Saturday, June 20, 2009 - 4:01 PM

Kent Erdell is a 21-year-old white male who was a friend to Blake Jenson. The interview was conducted at the Yoknapatawpha Sheriff's Department and was recorded on a portable audio tape recorder with the witness's knowledge and consent.

Detective Ted Armstrong
Detective Samantha Murphy
Kent Erdell

Detective Murphy: Would you please state your name and address for the record?

Kent Erdell: I am Kent Erdell and I live at 500 Wedgewood Drive. Is it ok if I have this in here?

Detective Murphy: Thank you, yes, you can drink soft drinks in here.

Kent Erdell: No problem. You wouldn't tell me on the phone what this is about. Would you tell me now?

Detective Armstrong: Kent, we need you to answer our questions. We didn't ask you here so we could answer yours. Understand?

Kent Erdell: Yes sir.

Detective Murphy: The last time we talked with you Kent, you were trying to move on from Blake's death.  How is that going?

Kent Erdell: Good. I am in another band now, our name is "Oxford Express" and we're starting to be recognized. It's all-good.

Detective Murphy: That's great.  Are you dating anyone?

Kent Erdell: Kind of. I have met someone but we are still in the "getting to know each other" phase. It looks promising.

Detective Armstrong: I recall that Blake usually got the girls, isn't that right Kent?

Kent Erdell: Most of the time.

Detective Armstrong: What did you know about Taylor Duncan?

Kent Erdell…

(Detective Armstrong states that he wants it noted that Mr. Erdell just spit soft drink all over the place)

Kent Erdell: I'm sorry about that, you just kinda caught me off guard there. Taylor Duncan? I don't know anything other than what I have read in the papers.

Detective Armstrong: That was quite a reaction Kent for someone who knows nothing. Are you sure you don’t want to tell us what you know?

Detective Murphy: We know you had a crush on her and that you danced with her the night she vanished.

Kent Erdell: Oh c'mon man, you aren't seriously thinking I had anything to do with her disappearance, are you?

Detective Armstrong: Unless you can convince us otherwise we DO think you were involved.

Kent Erdell: All I did was dance with her; I swear I didn't kill her!

Detective Murphy: Kill her? Is she dead Kent?

Kent Erdell: I don't know. I assumed that she was. Why would you be bringing her up if she were alive?

Detective Armstrong: We have found trace amounts of her blood, her hair and YOUR hair in the same place. You are looking pretty guilty right now Kent.

Kent Erdell: All right all right! I may know something. (Heavy sigh) Blake was acting very concerned every time someone mentioned Taylor. He was constantly checking the internet for any updates on Taylor's mom's web pages. So, one day I just came out and asked him if he was involved.

Detective Armstrong: Did anyone other than you have this concern?

Kent Erdell: Yeah, a lot of people thought he was obsessing over her disappearance. In fact, Alex Coleman told me that he thought Blake had taken her somewhere. That was when I decided to confront Blake about it.

Detective Murphy: Why did you tell Coleman to keep his mouth shut?

Kent Erdell: How'd you know that? Never mind, I don't know. Just instinct to protect Blake I guess.

Detective Armstrong: Ok. What did Blake tell you?

Kent Erdell: He said that something went terribly wrong and that he was afraid he would be sent to prison. He wouldn’t give me any details but he was scared to death!

Detective Armstrong:  Are you making this up as you go? I think you are trying to protect your own skin.

Kent Erdell: No! I am not! I liked her!  I wouldn't have hurt her.

Detective Murphy: Did Blake hurt her?

Kent Erdell: He said he didn't. I just don't know anymore. I want to protect his name but he's dead. I don't know what is true anymore. I am so sick of this!

Detective Murphy: Ok Kent, try to calm down. You are right.  You can't protect him anymore. All you can do is protect yourself. Please try to recall what Blake said about that night.

Kent Erdell: I was dancing with Taylor, and Blake just kind of shoved me aside and started dancing with her. Then after awhile he took her into one of the rooms at the party house and when he came out he said, "She’s all yours, I'm finished." I asked him what that meant, and he said that he got what he wanted and I could have her now. He knew I liked her; he did that to me all the time.

Detective Armstrong: Not much of a friend was he? Finish the story.

Kent Erdell: People that were at the party told me they saw Tay in Blake's car later that night. He told me after he had sex with her he didn't see her again. Then later he tells me that he did. I just don't know. Blake told me that Alex Coleman took her home, but Alex says Blake did, and everyone saw her with Blake. All I know is I had nothing to do with it.

Detective Murphy: You say he told you later that he did see her again? Tell us about that.

Kent Erdell: He said he was sitting in his car and he saw Tay come out of the house and that she just fell down in the yard and stayed there. He went over to check on her and she was out cold. So he picked her up and put her in his car. He said he was going to take her home but that Alex came over and said he knew her folks and he would take her home. Obviously, that never happened. She never made it home, did she?  Oh god, did they hurt her?

Detective Murphy: Someone did Kent. We hope to find out whom. It's obvious you're torn up over this but we can't count you out as a suspect. Someone is lying. Maybe you're all lying.

Kent Erdell: I'm not.

Detective Armstrong: Don't leave town, this is far from over.

Interview ends:  4:45 PM