Saturday September 12, 2009 - 8:20 AM
The witness, Lizzie Barton, is a family friend of the Marshall
family and
attended the reunion at Wall Doxey State Park. The interview was
conducted at
the Yoknapatawpha Sheriff's Department and recorded on a portable tape
recorder
with the witness's knowledge and consent.
Detective Samantha Murphy
Detective Ted Armstrong
Elizabeth Barton
Elizabeth Barton: Good morning, detectives.
Detective Murphy: Would you state your name and address
for the record
before we begin, please?
Elizabeth Barton: Of course. My name is Lizzie Barton and I
live at 576 Webb
Street. Well, it's actually Elizabeth, but everyone calls me
Lizzie.
Detective Murphy: Thank you. Why do you suppose we asked you
to come in,
Mrs. Barton?
Elizabeth Barton: Please call me Lizzie. I think you want to
know if I know
Oscar Knight. Isn't that right? I read in the paper that you were
looking for
him.
Detective Murphy: Yes, that is why we wanted to talk to you.
Do you know Mr.
Knight, Lizzie?
Elizabeth Barton: Yes, I knew Ozzie years ago when we went to
school
together. I hadn't seen him since then.
Detective Murphy: But you've seen him recently haven't you?
Elizabeth Barton: Oh yes. I saw him at the Marshall
family reunion. It
was a complete surprise and I didn't recognize him at first. Steve
pointed him
out to me. The Marshall family is a large family and their reunions
draw a lot
of friends and family. This year the reunion was held at the Wall Doxey
State
Park. But this was the first time I remember Ozzie being there.
Detective Armstrong: Who is Steve? Is that an
acquaintance of yours?
Elizabeth Barton: Oh, yes. That would be Steve Marshall. I've
known Steve
since school days, too. We were in the same classes. I've been to a lot
of
basketball games and parties with Steve. My family and his have been
friends
for many years.
Detective Armstrong: Did you have an altercation of some sort
with Oscar
Knight?
Elizabeth Barton: How in the world did you know about
that? It wasn't
a big deal, Detective. Ozzie was just being obnoxious is all. I
think he
had been drinking, and I just wasn't having any of it.
Detective Armstrong: What did he say that upset you?
Elizabeth Barton: He said I was really looking my age. That
isn't something
that most people would say to a man, let alone a woman. It was rude. I
told him
he should leave the reunion before he embarrassed the family.
Detective Murphy: Was he intoxicated?
Elizabeth Barton: No, he wasn't intoxicated, but he was
feeling it a little.
The problem began when he wanted me to have a drink with him. I told
him no,
and he said I was still a prissy little thing. I told him he was just
as
overbearing as I remembered him and walked away.
Detective Armstrong: Did he try to stop you?
Elizabeth Barton: No, he didn't do that. I think he realized
that that would
be a big mistake. He would have been tarred and feathered and ran out
of town
on a rail if he'd done something like that. No, he just kept following
me
around and I wasn't interested in talking to him anymore. I told him to
do
everyone a favor and leave.
Detective Murphy: So, you knew Mr. Knight in school. Were you
just
classmates or were you friends? Did Steve know him very well?
Elizabeth Barton: Yes, we were classmates and friends, sort
of. He seemed
like an interesting guy. He was very smart and he always talked about
how he
was going to be rich someday. I thought he was a pretty nice guy, too.
Then
when I saw his true colors, I decided that he just wasn't worth my time
and
just told him I didn't want to be around him anymore.
Detective Armstrong: And how did he take that?
Elizabeth Barton: I don't think it bothered him at all. I
believe he left
town shortly after that, and I haven't seen him since. Good riddance is
what I
said.
Detective Armstrong: How did he seem to be when you talked to
him at the
reunion?
Elizabeth Barton: He seemed fine, at first. We just talked
about old times,
and then I smelled alcohol on his breath and started moving away from
him. He
didn't like it and started following me.
Detective Armstrong: What time did you go to the reunion?
Elizabeth Barton: Oh, it wasn't too early, but it was before
noon. I wanted
to make sure I got there before everyone sat down for lunch and I
wanted to get
my food on the table, too.
Detective Armstrong: Do you know what time Mr. Knight got
there?
Elizabeth Barton: No, I have no idea.
Detective Armstrong: What time did you leave the reunion?
Elizabeth Barton: I left earlier than I normally would have,
but I didn't
want to run into Ozzie again. I always loved going to the Marshall
reunion
because I knew so many of the people that would be there. My day was
ruined. So
I left around 3 in the afternoon. Pauline told me later that she
had a
run-in with Ozzie, too.
Detective Murphy: What is Pauline’s last name and did she tell
you what
happened?
Elizabeth Barton: Pauline Jones. That's one reason why I hated
to leave the
reunion so early. Pauline and I have been friends for over 20 years.
She said
Ozzie said something about me and she slapped him. I wasn't surprised
that she
would slap him. Pauline is a very close and loyal friend.
Detective Armstrong: Did Pauline tell you what he said?
Elizabeth Barton: No, she said she wouldn't repeat it. She
said he was also
talking about meeting someone later that evening, but he seemed very
secretive
about it.
Detective Armstrong: Did he mention to you that he was meeting
someone
later?
Elizabeth Barton: No, not a word. I didn't talk to him enough
for him to
share any of his plans for the evening with me.
Detective Murphy: Is there anything else that you can remember
that might be
important to our investigation?
Elizabeth Barton: No, since I left the reunion early, I didn't
hear much.
All I hope is that he won't come back to the reunion next year. I bet
I'm not
alone in that, either.
Detective Murphy: All right. I think we're done for now. If
you remember
anything else, please give us a call, Lizzie.
Elizabeth Barton: I will. Good day.
Interview ended: 9:15 AM |
