemon Murder Trial: Apple Store Employee Heard 'Talk To Me, Don't Do This' Through Wall

WASHINGTON -- Two Apple store employees testified in a Montgomery County courtroom on Friday afternoon that they heard a violent commotion unfolding next door at the Lululemon yoga store in Bethesda in March where prosecutors say Brittany Norwood killed co-worker Jayna Murray.

As Patch reports, Jana Svrzo, then an Apple store manager, heard noises coming from the wall the store shares with Lululemon. "It sounded like something thudding, hitting or dragging -- grunting, high-pitched squealing, yelping perhaps," Svrzo testified:

Svrzo said she heard two distinct female voices, one lower, and one hysterical. She said she heard a woman say in a low voice, "Oh God, please help me."

The other voice said, "Talk to me. Don't do this. Talk to me. What's going on?"

Neither prosecutors or defense lawyers asked the two employees why they didn't call 911.

More on Friday's proceedings from Patch.

Comments

[SherrySue]

11:44 AM on 11/03/2011

I have heard that one needs to scream "FIRE", people will react to this. Or at least scream out HELP call 911

[roshwaav]

12:19 PM on 11/05/2011

I recommend that people write to the Apple Corporation demanding that they investigate the (in)action of their store managers in this case and take appropriate action.

Apple's snail-mail address (I find no way to e-mail them, ironically enough):

1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014

Tel. [phone]

[CrawfishFestival]

01:54 AM on 11/03/2011

As Patch reports, Jana Svrzo, then an Apple store manager, heard noises coming from the wall the store shares with Lululemon. "It sounded like something thudding, hitting or dragging -- grunting, high-pitched squealing, yelping perhaps," Svrzo testified:

********

And did not bother calling 911........Unfbelievable!

[Charles Queen]

02:28 AM on 11/03/2011

Yes.It's amazing as to how people will totaly ignore something like this and not call 911 etc.You gotta know that it had to be on the noisy side without a doubt

[sweatermoose]

10:51 PM on 11/02/2011

Psychologists have done studies on this phenomenon. The majority of people will not intervene if one, they can't see the person being harmed, and/or two, don't in some way perceive the victim to be like themselves. It's horrible that we're made like that, but when people know that their impulse is going to be to not get involved, it helps them to override the impulse and act when they should.
That said, even though I intellectually understand why they didn't call the cops, why the hel.l didn't they call the cops, or, hello, if they could hear her, she could have heard them. They could have at least called out, "are you okay over there?" or something. I hope it weighs on their conscience. It should.

[Nancy Mallett]

09:08 PM on 11/02/2011

As far as i am concerned, the apple store manager, employees, etc. should all be held accountable for not getting involved. I'm so tired of reading story after story about people who didn't want to get involved and watched or heard someone get killed! I truly hope those people have nightmares every night over what they could have done but chose not to!!

[sakovkt]

08:57 PM on 11/02/2011

Reminds me of the Kitty Genovese case.

[UnRed]

11:11 AM on 11/02/2011

If the victim had included a threat to her iPad, I suspect those Apple store employees would've been on the phone to 911 right quick.

[Kelly Jade]

08:31 PM on 10/31/2011

I lived in an apartment complex and heard a woman screaming "don't touch me" I called the cops and they came quick.

I've been abused, I'd have wanted someone to have done the same for me

[FreeSwingingSoul]

05:29 PM on 10/31/2011

Maybe people are too de-sensitized to all the violence they see on tv, in video games, in movies, etc. Folks are so used to seeing violence as a consumer of modern media, maybe they have trouble recognizing and reacting appropriately when the violence is actually real. It may not be the "by stander" effect as much as the "audience" effect.

[dvsinla]

07:15 AM on 11/02/2011

really? it's hollywood's fault?

[Nancy Mallett]

09:09 PM on 11/02/2011

Um..no,it's the idiots who will just easily stand by and watch it happen because they're too afraid to get involved. I still can't figure out exactly what they're so afraid of! I'd rather die helping someone than live knowing I didn't but could have!

[SmartladyDem]

07:17 PM on 10/30/2011

"Oh God, please help me." and the other voice says, ''Talk to me. Don't do this. Talk to me. What's going on?"

This could also be the talk of two people that just found a victim and are trying to keep that victim conscious.

That's just one take-

[robadeaux]

12:23 AM on 11/03/2011

Another good reason to call 911 or go and see what was going on... or both... just sayin'.

[SmartladyDem]

05:32 AM on 11/03/2011

Maybe they assumed that help was there-
Or maybe they just made a huge error in judgement that they will have to live with for the rest of their lives.

[wlkcrk]

01:27 PM on 10/30/2011

A few years ago I heard glass breaking in our alley. I looked out just in time to see a naked woman being hit in the face by a man. I called police and told them that a man just hit a naked woman in the alley. Within seconds the alley was filled with police cars. It turned out to be a domestic dispute.

If you need police in a real hurry tell them that a naked woman is involved and you will get instant service.

[Fromageball]

12:04 PM on 10/30/2011

The bystander effect:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect

[Lucida]

09:40 AM on 10/30/2011

We all have the potential to be in a situation like Jayna Murray. If I am ever the victim of a violent crime and can be saved, I hope someone who overhears or sees me in distress decides that calling 911 "can't hurt."

[Lucida]

09:26 AM on 10/30/2011

Someone mentioned the number of frivilous 911 calls that are made; if calling 911 prevents a tragedy then you will never know if it was a frivilous call or not because the goal was to thwart a crime. There is no crime for calling 911 when your intentions are to protect someone from harm.

[TruEngineHearing]

10:01 AM on 10/30/2011

Well said - and important... thanks.

[DMSmith]

02:45 AM on 10/30/2011

Why not simply pound loudly on the wall to alert those on the other side that they'd been heard - then call 911?

[dbrett480]

01:36 AM on 10/30/2011

Why didn't they call 911? Or, like most Apple employees, were they too self-absorbed to care about anyone else?

[TruEngineHearing]

10:33 AM on 10/30/2011

Good work. You do a fair impression of the basic Apple hater - snark-infested and boring and ... well, nothing else!

[dbrett480]

12:41 PM on 10/30/2011

I actually own Apple products, I just don't like many of their employees. I don't understand how a company can hire people that have a condescending attitude toward their customers.