Wednesday, March 31, 2004 -- 12:10 PM

The witness, who was described as a friend of the victim, was interviewed a second time by the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department. The interview was conducted by Detectives Armstrong and Murphy and was recorded on a portable tape recorder with the witness' knowledge and consent.

SM: Good afternoon, Mrs. Jones. Thank you for coming in today.

MJ: You're welcome. Have you found Barbara's killer yet?

TA: That's why we asked you to come in and talk to us today, Mrs. Jones. There are some things said in your last interview that we need to clarify.

SM: But first would you state your name and address for the record, please?

MJ: Mary Jones. 1622 Pierce Avenue, Oxford.

SM: Will you please tell us again what time you last saw or talked to Barbara Dubois?

MJ: In the dining room, right after the dinner.

TA: And you never saw her or spoke to her again?

MJ: No.

SM: Where did you go after the dinner?

MJ: Billie Jo and I went to our room and to bed.

SM: But you didn't hear Billie Jo get up, get dressed and sneak out?

MJ: I must have been really tired. And I'm a very sound sleeper. Once I get to sleep, I...

TA: You may as well stop right there, Mrs. Jones. You are just digging a deeper hole for yourself with your lies.

MJ: Lies? How dare you--

SM: Yes, lies, Mrs. Jones. You must realize Billie Jo told us all about hearing you talk to someone on the phone, then sneaking out of your room. Who did you call, Mrs. Jones? Who did you meet that night?

MJ: Oh you can't believe Billie Jo. I told you she loves to tease and play little jokes. She doesn't think of it as telling lies. She just...

TA: No, Mrs. Jones! No joke. And the more you lie, the worse it makes you look. Are you ready to go to jail for the murder of Barbara Dubois?

MJ: No, no! But I didn't kill her. I loved her. I would never hurt her. I was just trying to get Barbara and Bill back together.

SM: Then you need to tell us the truth. Now who did you call to meet you?

MJ: You've got to understand! Barbara and Bill had been separated for seven years and they had been lied to even though-- Well, it just wasn't fair to two young people who had been so much in love. They deserved to be together. They were meant to be together.

SM: Please don't try to change the subject. Let's get back to the night of the murder.

MJ: But that is what I'm talking about. You see, their mothers conspired to keep them apart by lying to them and had kept it up for seven years. After losing my Elliott, I realized what it is like for two people who truly love each other to be kept apart... and I -- I-- Well, I decided to do something about it.

TA: What was that?

MJ: I wrote to Bill telling him to come to the pageant. If I'm guilty of anything, I'm guilty of that.

TA: Then who did Billie overhear you calling?

MJ: I'd tried to call Bill, but couldn't get him. So I called Barbara.

SM: So you did talk to Barbara?

MJ: Yes. I arranged to meet with her in the laundry room. I figured we'd have privacy there at that hour. I didn't think anyone else needed to be in on what I was going to tell her.

SM: What time was that, Mrs. Jones?

MJ: I called her as soon as I thought Billie Jo was asleep. It was maybe 10 minutes after 11:00. I'm not sure exactly.

TA: Then you went directly to meet Barbara?

MJ: Yes. We met in the laundry room. We talked for a long time. I told her all I knew about her mother lying to her. Barbara was not feeling at all well. She said her stomach felt terrible and she even threw up.

SM: Did you tell her about Bill being lied to by his mother?

MJ: Yes. I told her all I knew about everything.

SM: What was her reaction?

MJ: I thought she would be very angry, but she just looked at me with that sad look she'd get in her eyes when she was hurt. I saw her look that same way after she got home from Atlanta that first year after her baby-- after she lost the baby. And sometimes I'd catch her looking at Billie Jo that way.

TA: How long did you and Barbara talk Mrs. Jones? It's very important. You may have been the last person to see her alive -- except the killer, of course. Unless...

MJ: Detective! How could you possibly think I killed her? Why would I do that? I was the one who wanted her to have a happy future. The one who told her the truth. You have to believe me. I didn't kill her. Please believe me!

SM: So what time did you leave her?

MJ: I really don't know. We talked for several minutes. It seemed like a long time. After all, I was telling her that her mother lied to her and that Allie lied to Bill to keep them apart all these years. It wasn't comfortable for either of us. She was sad that her mother would do something so drastic to keep her in the pageants. She was angry with her mother -- and me -- and Allie, but she was excited about telling Bill and making it right again between them.

TA: Yes, yes, we understand all that, but what time did you and Barbara separate and where did you both go then?

MJ: I don't know what time it was. I sent her back to her room to go to bed. I was worried about her. She didn't look well and she seemed a bit dizzy and disoriented. That last time I saw her, she gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek and went out the door. I never saw her or talked to her again -- but she was certainly alive when she left. You have to believe me!

