Authorities investigating the death of an aspiring model whose body was found at the home of former Anheuser-Busch Chief Executive August Busch IV have released the 911 call that was made to police. The latest details in the case come amid speculation by her ex-husband that her death could be tied to a rare heart condition.
The emergency call was placed on Dec. 19 by Michael Jung, a home staff employee for Busch, KTVI, Fox's St. Louis affiliate, reported. Jung made the call to police at 1:12 p.m., after Busch's girlfriend, Adrienne Nicole Martin, was found unresponsive.
Jung: "We need an ambulance to (inaudible) South Lindbergh."
Dispatcher: "OK, is that a business or a residence?"
Jung: "A residence."
Dispatcher: "OK. What's the problem?"
Jung: "This girl is not waking up; we can't get her to."
Dispatcher: "Is she breathing?"
Jung: "Yeah, we don't know. It's dark. I'm going to try and get a light to see."
Dispatcher: "OK, all right, I'll get them going right away. All right, thanks, bye."
Martin was pronounced dead at 1:26 p.m. according to the St. Louis County Medical Examiner's Office. She was last seen alive at 3:30 a.m., the office said, though it's unclear when she died. Her autopsy was inconclusive, with no signs of trauma or any obvious natural causes of death. Toxicology tests could take six weeks. On Saturday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that it took 42 minutes for someone to call authorities after Martin was found dead. The newspaper offered no explanation or comment from authorities on the timing of the 911 call.
Calls by AOL News to Frontenac, Mo., police were not immediately returned.
According to KTVI, investigators waited to release the 911 tape because there was a staff shortage over the holidays.
Martin, a divorced mother of an 8-year-old son, had been dating Busch for about a year. She and her ex-husband, Dr. Kevin Martin, divorced earlier this year.
A doctor of osteopathy, Kevin Martin told The Post-Dispatch that he diagnosed his wife with a heart rhythm disorder in 2002. Martin said she did not discuss the condition, which he called Long QT syndrome, with anyone and declined to seek medical treatment.
"She refused to see a cardiologist about it," Martin said. "I've always suspected she thought I was overreacting."
Martin said he has not discussed his ex-wife's alleged medical condition with the authorities. Busch, 46, has not spoken to news outlets since the death was reported.