Thursday, April 17, 2008 - 9:30 a.m.

The witness was identified as a convicted drug trafficker. The victim was involved in his case. He was interviewed at the Sheriff's Department by members of the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department. The interview was recorded on a portable audio tape recorder with the witness's knowledge and consent.

Detective T. Armstrong

Detective S. Murphy

Lionel Thomas

Detective Murphy: Thank you for talking to us.

Lionel Thomas: Don't look like I got much choice, do I?

Detective Armstrong: No, you don't, LT. So you might as well just shut up, behave, and answer our questions. Or else I'll have to call your parole officer and violate you right back in.

Lionel Thomas: Screw you, Armstrong.

Detective Murphy: Let's get this over with. What's your name?

Lionel Thomas: Lionel Thomas. You know that.

Detective Armstrong: Let the record show that the witness is also known as LT amongst the junkie community in town.

Lionel Thomas: Man, I ain't foolin' with them no more.

Detective Murphy: What's your address, LT?

Lionel Thomas: You just grabbed me outta my crib, pig! You know the damn address.

Detective Armstrong: You've been through police interviews since you were twelve. You know how it goes. You people really are stupid. Just answer our questions and we'll leave you alone.

Lionel Thomas: My address is 722 Martin Luther King, Oxford.

Detective Murphy: And your occupation?

Lionel Thomas: I'm an entrepreneur.

Detective Murphy: What do you do?

Lionel Thomas: I'm going to blow up in a big way. I've got all kinds of business deals in progress.

Detective Armstrong: Unless you want me to call your parole officer and tell him you're back in business, why don't you quit pretending you're MC Hammer and tell us where you work.

Lionel Thomas: Right now, I'm working at Mr. Sparkle Car Wash. But that's just to get the law off my back. Gots to have a regular paycheck. Just another way that the white man keeps me down. Forcing me to spend time at that damn car wash instead of letting me handle my bizness. Why do you think brothers always got work menial jobs when they get out? Cause puttin' dogs in prison ain't enough. They got to humiliate you when you get out. As soon as my probation's over, I'm quittin' that tired job.

Detective Murphy: What did you think of Charles Tatum?

Lionel Thomas: I thought he was a tired, racist punk.

Detective Armstrong: You piece of ****! He was a good man--

Lionel Thomas: He was a racist punk!

Detective Murphy: Both of you shut up! Now, Lionel, why do you say he was racist?

Lionel Thomas: Because all cops are. Always pickin' on the brothers--

Detective Armstrong: Don't start with that crap--

Lionel Thomas: Oh, please! Are you blind? When I got to county, I didn't see no white boy in that muthaf**ka. Alls I see is black men. Ain't you got no rich white boy up at the college smoking chronic? You tryin' to tell me ain't no white boy on Fraternity Row dropped a roofie on no little blonde bimbo? Oh, they doin' it all right. You just don't want to catch them.

Detective Murphy: Please! Focus on Charles Tatum.

Lionel Thomas: What's to focus on? I done told you what I thought. It was only a matter of time before some homies got tired of his crap and pulled a 187 on his ass. I wasn't surprised at all.

Detective Armstrong: And you're just the type to do it, huh?

Lionel Thomas: Damn straight! But I never got my chance. But I got much love for the muthaf**ka who did get to him.

Detective Armstrong: How long was your stretch last time? Hope you enjoyed it because it's going to be my personal goal to make your life hell. You're going down for the count this time.

Lionel Thomas: Yeah, try it! You mess with me and I'll take you off the watch too.

Detective Murphy: Why did you say "too"?

Detective Armstrong: That's right, punk. A better-educated man, someone who could actually speak, would have said "I'll murder you as well." You're threatening me... who else did you threaten? Did you threaten Tatum? Did you cap him? Are you saying I'm next?

Lionel Thomas: Man, you know what I was sayin'.

Detective Armstrong: You better speak up, *******!

Detective Murphy: Let him go, Ted!

Detective Armstrong: I'm leaving before I get in trouble. But I'm comin' after you, LT. You may not have had anything to do with this, but just your attitude gets me pissed off. And I'm going to make you miserable. You better not have a parking violation or I'm sending your sorry ass back inside.

Lionel Thomas: Fine. Glad to see him go. Now, what do you want to talk about?

Detective Murphy: You know what, LT? I'm taking his example. Because if I have to look at your ugly face one more minute, I'm going to say that you hit me and then you're going away.

Lionel Thomas: You can't do that!

Detective Murphy: We're all real on edge around here, LT. You'd be surprised at what we would do.

Lionel Thomas: See! It's always rigged--

Detective Murphy: Shut up. I'm getting your parole officer on the line. He can come down here and deal with you. We'll want a list of everyone who can corroborate your activities for the first week of April. This interview is over.

Interview ends 9:53 a.m.