Wednesday, September 30, 2009 - 3:00 PM

The witness, Steven Marshall, is the organizer of the Marshall Reunion. 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
Steven Marshall

Detective Murphy: Please state again your name and current address for the record so we can begin.

Steven Marshall: Certainly, my name is Steven Lloyd Marshall and I live at 652 Edison Street.

Detective Murphy: We need to ask you some more questions, Mr. Marshall.

Steven Marshall: Well, here I am.  Ask away.

Detective Murphy: You seem to be the person that goes the farthest back with Oscar Knight. Can you tell us more about him?

Steven Marshall: I could sit here and tell stories all day about him but it wouldn't help solve the case.

Detective Armstrong: Let us be the judge of that. Surely you can name some enemies?

Steven Marshall: I honestly believe that everyone he knew hated him; his own father and sister can't stand him. Don't you people get it? No one liked him. No one.

Detective Murphy: Surely, in all your school years someone befriended him?

Steven Marshall: Not for long. My little cousin followed him around for awhile but Oscar tied him to a tree and left him there one night. We didn't find him until the next day.

Detective Armstrong: How little was this cousin?

Steven Marshall: He's 5 years younger than me.  But he got Oscar back.

Detective Armstrong: Who?  And how did he get Oscar back?

Steven Marshall: His name is Jerry Tucker. He felt sorry for Oscar because he had no friends so he tried to befriend him. Oscar just blew him off but Jerry was persistent and he would just show up wherever Oscar was. He would follow him around and try to get him to "open up." Ha.

Detective Murphy: The revenge Steve?

Steven Marshall: About two weeks after the tree incident, Jerry bought a package of Chiclets gum and replaced the gum pieces with a laxative gum called Feenamint.  He was walking to school and he was walking a few steps ahead of Oscar and he pretended to drop the pack of gum without knowing that he had. He knew Oscar would then claim them as his own. Rumor has it that Oscar ate every piece in his first class of the day.

Detective Murphy: What happened?

Steven Marshall:  Oscar didn't come to school for a couple of days. Nothing ever came of it but Jerry was pleased with himself nonetheless.

Detective Armstrong: You said Jerry was your cousin.  Was he at the reunion?

Steven Marshall: Yeah, his mom, Valerie was my dad's sister. Of course he was at the reunion.

Detective Murphy: Does Jerry live in Oxford or did he travel to the reunion?

Steven Marshall: He lives here.

Detective Murphy:  Do you think we should talk to him?

Steven Marshall: Why? Because of the tree incident?  I can't believe you people. That's absurd.

Detective Murphy: Any more stories you can tell us?

Steven Marshall: No way. I am done. Can I go now?

Detective Murphy: One more question. Did Jerry and Oscar happen to run into each other during the reunion?

Steve Marshall: I don't know. Ask him yourself!

Interview ends:  3:41 PM