Wednesday, March 4, 2009, 1:30 PM

Detective Armstrong and Detective Murphy of the Yoknapatawpha Sheriff's Department interviewed the witness, who is the birth mother of the victim. 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 Ted Armstrong
Detective Samantha Murphy
Joy Stillman

Detective Armstrong: Have a seat and state your name and address for the record.

Joy Stillman: My name is Joy Stillman and my address is 1367 Alvarado Street, San Francisco, California. I thought when I called you that you could tell me what is going on. I wasn't expecting an interrogation.

Detective Armstrong: This isn't an interrogation. It's an interview. Why are you here in Oxford at this time? You've been gone a long time, as I understand it.

Joy Stillman: Yes, I have been gone a long time, but I came back to talk to my son.

Detective Armstrong: Who is your son?

Joy Stillman: Blake Jenson was my son.

Detective Armstrong: Your son? Wasn't he the son of Luther and Agnes Jenson?

Joy Stillman: I guess it depends on how you describe "son." I gave birth to Blake, so I am his real mother.

Detective Murphy: Isn't it true that you sold him to Mr. and Mrs. Jenson, and they have raised him without any help from you?

Joy Stillman: I didn't sell him. I was young and I made a terrible mistake. I was seventeen and I had a life to live. I didn't want to be tied down with a baby, with rules and responsibilities. I just wanted to get away from there. I have paid for that mistake again and again.

Detective Armstrong: Did you come back to harm Blake and hurt your parents at the same time?

Joy Stillman: No! If I were going to do that, I would have done it long ago. I just found out that I have WPW and I wanted to let Blake know that he might have inherited it from me and that he should have it checked out. I've caused enough pain. I wanted to do something right.

Detective Armstrong: Why didn't you just make a phone call?

Joy Stillman: I tried, but the operator wouldn't give the number to me. She said it was unlisted and she wouldn’t let me have it. So, I decided this might be a good excuse to get some closure on everything so I chose to fly down.

Detective Armstrong: You've given your surname name as Stillman.

Joy Stillman: Yes, after I hit bottom from all the wild living I was doing, I met this wonderful man at a homeless shelter. We fell in love. Bill knew all about me and yet he loved me. We have two children, but nothing has ever taken away the pain I carry from giving away my first child. My folks don't even know I'm here. I'm afraid to contact them after all these years. They have probably disowned me and never want to see me again.

Detective Armstrong: Did you get to see Blake at all? Were you around the house the night Blake died?

Joy Stillman: No, I drove by the house a few times and was trying to get up the nerve to stop, but I didn't have the courage. I thought I saw him once and I started to pull in the drive, but someone else drove in right in front of me, so I didn't go in. I knew I had to try again, but then it was too late. I wanted to go to the funeral, but I knew that would cause all the old dirt to start over again. Mom and dad don't deserve that.

Detective Armstrong: Why didn't you just leave the way you came instead of calling us to tell us who you were and that you were in town?

Joy Stillman: I thought you could tell me what happened. I've been asking around, but no one seems to know what’s going on. So, what happened that night? What caused Blake's death?

Detective Armstrong: This is an ongoing investigation. We can't divulge any information at this time.

Joy Stillman: Oh. Do my parents know? Do you think they would tell me?

Detective Armstrong: No, they don't know either. Sorry.

Joy Stillman: Well, okay then. I need to go now. I don't really have anything else to tell you.

Detective Murphy: You're going to have to stay in town for a while, Mrs. Stillman, because we may need to ask you some more questions before this is over.

Joy Stillman: Bill isn't going to like hearing that. I hope you can tell me soon what happened. Bye for now.

Detective Armstrong: Good day.

Interview ended at 2:05 PM