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Thursday, March 10, 2005 --
9:30 AM
Following lengthy negotiations with Geoffrey Frye, the Haritgans'
attorney, investigators were able to arrange another interview with Adam
Hartigan. Because of his poor health, Mr. Hartigan was interviewed at his residence
in the presence of his attorney. The interview was
conducted by Detectives Armstrong and Murphy and was recorded on a portable tape
recorder with the witness' and his attorney's knowledge and consent.
- TA = Detective T. Armstrong
- SM = Detective S. Murphy
- AH = Adam Hartigan
- GF = Geoffrey Frye
SM: Thank you for agreeing to talk with us again, Mr.
Hartigan.
GF: Detectives, before we go any further, I just want to
remind you of the conditions we agreed to for this interview. As you can
see, Mr. Hartigan is not well. You will keep this interview as brief as
possible and you will not upset him. In his condition, he cannot
take any unnecessary stress. Are we agreed?
TA: Mr. Frye, we've already told you we'll do the best we can
to make this as quick and painless as we can.
GF: Fine. If Mr. Hartigan becomes upset or overtired, I will
terminate this interview.
SM: Just for the record, Mr. Hartigan, would you state your
name, age and address?
LM: Adam Hartigan. I'm 52. I live here at 1315 Mesquite Drive in Tara Estates.
SM: Thank you. Now, sir, if you could refresh our memories,
when was the last time you saw your daughter, Denise?
AH: I haven't seen her since she left town back in 1998. I
don't remember the exact date, but it was in January.
SM: And you're absolutely sure you haven't seen her since
then?
AH: Yes, of course I'm sure. When both of a man's children
abandon him, he doesn't forget the last time he saw either one of them.
TA: So you must have been pretty happy when you found out she
was coming back in town, just in time for Christmas.
AH: I didn't know she was coming. I wish I had. Maybe I could
have done something to prevent what happened to her.
SM: She didn't call you to let you know she was coming?
AH: No, I'm sad to say she did not. I would like to have
spoken to her, even if she didn't want to talk to me.
SM: You think she didn't want to talk to you? Why not?
AH: It's obvious she didn't want to talk to us or she would
have called sometime during those seven years. It breaks my heart. We
never did anything but love our girls. The Lord doesn't mean for
families to be separated the way ours was, but He also gives us the
strength to deal with any adversity that comes our way.
TA: Did you ever send Denise any money at any time during the
years she was gone?
AH: No. We would have, if she'd asked, but we didn't know
where to contact her.
TA: So you didn't send her any money to pay for her trip back
to Oxford?
AH: No, we didn't.
SM: Is it possible your wife had been in contact with Denise
and didn't tell you?
AH: No, of course not. You have to understand. My wife
doesn't like me to say it, but I know the truth. There's a good
chance I'm not going to beat the cancer this time. Since it came back,
my one wish has been to see my daughters again before I die, and Alicia
knows that. If she had talked to either of them, she would have told me.
SM: You're sure about that? She wouldn't keep it from you to
protect you, if the conversation didn't go well? To avoid upsetting you?
AH: She would never need to protect me from my own daughters.
TA: Mr. Hartigan, why did you and your wife decide to go
public with your allegations about Jimmy Riddle?
AH: That ******* stole my baby from me. He defiled her and
then he stole her. Why wouldn't we tell the world what he did?
SM: So the rumor that Rita was pregnant when she disappeared
is true?
AH: What do you mean?
SM: You said he defiled her.
AH: I-- No, that's not what I meant.
SM: So she wasn't pregnant?
AH: What are you trying to say?
SM: In what way did Jimmy Riddle defile Rita?
AH: I-- I don't--
GF: Detectives, let's back off this topic. It's upsetting Mr.
Hartigan. Move on to something else.
TA: Are you aware that we interviewed Jimmy Riddle?
AH: Yes.
TA: Did you know that he told us he hasn't seen Rita since he
was in Oxford in 1997? That she never went to Cleveland to see him after
she left here?
AH: He's obviously lying. Couldn't you tell that? What kind
of detectives are you?
SM: Mr. Hartigan, how did you know Jimmy Riddle's name?
AH: I don't understand.
SM: When we spoke to you before, you indicated that you didn't
know his name. How did you find out what it was so you could make your
public accusations against him?
AH: I don't know how I found out.
SM: You need to do better than that.
AH: I still have some connections in legal circles. I may not
be practicing anymore, but people still know me and people still owe me.
You can find out anything, if you just ask the right person.
SM: Who did you ask?
AH: It's not relevant and I'd rather not say.
SM: Mr. Hartigan, don't play games with us.
