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On Tuesday, February 13, 2001, Detectives Murphy and Armstrong interviewed
the employees of Farrell Motors car dealership in Oxford, Mississippi.
The witness statements, provided below in summary and not verbatim, are
representative of all interviews conducted.
- Hogan Starr, resident of 526 Highway 30 East. Job Title: Salesman.
Starr stated that he did remember Roger Hammond being in the office
on the day of the murder. However, he could not say that Hammond was
at the dealership throughout the entire day. "He takes off so often
that we don't even pay any attention any more. So, I know he was there
that day, but for how long, I don't have a clue." When pushed for
more details, Starr repeated his statement that Roger Hammond frequently
disappears during the day to the extent where the other employees don't
even notice anymore. "You have to understand," Starr said,
"he doesn't do a damn thing the whole time he's here. He just gets
in everyone's way. So, although it irritates people that he is allowed
to take any car on the lot and just go, at least it gets him out of
our hair."
Starr disagreed with much of what the dealership owners, Thomas and
Gloria Hammond, said in their interview with Detective Murphy concerning
the work habits of Roger Hammond. Starr said, "If he wasn't the
owners' kid, he'd been fired long ago. Worthless. Just completely
worthless." When asked about Roger Hammond's sales record, Starr
claimed that most of those sales were actually his. Starr stated,
"See, what he does is he sits back there in his office doodling,
talking on the phone, sleeping. Whatever it is he does. And he lets
me or one of the other boys do all the work. We're out there working
the customers. Then, when we come in and say we're fixing to close
a deal, he trots out there and says he wants to make sure the buyers
get to know the boss. He claims it's just so they get the personal
touch and know that the managers are accessible. But the next thing
you know, he's signed all the paperwork, and it looks like it's his
sale. But what can I do about it? I should've been the Sales Manager,
but the Hammonds gave it to their boy. So now, how do I complain about
the lazy jerk?" When asked if he had any evidence that Roger
Hammond was abusing drugs again, Starr stated "I don't have any
evidence, but I'd be willing to put money on it."
- Charlotte Wilson, resident at 800 Molly Barr Road. Job Title:
Cashier.
Wilson is a longtime Farrell Motors employee. She was very hesitant
to talk at first, seemed nervous and skittish. She stated she was concerned
about her job security. However, when pressed, she finally opened up
about Roger Hammond. Wilson has known Roger Hammond since he was a boy
and said "he was a spoiled brat then and he's a spoiled brat now."
Wilson corroborated Hogan Starr's statements about Roger Hammond. Like
Starr, she confirmed that Roger Hammond was at the office on the day
of the murder, but could not specify when he left during the day. "He
disappears so often," Wilson said "that I don't even try to
keep up with that young man. Not that I would really want to in the
first place." When asked if Roger Hammond has been behaving erratically
lately, Wilson said that it's somewhat difficult to tell. "His
work habits have always been so poor, it's hard to say if he's been
acting erratically. He's found any excuse possible to run away from
work his whole life, so disappearing isn't a recent thing. But at the
same time, he has seemed more moody, more wild lately." Wilson
reported Roger Hammond sometimes appeared disheveled and confused at
work. When asked if she thought he might be abusing drugs again, Wilson
hesitated to answer definitively. "Lord, I don't know anything
about that stuff. But he does remind me of when he had the trouble before.
He's acting weird again. So, maybe. But I hate to say for sure without
knowing more."
- Kenny Pope, resident at 439 Hathorn Road. Job Title: Mechanic
Apprentice.
Pope stated that he knew Roger Hammond left the dealership at least
once in the afternoon on the day of the murder. Pope said, "Well,
as I'm learning how to be a mechanic, I gotta do a good bit of the crap
work, you know. So I wash the cars and clean 'em up. 'Specially when
a buyer is picking them up. Well, Hammond always takes one of our cars
when he leaves. And most of the time, he brings 'em back a dirty and
then I gotta clean 'em up. On that day, I was supposed to be prepping
three cars that was going to be picked up early Saturday morning. I
go to get one of 'em, and Hammond's run off in it. But I remember it
real well because I had to stay late that afternoon to get that car
ready for the next morning." Pope stated he could not remember
which car Hammond had used that day, but it was a red 1999 Chevy Blazer,
a black 1998 Mercedes S series, or a dark blue 2000 Chevy, 4-door. Pope
said he could not provide any specifics on the time that Roger Hammond
had left the dealership, but he was very clear on the day. Pope said
that he didn't see Roger Hammond very much and could not comment on
his personal or professional habits or any indications of drug abuse.
"I just know that I gotta clean up the mess he makes," Pope
said.
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