SM: Did you leave at the same time?

MJ: I stayed behind to clean up. I'm afraid I didn't do a very good job. But I left a few minutes later and went upstairs. I went to Barbara's room to see if she was okay but no one answered. I figured she'd gone to sleep or was in the bathroom and didn't hear me. When I got to our room, I discovered Billie Jo wasn't in bed. I panicked. I was just going out to look for her when she was at the door trying to get in. That must have been just before midnight.

TA: Then what happened?

MJ: I yanked that child in the room and really bawled her out -- but I was so glad to see her. When I'd finished scolding her, we went to bed. She seemed shaken. I figured it was because I was so annoyed with her.

SM: And Billie Jo never mentioned what she did or saw?

MJ: No, she just went to bed and pulled the covers over her head.

TA: And you stayed in your room the remainder of the night?

MJ: Yes, until Susan came in the morning and told me they couldn't find Barbara.

TA: Mrs. Jones, was there a financial arrangement between you and Susan Dubois?

MJ: There was no arrangement. Susan sent us money for Billie Jo almost every month. And she paid for the adoption. We were so grateful -- we couldn't have done it without her.

SM: Where did Mrs. Dubois get the money?

MJ: She said Barbara wanted us to have it for Billie Jo -- for the child Barbara didn't have. And Barbara was like a big sister and more to Billie Jo. The money was from Barbara's sponsorships; that's what Susan said. And she said that we were not supposed to know where it came from -- Barbara didn't want us to know. So we never spoke of it.

TA: Seems awfully generous.

MJ: You didn't know Barbara. If you did, you wouldn't be surprised at all. And Billie Jo made her so happy.

TA: It was a lot of money, though. And you did have a secret of hers to keep about Barbara.

MJ: I can account for every penny, Detective. I have seven years worth of receipts for everything from diapers to dental appointments. What was left over, I put into a trust fund for Billie Jo. Come to the house; see my records.

SM: We may take you up on that, Mrs. Jones.

MJ: Susan and I were friends -- sort of. I mean, I didn't approve of what she did to Barbara and Bill, and I think Barbara should have followed her heart. But Susan was so kind to us when she didn't have to be.

TA: What was your relationship with Allie Lamar?

MJ: I didn't have one. I know of her, of course. Everyone does. But I never met the woman. If I did, I don't think I could keep from giving her a piece of my mind -- sending Bill away like that.

TA: What happens now? With Barbara gone, there's no reason for Susan Dubois to continue to send you money.

MJ: Susan cares very much about Billie Jo too, Detective. I don't know what's going to become of Susan, but Elliot provided for our family. Billie Jo and I will be taken care of, even if Susan never sends us another dollar.

SM: What was your relationship with the Webbs?

MJ: Erma and Scarlett? I know Scarlett casually, through Barbara.

TA: Can you think of any reason that Mrs. Webb might want to hurt Barbara?

MJ: You think she's involved? I can't see Scarlett doing anything to Barbara -- they were too close.

SM: Even though they were competitors? We know Scarlett really wanted at ticket out of Oxford.

MJ: Friendly competitors -- they buoyed each other up. I can’t see it. And Erma? Such a controlling woman. She might be pushed to such a thing, but I don’t know.

TA: Did you have any contact or see either of them that night?

MJ: I saw them at the banquet and photo shoot, but not after that. Not at all.

TA: How about Ms. Freeman?

MJ: Ingrid? That manipulative witch? I didn't have any contact with her whatsoever. She's as two-faced as they come. She's up to no good.

TA: How do you know that?

MJ: She's always up to no good.

TA: Mrs. Jones, did you see or hear anything else that night at the pageant that might help us in our investigation?

MJ: Between talking to Barbara and going crazy about Billie Jo, I didn't notice anything else that night, I'm afraid.

SM: Do you know of anyone who might have wanted to hurt Barbara? Did she have any enemies?

MJ: The closest thing Barbara ever had to an enemy was Ingrid Freeman, but to that girl, everyone was an enemy.

TA: We were told that Barbara and Ms. Freeman were close friends.

MJ: Whoever told you that is either blind or trying to pull some serious wool over your eyes.

TA: Mrs. Jones, we'd like to get blood and hair samples from you and Billie Jo.

MJ: Whatever for?

TA: Just routine. It'll help us tie up some loose ends and may help us find Barbara's killer.

MJ: All right. If it will help.

SM: Anything else you can tell us, Mrs. Jones?

MJ: That's all I know, Detectives. God's honest truth.

TA: Thank you. We'll be in touch.

Interview ends -- 12:54 PM