GF: He's not going to tell you. Move on.
SM: Mr. Frye, we need him to cooperate with us. Does he want
us to catch his daughter's killer or not?
GF: I think Mr. Hartigan is starting to get tired. Do you
have any more questions you want to ask before we end the interview?
TA: When we talked before, you told us that Grant Sexton had
provided you with some information about Denise's whereabouts in the
past. What is your relationship with him today?
AH: I-- What do you mean? We don't have a relationship with
him anymore.
TA: He gave the eulogy at Denise's funeral. Why did you pick
him to do that if you don't have a relationship with him anymore?
AH: Alicia and I were certainly in no shape to do it and there
aren't many people who remember Denise as fondly and as vividly as Grant
does. We knew he would do her justice and not get sidetracked by any of
the ugliness that some people say she'd dabbled in after she left. Plus,
he very much wanted to do it, and it turned out he was the perfect
choice. His eulogy was very moving.
SM: You know we've arrested him in connection with Denise's
murder?
AH: Yes. As soon as I heard that, that's when I knew you
people were on the completely wrong track. Grant would never hurt
Denise. He loved her too much. I don't know how you got so fouled up in
your investigation that you'd arrest Grant, but I've been praying that
the Lord will point you in the right direction.
TA: Thanks. We can always use whatever help we can get. So
after Grant told you about Denise being in New Orleans and what she was
involved in there, he didn't give you any other updates about her?
AH: No. We were very upset by what he told us then. I honestly
couldn't believe she'd do anything like that. He told us he was going to
try to help her, but he never told us anything after that. I guess he
wasn't able to help her.
TA: So he didn't tell you that Denise was coming back to
Oxford?
AH: He-- he knew?
TA: Yes, he did.
AH: I-- I can't believe that. He never told us, not even at
the funeral.
SM: Where were you on December 22nd?
AH: Why?
SM: That's the day Denise came back.
AH: What? How do you know?
SM: We're detectives. It's our job to know.
GF: There's no need to be snide.
SM: My apologies. Mr. Hartigan, where were you that day?
AH: Where I always am now -- here. I can't really get out
anymore. I'm too weak to drive or walk very far, and I don't like... I
don't like to be seen in a wheelchair.
SM: There's no shame in using a wheelchair.
AH: I just... I just prefer not to.
SM: Fine. So you were home all day and all night on December
22nd?
AH: Yes.
SM: And on the 23rd?
AH: The same.
SM: Can anyone verify that?
AH: Alicia is here most of the time. She goes out
occasionally, but she can tell you that I was here.
SM: With your poor health, she leaves you here alone?
AH: I don't need a babysitter! Not yet, anyway.
SM: So was she here with you all day and all night on those
dates?
AH: Probably. I don't remember exactly. With all the
medications I'm taking, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
SM: Do you remember answering a phone call in the early
morning hours of December 23rd? Around 2:00 a.m.?
AH: No. I take medication to help me sleep, so I wouldn't hear
the phone even if it did ring. But no one would call us at that hour.
It's uncivilized and rude.
SM: Right. So if someone did call around that time, more
likely your wife answered the phone?
AH: Yes, I suppose so, but she sometimes takes something to
help her sleep too, so she might not hear it either.
SM: Did you have any houseguests on those dates?
AH: No, we haven't had houseguests in some time. No one wants
to visit a house where someone is dying.
GF: I think we need to wrap this up now. Is there anything
else?
TA: Yes. Mr. Hartigan, this may be difficult for you, but we
really have to ask and we do need to hear your answer.
AH: Okay.
TA: Some of Denise's friends and some of Rita's friends
have... well, sir, they've told us that your relationship with your
daughters may have gone beyond the traditional father-daughter
relationship.
AH: What are you saying?
TA: They said your daughters indicated you had been improper
with them. That you had--
AH: That is outrageous! Who would tell you something like
that? My daughters would never say that about me! I never did anything
but love my girls and anyone who says otherwise has a sick and twisted
mind! I am-- I cannot-- I--
GF: Okay, that's it. We're done here. I warned you at the
outset that you must not upset him. You said you wouldn't, but I knew I
shouldn't have trusted you. You'll need to leave the room now. Go
downstairs and I'll be join you in a few minutes and then you can
interview Mrs. Hartigan. Do not speak to her until I arrive. Is that
understood?
TA: Mr. Frye--
GF: That's all, Detective. I cannot allow you to jeopardize
Mr. Hartigan's health.
TA: Fine. We'll continue this at a later time. Good day, Mr.
Hartigan.
Interview ends --
10:14 AM |
