Family of slain 17-year-old files lawsuit against village, police officer, accused killer
The family of 17-year-old Aurora McCarter, who was shot and killed almost two years ago, says a Golf Manor police officer who took the initial missing persons report failed to notify other law enforcement agencies of the girl's disappearance.
Latosha Bartlett, McCarter's mother, filed a wrongful death lawsuit Wednesday in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court against the village of Golf Manor, Golf Manor police officer Mackenzie Recker and the man accused of killing McCarter.
Bartlett reported her daughter missing to the Golf Manor Police Department on July 13, 2020, the lawsuit says, adding Recker was the officer who took the report.
The report filed after McCarter went missing in early July 2020 and the court documents alleging what happened when she was killed, suggest she disappeared after fighting with her mom about a man she'd started seeing.
According to the lawsuit, Bartlett told Recker that McCarter was likely with her 18-year-old boyfriend and gave the officer the man's phone number, saying her daughter could be in danger.
In court filings, attorneys for McCarter's family say Recker used the phone number to call the boyfriend and looked up his license plate number in an attempt to locate McCarter.
Recker then told Bartlett that the boyfriend's vehicle was registered in Montgomery County, but he was also known to frequent a neighborhood in Cincinnati's West Side, the lawsuit states.
McCarter's family claims Recker didn't reach out to police departments in Cincinnati and Dayton, as well as other law enforcement agencies in Hamilton County regarding the teen's disappearance.
The lawsuit also says Recker didn't immediately enter McCarter's information into the National Crime Information Center database and that he never followed up with Bartlett after the report was filed.
"This case is about the wrongful death of an innocent young lady and the complete failure of a police officer and the municipality he works for to assist in her recovery that could have prevented her tragic death," the lawsuit reads.
Attorneys for McCarter's family said in court filings that Golf Manor failed to ensure Recker was properly trained on missing children investigations.
An attorney for the village of Golf Manor declined to comment when reached by The Enquirer Wednesday.
Nearly five weeks after the missing persons report was filed, McCarter was allegedly with someone else in East Price Hill attempting to sell a gun when the buyer opened fire.
McCarter was rushed to Mercy Health – Queen City Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Donna White, McCarter’s aunt, previously told The Enquirer there’s no way her niece had anything to do with selling a gun. She said it’d be far more likely that McCarter tagged along in hopes of ensuring things stayed peaceful.
"Aurora is just a beautiful child, a sweetheart, very humble, very respectful,” White said. “We never had to worry about her because we never saw her do anything wrong.”
McCarter had been in the Cincinnati Police Department's Summer Cadet Program until shortly before she disappeared. The program employs teens ages 16-19 for 30 hours a week. It's designed to give kids interested in police work a chance to learn about the job.
Calvester Coleman, who was 16 years old at the time, faces charges of murder and felonious assault in connection with McCarter's death, court records show.
A jury trial is scheduled before Common Pleas Judge Leslie Ghiz on Sept. 12.
McCarter's family is seeking damages from Coleman and Recker, as well as the village of Golf Manor.
Enquirer reporters Cameron Knight and Amber Hunt contributed.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Family of slain teen files lawsuit against village, accused killer
