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YOKNAPATAWPHA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
- Investigating Officer(s): Det. S. Murphy. Det. T. Armstrong
- Incident No.: 000181-15A-2005
- Case Description: Denise Hartigan Homicide
The following handwritten letter, addressed to Jimmy, was found in
the black wheeled suitcase recovered from the shop at the Hartigan
residence.
 Dear
Jimmy,
I don't know what's up with your phone, I keep trying to
call so we can work out when you're gonna pick me up at the
greyhound station but I can't ever get through. there's some dumb
message about me having the wrong number, please hang up and try
again. But I'm sure this is right, it's the same one I called
before. I saw on the weather channel that y'all are having some bad
weather up there so I guess the phone lines are probably down. That
would explain it, and I know
you don't dare try to call me after what my dad said last
time. Boy am I glad I found you in your room at the Holiday
Inn that day. I can't even imagine now what it would be like
if we hadn't spent that afternoon together. You would always
have been just some guy I kissed at the Gin, nothing more.
If I hadn't come right then I would never have seen you
again. That's so strange, cuz it's like destiny, like you
were the one person in the whole world for me and I could
so easily have missed you.
You're the only person who has ever understood me. It's
like I talk to you and for the first time ever I'm not
telling someone what they want to hear, just what I want to
say. Like, with Jewel stuff was always great so long as we
were talking about guys we had crushes on or whatever movie
was playing or what to wear to the Homecoming dance, how to get our
hair done. But she hated it whenever I wasn't really in the
best mood, you know, she would get all nervous and start
changing the subject. Now that the **** has hit the fan,
she's really flipping on me. She doesn't want to think about
the fact that you and me are having a baby. It's like she's
not even happy for me, she doesn't want to be there for me
at all. And last night I told her some stuff that's really
eating at me, and it was like she wasn't there. I totally
understand that she wouldn't have any clue what to say. She's never had to deal with anything like that before. I
mean, Mr. and Mrs. Hale are the best, he would never lay a
finger on Jewel and her mom knows everything that happens to
her. I swear, she told her mom when she first got kissed
even though she knew her mom would flip. She was only 13 and
it was the first time she'd ever gone out with anyone. But
her mom was totally cool about it, she said she was so glad Jewel had told her. My mom would never have done that. She's
so cold about everything, like the only thing that matters
is that everything looks okay. She doesn't seem to care at
all about the whole thing so long as no one knows anything.
She's already bought a ticket for her and me to go to
Atlanta and she's telling everyone how she thought it was
high time that she and I go on a trip, just the two of us,
mama and her little girl. She's such a fake. She just wants
me to get an abortion somewhere far from Oxford, so I won't
mess up her reputation.
It's not only Jewel that's flipping out. Everyone is. I'm
totally stressed too but that's just because I'm not with
you right now and I miss you. Not to mention that living at
my house is no fun. Not like it ever has been but it's
really awful now. My dad keeps calling me a slut, he swears
I'm some whore when everything is his fault anyway. A couple
of nights ago he really beat the **** out of me. It took me
and Jewel half an hour to make it look okay. We used all
kinds of base and powder, and then I wore sunglasses until I
got into movie theatre where it was of course dark.
My dad is such an *******, he can't understand that
having this baby with you is the best thing that ever
happened to me. He swears he's gonna sue for statutory rape -- that's such a laugh. I mean, you're like three
years older than me, and he's like 26 years older. I hate
him so much. But hey, that's not a bad idea to sue for
statutory rape. I bet that would really screw up his
practice. Mr. Cross-Examine pleads the fifth. I can just
imagine him walking into the courthouse on the Square, and
for the first time ever he's the one getting questioned. Mr. Hartigan, have you ever or do you now sexually abuse your
daughter Rita? That would probably drive him to suicide,
which would be just fine by me. Knowing him, he'd probably
make it look like an accident, like he was out fishing in
Sardis when the boat sank. Boo hoo.
I hate thinking about him. I guess until now no one
except him and me knows what's been going on. Now you and
Jewel do, except she acts like she didn't even hear me when
I told her. I guess I feel like I can tell you anything,
which is a good thing since we're gonna spend our whole
lives together. When he was hitting me I told him he'd
better lay off, that he wouldn't stand a chance against you.
I kept thinking of what you told me your brother did
to your dad. It served him right but it kills me to think
that you'd have to serve time for something like that. I
mean, it's a totally different thing whether you hurt
someone who can't do anything back or if you hurt someone
who is hurting people you love, you know? The whole time it
was happening my mama was pretending to be really busy in
the kitchen, fixing dinner like nothing was happening. Denise was at school, she has cheerleading every day anyway
but that night they had to stay later to make signs for the
pep rally. She's pretty much always out. Her way of dealing
with our lovely family is never to come home. Anyway, while
my dad was hitting me I kept seeing you come through the
front door wearing your black boots and camouflage, so damn
sexy, and so long as I could imagine you it didn't hurt so
bad. It's the same thing now. I keep imagining walking with
you and our baby to buy milk in the morning. The way I
imagine it, you're holding him in one of those baby
backpacks, and you're holding my hand really tight, making
me strong, you know. That way I can sit through class and
pretend to take notes and everything, and I'm not even that
worried about what's gonna happen, cuzI know you're gonna
take good care of me.
Oh my god, study hall is almost over and Jewel's mom is
picking us up from school in a few minutes. I've got to mail
this before anyone sees it. If my dad found it I'd be dead
meat. He'd for sure send me away somewhere. Oh god, Jimmy,
I don't know what to do. I've got to get out of here soon,
everyone's making plans to deal with "the situation" and I
can't bear for any of them to go through. If I lost our baby
I would be so heartbroken. I guess the best thing for me to
do is to come to you soon, I'm just kinda scared all of a
sudden. But call me as soon as you get this letter, except
don't call me at home. Leave a message with Charlie at the
Gin, okay? He's the guy who tends bar there, and I can
always check to see if you've left a new number where I can
call you. Oh yeah, you don't have the number. It's (662)
234-XXXX.
I'll see you soon. Hopefully I won't be too fat to fit
into any pretty dresses, but I guess our wedding won't be
too fancy, it's not like I have anyone to invite! I miss you
and love you lots.
XOXO
Rita
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