Doomed priest's last cry for help recorded on 911

AND CHRIS MEGERIAN

Just before he was killed in the parish rectory, a priest from Chatham called 911 asking for help, according to audio recordings of the call released yesterday.

Apparently struggling to speak, the Rev. Edward Hinds of St. Patrick Church in Chatham tried to tell a police dispatcher the street address of the rectory, but the call, placed on Oct. 22 at 5:27 p.m., quickly became disconnected.

A dispatcher with the New Jersey State Police answered the call saying, "911, where is the emergency?"

Hinds, in a halting voice and sounding out of breath, replied, "85 -- Washington Avenue."

Because the call was placed via cell phone, its exact location and town were not known to the dispatcher answering the call, authorities said.

The dispatcher asked, "Washington Avenue?" but Hinds did not immediately reply, and the dispatcher continued with "Hello?"

Hinds then could be heard saying, "Help," and trying to utter something else that came out muffled, just before the call was disconnected.

The dispatcher called the cell phone back, but he got the priest's voicemail and immediately hung up.

The dispatcher called back again, but this time the church custodian, Jose Feliciano, whom authorities have charged with killing Hinds by beating him and stabbing him 32 times, is believed to have answered the phone and told the officer there was no problem.

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