Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 4:00 PM

The witness, Joey Duncan, is the twelve-year-old younger brother of Taylor Duncan. The interview was conducted at the Yoknapatawpha Sheriff's Department and recorded on a portable tape recorder with the witness's knowledge and consent. His mother, Blanche Duncan, was present.

Detective Samantha Murphy
Detective Ted Armstrong
Joey Duncan
Blanche Duncan

Detective Murphy: For the record, please state your name and address.

Joey Duncan: My name is Joey Duncan and I live at 721 College Hill Road.

Detective Murphy: Thanks for coming in, Joey.

Joey Duncan: It's not like I had a choice.

Blanche Duncan: Joey--

Detective Murphy: Mrs. Duncan, Joey's within his rights to state his impressions. Joey, we asked your mother to bring you in so that you could help us locate your sister.

Joey Duncan: At least you could have asked me to come in during school hours. Then this wouldn't be such a waste of time.

Detective Murphy: We wanted to disrupt your schedule as little as possible.

Joey Duncan: I had plans for after school today.

Detective Murphy: Detective Armstrong and I also have things to do. So let's get through this as quickly as possible. Why don't we talk about the day your sister disappeared?

Joey Duncan: Whatever.

Detective Armstrong: Don't you want to help us get to the bottom of this?

Joey Duncan: Taylor has been missing for more than a year! Don't you think it's a little late to start your investigation?

Blanche Duncan: Joey.

Detective Murphy: Mrs. Duncan.

Detective Armstrong:Joey, new information has come to light.

Joey Duncan: I bet someone had to shine the line in your eyes before you reacted.

Detective Armstrong: Young man, I'd suggest you watch your tongue. While we realize that the last fourteen months have been difficult for you, we are not about to tolerate disrespectful behavior.

Joey Duncan: What are you going to do, lock me up?

Detective Murphy: Do you think we should?

Joey Duncan: For what?

Detective Armstrong: You tell us.

Joey Duncan: It's all my fault.

Detective Armstrong: What is?

Joey Duncan: I shouldn't have let her leave.

Detective Murphy: It wasn't your responsibility to keep your sister from going out that evening.You had no way of knowing that something bad might happen. Mrs. Duncan, is it not true that Taylor had permission to attend the party?

Blanche Duncan: Yes.

Detective Armstrong: You see, Joey, there's no reason for you to continue beating yourself up. It's not your fault.

Joey Duncan: I should have found some way to protect her.

Detective Armstrong:It's impossible to keep anything person completely safe. What you can do now, however, is help us with our investigation into your sister's disappearance.

Joey Duncan: Okay.

Detective Armstrong: Tell us about the day your sister disappeared.

Joey Duncan:It was just another nothing day. I went to school and then I came home. I was watching television when Taylor said she'd made us some sandwiches. After we ate, she was going to a party. She was excited.She always was whenever she was going to a party.

Detective Murphy: Do you like going to parties?

Joey Duncan: Not really.Everybody just sitting around.  It gets boring really fast. Unless it's outside, and we can get a game going.

Detective Murphy: What kind of game?

Joey Duncan: Baseball.But football is okay.

Detective Armstrong:Did your sister say anything specific about the party?

Joey Duncan: She kept mentioning some boy, Blake Jenson.  I didn't know him, but Taylor is nine years older than me, so that's not unusual.  I saw Blake mentioned in the news.  He was some Guitar Hero champ, as if that's a big deal to be able to play a video game. Kids tell me they pitched a no hitter, and then it turns out they're talking about their Wii.

Detective Armstrong:What did your sister say about Blake Jenson?

Joey Duncan: I don't know. Just that he'd be there, and she couldn't wait to meet him.

Detective Murphy: Did Taylor mention anybody else by name?

Joey Duncan:Not that I remember.I just remember Blake Jenson because he was in the news.

Detective Murphy: Do you know if your sister had a secret diary, or some secret place where she kept things?

Joey Duncan:It wouldn't be much of a secret then, would it?

Detective Murphy:Maybe Taylor wanted the privacy of a journal she didn't need to worry about her parents reading, but she didn't mind telling her brother about it.

Joey Duncan: I don't know about anything like that.

Detective Armstrong: Maybe something online?

Joey Duncan: If she did, she didn't tell me.

Detective Murphy:Okay, Joey, thanks for coming in.Just so know, we're going to keep working this.

Interview ends:4:43 PM