Monday, January 9, 2006 - 5:53 p.m.
The witness was identified as the victim's boyfriend. The interview took place at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff’s Office. The interview was recorded on a portable audio tape recorder with the witness’ knowledge and consent.
TA= Detective T. Armstrong
SM= Detective S. Murphy
CY= Carl Yates
TA: Good afternoon, Carl. How ya doin’?
CY: Okay, I guess. What’s this all about? I thought I told you everything last time.
SM: Just a few things we need to clear up, Carl. Would you please state your name and address for the record?
CY: Carl Yates 213 S. 17th, same as last time I was here.
TA: Okay, Carl, what we need to ask you is about going fishing the day of the murder, for one thing.
CY: I left home around 11:00 a.m. and got home between 6:00 and 7:00, I guess. I'm not sure exactly. I know I left Sardi when it was getting dark—probably between 4:30 and 5:00.
SM: Does it take an hour to drive from Sardi back to Oxford?
CY: No. I stopped at the Huddle House. I hadn’t eaten all day and I felt like waffles, you know?
TA: Did you see anyone you know there?
CY: Yeah, come to think of it there was a guy there from one of my classes at school-- Gerry Albright. He waved and said hello but we didn’t talk. He could tell you I was there, though.
SM: What kind of car do you drive, Carl?
CY: It’s not a car. It's a Chevy S-10 pickup.
TA: Do you have access to any other car—your folks’ or a friend’s maybe?
CY: I don’t need any other vehicle, Detective. I drive my truck.
SM: So you were driving your truck on December 4th?
CY: Yes. I drove it to go fishing and I drove it home.
TA: When was the last time you saw Amy, Carl?
CY: Amy? Oh God, my poor Amy. I really miss her, you know. I…ah…. We went to the movies Thursday night before she…you know before…before she was killed. We were finally off the same night so we went to the movies. That was the last…the last time I saw her. Do you know yet who… you know…who killed her?
SM: Not yet, Carl, but we are getting closer all the time. That’s why we needed to talk to you today.
CY: I sure wish you’d catch the SOB who did this. She was a good kid, you know. She didn’t deserve to die.
TA: I know, Carl. We’ll get him…or her… whoever it is. Do you have any idea who might have wanted her dead?
CY: No. No one I know could have done something like that.
SM: What about your ex-girlfriend? How did she feel about Amy?
CY: Who? Oh Helen. No I don’t think she cared enough about me to have bad feelings about Amy. Amy and I didn’t start going together until after Helen and I had broken up.
TA: Did Amy talk to you about the interview she had scheduled for that Sunday?
CY: Yeah. She was real excited about the possibility of going to work someplace besides McDonalds. This Cassidy guy was going to train her and give her quite a bit of responsibility, she said. She was nervous about the interview—afraid he might not like her or something.
SM: Were you comfortable about her going alone to his house on Sunday?
CY: Sure, why not? You think he’s some pervert or something?
TA: Well, it was a bit odd to go to a stranger’s house, don’t you think?
CY: She said she knew of this guy. She said he had a good reputation around town—had taken a lot of kids and family pictures so she wasn’t worried. I didn’t worry about it after she told me that.
SM: We are continuing a very thorough investigation. We will continue interviewing, doing forensic tests, etc. How do you think the investigation will come out concerning you and whether you did this?
CY: I think you’re full of it if you think I had anything to do with this! I know if you are doing all the investigating and interviewing you’re telling me about you will know for sure I had nothing to do with it. I didn’t see her that day and had no ill feelings toward her and… and I wouldn’t kill anybody!
TA: O.K., Carl. Calm down. That’s all we have for today. Thank you for your cooperation.
Interview ends: 6:15 p.m.
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