Akron woman found shot dead moments after she dialed 9-1-1
by Donna J. Robb, Plain Dealer reporter
from Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), p 4B, Thur. 04/06/2000

Akron — A 24-year-old woman died of a gunshot wound to the
head yesterday at her Oakdale Ave. apartment, moments after she
dialed 9-1-1 but did not say anything.

Police dispatchers heard scuffling before someone
disconnected the call. They did not hear the gunshots that must
have followed.

When officers arrived four minutes later, they found the door
to Danielle “DeeDee” C. Maximovich’s apartment kicked in, police
said.

Akron patrolmen found Maximovich lying fully clothed on the
living room floor near a telephone that had been pulled from the
wall. There was blood on the back steps.

“She was a beautiful young woman,” Maximovich’s aunt Elsie
Colley said. “This is a loss we can’t even begin to let people
know or understand.”

Police Major Paul Callahan said detectives found no motive,
no suspects and they did not know if anything was taken from the
apartment. The Summit County medical examiner declined to
discuss the autopsy results.

Maximovich was single and had no children.

An account in her name has been established at National City
Bank. Donations will help Maximovich’s parents pay for her
funeral, Colley said.

Maximovich’s boyfriend, Robert E. Purefoy, has been in the
Summit County Jail since March 28, when he was arrested at her
apartment on a warrant for a drug offense. The couple had been
fighting and a neighbor called police. Purefoy, 24, and
Maximovich declined to file domestic violence charges against
each other and blamed the fight on their being intoxicated,
according to police records.

Maximovich’s neighbors declined comment yesterday.

According to court records, Maximovich was convicted of theft
in 1994, marijuana abuse and contempt of court in 1995 and
carrying contraband into a jail in 1997. She reported being the
victim of domestic violence in 1997 and theft last year.

In January, she called police and said she was hiding in the
bathroom, armed with kitchen knives, because she thought someone
was trying to break into her apartment. Officers found nothing
unusual when they arrived.