Monday, December 19, 2005 - 1:57 pm
The witness, who was described as the boyfriend of the victim, was interviewed by Detectives Armstrong and Murphy at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department. The interview was recorded on a portable tape recorder with the witness' knowledge and consent.
TA = Detective T. Armstrong
SM = Detective S. Murphy
CY = Carl Yates
TA: Good afternoon Mr. Yates. Thanks for coming in. We appreciate it.
CY: Glad to cooperate, Detective. Anything I can do to help find Amy’s killer.
SM: Please state your name and address for the record, Mr. Yates.
CY: I’m Carl Yates and I live at 213 S. 17th. Could you please call me Carl? I feel like you’re talking to my Dad.
TA: Sure, Carl. Glad to oblige. Now regarding Amy – How long had you known her?
CY: We met last spring, March or April, when my sister took her to one of my plays at Ole Miss.
SM: Your play? Do you write?
CY: No, no. I’m a student -- an actor -- at the University in their Theatre Arts Department. This was a class project.
TA: And you two were tight?
CY: We’d been going out ever since.
SM: How did you and Amy get along, Carl?
CY: We got along pretty well. I guess every couple has some problems.
TA: What kind of problems did you and Amy have, Carl?
CY: It wasn’t so much us -- it was her mother.
SM: What about her mother, Carl?
CY: Mary didn’t seem to like me. She told Amy I was no good and Amy should dump me.
TA: Why would Ms. Bledsoe tell Amy that?
CY: I don’t know. I never did anything for her to say that. She wouldn’t have been happy with any guy who dated her precious daughter.
SM: Did you and Amy fight about her mother, Carl?
CY: Not fight exactly but we talked about it a lot. Amy was getting pretty sick of her mother’s interference in her life. She felt that being 19 she was an adult and able to make her own decisions. She couldn’t wait to have enough money to get her own place. That’s why she was so excited about the interview with that photographer. Did he have something to do with her death?
TA: That’s part of our investigation, Carl, just as talking to you is part of our investigation. Do you have any idea who might have wanted Amy dead?
CY: Oh God no! She was just a kid, you know? She may have looked a little different to some people but she was really a good kid. I really liked her, you know.
SM: This must be hard for you. Would you like a glass of water?
CY: No, I’m OK.
TA: What about you, Carl? Did you kill her?
CY: Me? How could you think it was me?
SM: Where were you that Sunday, Carl?
CY: I had the day off from the restaurant so I went fishing.
TA: Fishing? At this time of year? Where did you go?
CY: I drove up to Sardis. It’s a nice drive and winter fishing can be pretty good sometimes.
SM: Did anyone go with you?
CY: No, I went alone.
TA: Did anyone see you there?
CY: Not that I know of. There weren’t a lot of people around, you know. Are you telling me I need an alibi?
TA: Just part of our investigation, Carl. You want us to find who did this to your friend don’t you?
CY: Of course! But I didn’t have anything to do with it!
SM: Then you have nothing to worry about…but we may want to talk to you again, Carl. How do you feel about that?
CY: I’ll be glad to help in any way I can. I wish there was something more I could do.
TA: You can call us if you think of anything else. And we’ll contact you when we need to talk with you again.
CY: That’s fine with me.
SM: Thank you, Carl
CY: Good-bye.
Interview ends: 2:33 pm |
