Monday, April 30, 2001 - 11:37 a.m.

This witness, who discovered the body, was interviewed at the crime scene, the grounds of Rowan Oak on Old Taylor Road. A short preliminary interview was conducted by Reporting Officer Steve Harding (Unit #224). A formal interview was conducted by Reporting Investigators Det. Sam Murphy and Det. Ted Armstrong, after they arrived on the scene. This interview was recorded on a portable tape recorder with the witness's knowledge and consent.

TA = Detective T. Armstrong

SM = Detective S. Murphy

TM = Tate Moore

SM: For the record, sir, could you please state your name and address?

TM: My name is Tate Moore. I live at 603 Tyler Avenue in Oxford.

TA: You're an employee at Rowan Oak?

TM: Well, my paycheck comes from the University, but I usually work over here at Rowan Oak.

TA: How long have you had this job?

TM: Been working here near to three years now.

TA: What do you do here?

TM: I'm a groundskeeper. I do what needs doing to keep the place looking nice. Cut the grass, weed the beds, pruning, planting, repairs, things like that.

SM: You told the first officer that you didn't recognize the victim, is that correct?

TM: I never seen him before. If I had, I expect I'd remember.

SM: Why is that?

TM: A big heavyset fella in a heavy coat, pretty hard to miss, don't you think?

SM: Tell us how you came to discover the body.

TM: I come after the pickaxe. That one right there.

SM: You're pointing to the small, wood-handled pickaxe which appears to have a reddish-brown substance on it. Is that correct?

TM: Yes, ma'am. Anyways, I needed it to do some work I was fixing to do.

SM: What work was that?

TM: I had to dig up a big ol' boulder down yonder and knew I'd need the pickaxe to get her out.

SM: Why didn't you go to the shed for it? Isn't that where one would expect to find tools?

TM: Well, that's where it come from this morning. Look, I went to the shed early when I got here and got the pickaxe. I was taking it down to the boulder that I wanted to get up, but I got a call from Base to come to the office -

TA: You carry cell phones?

TM: No sir, radios. Walkie-talkies, y'know? Anyways, I didn't feel like taking the pickaxe back to the shed and then going back to get it when I was done. So... well, I know I shouldn't have left it here, but who'd think I'd find what I found?

SM: Was anyone else around? When you left the pickaxe? Did you see anyone?

TM: No, I didn't see anyone. It was early, around seven-thirty, eight, something like that. Who would be around for cripes sake? Anyway, when I come back for it, there it was and there he was.

SM: What time did you come back for it?

TM: It musta been about nine-thirty, maybe closer to ten.

TA: You didn't come back for two hours or more? You were in the office for that long?

TM: Yeah. And no. I went up to the office. Turns out they wanted some paperwork done about employee insurance. Today is the last day to put in the paperwork. Anyways, that took a little while. Then when I was heading out to get back to my work, Lorie asks me can I come over to give her a hand with a jammed door in one of the outbuildings. So, then I went over there for a spell. So, after all was said and done, it was about two hours before I come back.

TA: Why were you moving the boulder in the first place?

TM: We need to move it because we're going to lay in some new pipe and it's in the way. Know what I mean?

SM: Okay. What did you do when you saw the body? Did you touch the body in any way?

TM: Excuse me, ma'am?

SM: I mean, did you move the body or anything else, touch anything?

TM: Oh no, ma'am. I think I just started shouting my head off about the bloody man laying under the tree. Didn't even really know I was doing it 'til Scott come running over asking me what I was hollerin' about. He saw for himself soon enough. I think he called Base after that, told 'em what was going on, and they must've called y'all.

SM: You're absolutely sure you didn't touch anything?

TM: Well, I did touch the pickaxe - I mean when I brought it down first thing this mornin', but not after I seen that dead guy or nothing like that. I mean, you could see the blood on his head and chest and all from a pretty good distance. Not like I'd've thought he might still have a pulse or something. You know?

TA: Okay, we got the picture. Who else was on duty during this time period, say from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.?

TM: Well, there's a group of us work over here most days - me and Cal Swinney. Lorie Jones, she was working over yonder by the Tenant House... and Scott Prein, I think, was working with Lorie. Tobias might've been here, but I didn't see him.

TA: Who's that?

TM: Tobias Whitman? He's the curator? Oh, I thought everybody knew that. Leastways, he thinks everybody knows it.

SM: Do you know how we can get in touch with Mr. Whitman?

TM: I'm sure they got his phone number over in Administration on campus, but you probably won't have to call him.

SM: Oh really? Why not?

TM: Soon as he hears about this here, he'll be trackin' you down. You can count on it. Yep, ol' Tobias, he'll give you an earful, that's for sure.

SM: I see. And what about the person who wanted to see you in the office? Who was that?

TM: Oh you mean Shirley? Yeah, she's the bookkeeper, office person. Ah, what's her last name? It's Capman, I think. Shirley Capman. I don't know. We don't talk much. I get my check in my slot at the end of the week, don't have much cause to see her, y'know?

TA: Is Shirley over there in the office now?

TM: I expect she might be. You should ask her where all everybody was. They keep track of everybody over there.

TA: We'll be sure to do that. Anything else you can tell us, Mr. Moore?

TM: No sir, I don't think so. Usually I just do my work and never come in contact with anything, except an obstinate rock or tree branch. This... nope, this sure ain't usual.

TA: Okay, we may have further questions for you. Stay in touch.

TM: I ain't going nowhere, that's for sure.

TA: Thanks for your time.

TM: Any time, Detective.

End interview 11:54 a.m.