Friday May 29, 2009 - 10:30 AM

Detective Armstrong and Detective Murphy of the Yoknapatawpha Sheriff’s Department interviewed the witness, a 68-year old female.  The interview was conducted at the Yoknapatawpha Sheriff's Department and recorded on a portable tape recorder with the witness's knowledge and consent.

Detective Samantha Murphy
Detective Ted Armstrong
Miriam Gleason

Detective Murphy: Good morning. Thank you for bringing this photograph to our attention.

Miriam Gleason: I felt like I just had to. It's not every day I discover a photo of a dead person.

Detective Armstrong: Please tell us your name and address before we begin.

Miriam Gleason: Surely. My name is Miriam Gleason. I live in the same house I’ve lived in for going on 30 years. My address is 548 Webb Street, right here in good ole Oxford. Not far from Aggie’s.

Detective Murphy: Aggie? Is that a neighbor?

Miriam Gleason: Oh, Aggie and I have been friends for years. She was shocked when I told her about the photo.

Detective Armstrong: Why don’t you tell us about that photo, Mrs. Gleason?

Miriam Gleason: Please just call me Miriam, I like that better. It's a horrible thing, Detective! Just horrible! When I looked at it, I saw the body of a girl lying dead on a floor and a young man kneeling beside her. I only looked once and that was enough for me. I called the police right away, and then I called Aggie.

Detective Armstrong: We saw the photo and yes, you are right, it is horrible. You must have a very close relationship with this Aggie if you called her with news like that. Would you give us her name and address, please?

Miriam Gleason: Oh dear, do I have to? She's been through so much in the last year. I hate for you to go and upset her all over again.

Detective Murphy: Don't worry, we won't upset her. We probably won't even talk to her, but, since you have mentioned her, we will need her full name and address.

Miriam Gleason: She's a very sweet lady. Her name is Agnes Jenson and she lives on Mimosa Drive. I can’t remember the number.

Detective Armstrong: Agnes Jenson? Do you mean the grandmother of Blake Jenson?

Miriam Gleason: Yes, that’s her. Her grandson died a few months ago in their guest cottage. He died from some kind of electrical shock to his heart.

Detective Murphy: I think we should start at the beginning, Miriam. First, how did the photo end up in your possession?

Miriam Gleason: Well, Aggie had a yard sale and of course I went. She has some nice things and I thought maybe there would be something I could use.

Detective Murphy: Go on.

Miriam Gleason: I bought a nice folding table with four chairs, an antique porcelain doll, and a popcorn tin full of buttons. All at a very good price let me tell you. That popcorn tin was only $2.00. Can you believe it? Aggie told me I could just have them since we were lifelong friends, but I insisted on paying for them.

Detective Murphy: How nice. And the photo? What does this have to do with that?

Miriam Gleason: Well, when I got home, I put the things I bought in the garage until later in the day and when I brought them in after dinner, I opened the popcorn tin and dumped the buttons on the table and the photo fell out with them. I didn't look at it at first, because there were so many nice buttons. I was looking at them. Then I picked up the photo and looked at it. Really looked at it.

Detective Armstrong: And what then?

Miriam Gleason: I couldn't move! I was so shocked that I was frozen in my chair for a few moments. When I could move, I screamed. Then I ran to the phone and called the police. On looking back, I realize now that I should have called Aggie first.

Detective Armstrong: What did she say when you told her of your discovery?

Miriam Gleason: She was shocked as much as I was and said she'd be right over. She said she couldn't imagine what kind of photo I had.

Detective Murphy: And did she come over? And if she did, what did she say when she saw the photo?

Miriam Gleason: She didn't get to see the photo. The police had arrived right before her and they put the photo in some kind of plastic bag or something and took it away.

Detective Murphy: After the police left did you and Aggie talk about that?

Miriam Gleason: Oh yes! It was kind of exciting, but neither one of us had any idea what was going on. Then we had some tea and Aggie left. We had to go to a Red Hat Society meeting later in the evening. I bought the prettiest purple dress this week and decorated a new red hat, so I was anxious for everyone to see me in my new outfit.

Detective Armstrong: You haven't mentioned the barrette. Did you notice that?

Miriam Gleason: Oh yes, I did see that. I forgot about it. It was just a gold hair barrette attached to the back of the photo. I didn't remove it. I thought it might be important.

Detective Armstrong: All right, you can go now, but if you remember anything more, please call us.

Miriam Gleason: Oh, I certainly will. I hope you find out who those people are in the photo. I’d like to know, too.

Detective Murphy: I'm sure we will, Miriam. Thank you again for coming in today. Good-bye.

Miriam Gleason: Good-bye. If I have to come back again, I'll bring some apple pie.

Interview ended: 11:15 AM