Saturday, September 19, 2009 - 10:30 AM PM

The witness, Carolyn Knight, is the sister of Oscar Knight. 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
Carolyn Knight

Detective Murphy: For the record please state your name and address.

Carolyn Knight:  My name is Carolyn Knight.  My address is 210 North Madison Street, Tupelo, Mississippi.

Detective Armstrong:  You can speak in your natural voice.  The recorder is state-of-the-art.

Carolyn Knight:  Sorry.

Detective Murphy:  Thank you for coming in about your brother.  We're sorry for your loss.

Carolyn Knight:  I would have come sooner, but we've been changing the seasons and I just haven't been able to get away.

Detective Murphy:  When was the last time you talked with Oscar?

Carolyn Knight:  We didn't really talk all that often.  When there's a bond, you don't need to keep trying to create one.

Detective Murphy:  So you were close to your brother?

Carolyn Knight:  We had a bond.

Detective Armstrong:  Not many people could say that about their relationships with Oscar.  He seemed to get on most people's nerves.  You didn't experience that?

Carolyn Knight:  My brother has been murdered.  Aren't I supposed to speak well of him?

Detective Armstrong:  We'd rather you told us the truth.

Carolyn Knight:  Most people don't want to hear the truth.  They want to believe that families are happy and supportive.

Detective Armstrong:  We're not most people.

Carolyn Knight:  Fine.  Oscar was obnoxious, and my father is a brute.  My mother didn't care what anybody did so long as her good china wasn't broken.  The day after she died, I smashed the whole set into a fine powder.

Detective Armstrong:  Better the china than one of your family members.  How did your father respond?

Carolyn Knight:  Just as long as his food kept appearing as if by magic, it could have been served on newspaper for all he cared.  Not that he's ever been thankful.

Detective Murphy:  How did Oscar compare?

Carolyn Knight:  Frankly, I'm not surprised someone killed him.  The only thing I wonder is what took so long.

Detective Murphy:  Were you aware he was visiting Oxford?

Carolyn Knight:  What do you mean?

Detective Murphy:  Your brother was killed here in Oxford.  Did you know he intended to come here?

Carolyn Knight:  Should I have a lawyer present?

Detective Murphy:  As we said earlier, you certainly have that right.  But really, that would just drag this whole thing out.  It isn't like you have something to hide, do you?

Carolyn Knight:  Of course not.

Detective Armstrong:  Is it just that, after all this time, you don't remember when you first heard Oscar was coming to Oxford?

Carolyn Knight:  Our father might have mentioned it.  I don't know.  He's always ranting and raving over one thing or another.  I stopped listening years ago.

Detective Armstrong:  How do you like the clothing business?

Carolyn Knight:  I find it refreshing.

Detective Armstrong:  In what way?

Carolyn Knight:  Every three months, everything changes, but in an ordered way.  The five jackets or whatever you carry are competing with each other, not some jacket that you stocked four months or four years ago.

Detective Armstrong:  When I was younger, I always wanted a store manikin.  I just thought I could have fun with that.  Dress it up.  Sort of stage little scenes so it looked like someone fell out of a tree, or was hanging from the garage roof.

Carolyn Knight:  That's very interesting, detective.

Detective Armstrong:  You ever take out your frustrations on manikins?

Carolyn Knight:  That's not exactly my style.

Detective Armstrong:  Seems to me like it could be therapeutic.  There must be manikins that you take out of service.  Maybe they get damaged.  Maybe the store upgrades.  I'm sure nobody would mind if you took one home, called it Oscar, and let go with a baseball bat.

Carolyn Knight:  Are you suggesting that I killed my brother?

Detective Armstrong:  Why would you think that?  I was just asking whether you used old manikins as an outlet.   If more people could take advantage of such an opportunity, we might actually see less crime as a result.

Carolyn Knight:  I'm sorry to disappoint.

Detective Armstrong:  No bother.  So, your father.  How did he get along with Oscar.

Carolyn Knight:  Nobody got along with Oscar.  Oscar saw to that.  It was as though he wouldn't be happy until the whole world hated him.

Detective Murphy:  Would you say he was successful where you were concerned?

Carolyn Knight:  Since we're being honest, yes.  I can't say I'm sorry that he's dead.  If I have any regret at all, it would be that our father wasn't with him at the time.

Detective Armstrong:  Thanks for coming in, Miss Knight.

Carolyn Knight:  You both have a good day.

Interview ends:  10:47 AM