Wednesday, August 12, 2009 - 10:00 AM
The witness, Davis Myers, is staying in the room next to the
room where the
severed finger was discovered. 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 Ted Armstrong
Detective Samantha Murphy
Davis Myers
Detective Armstrong: Good morning. Please state your name and
address.
Davis Myers: What the heck do you need that fer? I'm not from
these
parts. I cain't help you, I don't know nuthin'.
Detective Armstrong: Just answer the questions and we can get
this over with
faster.
Davis Myers: I don't like it, but okay. I live at 3064 S
Boeke
Road, in
Evansville, Indiana.
Detective Armstrong: What are you doing in Oxford?
Davis Myers: I was in Tupelo, checking out the King's ole
stompin' grounds.
Detective Murphy: The King?
Davis Myers: The King! Only one king. Elvis.
Detective Armstrong: Elvis Costello?
Davis Myers: Man, you cain’t be that dumb. No, not Costello.
Presley. The
one and only king. I ride the same kind of bike ole Elvis rode. A
Harley
Davidson. Onliest bike there is, really. I got my own shop back home.
Wouldn't
ride nuthin' else. Ole Bill rides one, too, don't cha know?
Detective Armstrong: Ole Bill?
Davis Myers: Was you borned stupid? I'm talkin' 'bout,
"I never
had sex with that woman, Bill." Git it? You oughta git one.
It
would sure beat them ole po-lice cars that you coppers drive.
Detective Armstrong: Really. Don’t help much in the
rain, though, does
it? And eatin' bugs and all. I don't have to worry about that. I
bet 'ole
Bill' doesn't have tattoos all over like you do.
Davis Myers: Bet your wife loves you 'round the house an all.
Just a regular
comic. And it takes a real man to ride a Harley. Like me and Elvis.
Besides, I
didn't say I liked ole Bill. I just said he rides a Harley. He probably
has a
tattoo that says Monica, not Mom.
Detective Murphy: You've explained why you were in Tupelo, Mr.
Myers. Now
why are you here in Oxford?
Davis Myers: Whilst I was at the ole home place of Elvis,
someone said they
was some real nice places down here to look at, so here I am. I saw the
college. Purty place, it is. I been to the Faulkner Museum. I ain't
much for
readin' but since I was already here, I figured I might as well look.
That's a
real purty place, too.
Detective Murphy: Did someone direct you to the Days Inn, too?
Davis Myers: Yes ma'am, they did. Said it was nice and
they was right.
That old boy next door wasn't too friendly, though.
Detective Armstrong: You mean Oscar Knight?
Davis Myers: That his name? The guy in the room that all you
po-lice was
searchin'? What was you searchin' for?
Detective Armstrong: What do you mean he wasn't friendly?
Davis Myers: He didn't like my music, I guess. He kept
pounding on the
walls. