Overview of The Hand in the Window
This transcript is from Episode 1 ("Colbert Court") of ABC Audio’s true-crime podcast The Hand in the Window (hosted by John Quinones, 2020). It recounts a Sept. 2016 overnight 911 call from a woman (referred to as Jane Doe) who said she’d been abducted and was calling from a bedroom in an abandoned yellow house near the Fourth Street Laundromat in Ashland, Ohio. The episode focuses on the calm, procedural 911 work by dispatcher Sarah Miller, the on-scene response by Ashland officers (notably Officer Kurt Dorsey), the tense rescue 19 minutes into the call, and the immediate arrest of the kidnapper.
Timeline of events (concise)
- Early morning, September 2016: Sarah Miller on overnight 911 shift in Ashland, Ohio.
- ~7:00 a.m.: Jane Doe calls from the kidnapper’s phone, whispering that she had been abducted and was in a yellow, abandoned house near the Fourth Street Laundromat.
- Caller reports: tied but partially freed, kidnapper nearby and sleeping, had a taser, alarms set on his phone to stay awake.
- Dispatch and officers arrive quietly to two nearly identical yellow houses; officers keep sirens off to avoid waking the suspect.
- Jane Doe is on the phone for ~19 minutes. She sets the phone down at times to avoid detection; at one point there is silence for several minutes.
- Officers initially can’t identify which house; Jane Doe risks moving to a side door and places her hand against the window to signal officers.
- Officers unlock the door; Jane Doe emerges nude, wrapped in a blanket; rescued about 19 minutes into the call.
- Officers enter, find and arrest the suspect (described as tall, dirty-blonde hair, blue eyes). He had been living in the vacant house.
- Kidnapper transported to the station for further questioning; Jane Doe interviewed separately.
Key people
- Sarah Miller — veteran 911 dispatcher (over two decades). Remains calm under pressure, secured critical information and kept Jane Doe on the line. Later named Ohio Dispatcher of the Year for this call.
- Jane Doe — victim who called 911 from the kidnapper’s phone; risked escape while keeping quiet to avoid waking him.
- Officer Kurt Dorsey — responding Ashland officer who helped locate and rescue Jane Doe and arrest the suspect; emotional recalling the event.
- John Quinones — host/narrator of the episode.
Important details & notable quotes
- Setting: Ashland, Ohio — small, rural town (~20,000 people) with a close-knit community atmosphere.
- Two nearly identical pale yellow houses adjacent to the Fourth Street Laundromat complicated officers’ search.
- Jane Doe’s tactics: called on the kidnapper’s phone, whispered, set phone down to allow officers to overhear, opened side door window to signal with her hand.
- Notable quotes:
- Sarah Miller: “I was made to be a dispatcher.”
- Jane Doe during silence: “I’m still there.”
- On faith and aftermath: Sarah — “I got God. That's all I need.”
- Officer Dorsey: described sensing “divine intervention” when he saw the hand at the window.
Themes and takeaways
- The critical role of calm, methodical dispatching: The episode highlights how measured 911 questioning and situational awareness can directly contribute to a rescue.
- Small-town policing challenges: Limited personnel/resources and the need for stealth influenced tactical decisions (no sirens, careful entry).
- Victim courage and risk assessment: Jane Doe repeatedly weighed escape risk against the chance of being discovered; her willingness to signal ultimately saved her.
- Human/psychological elements: The story contains recurring references to faith and perceived luck/divine help from both the dispatcher and officers.
Production notes & credits
- Podcast: The Hand in the Window (ABC Audio, 2020)
- Host: John Quinones
- Producers: Madeline Wood, Camille Peterson, Kiara Powell
- Editor: Gianna Palmer
- Supervising producer: Susie Liu
- Music/mixing: Evan Viola
- Additional production and special thanks listed in transcript.
Note: The transcript includes sponsor messages (Progressive, GoDaddy Arrow, Bombas, medical advisories) that were interspersed with the episode audio.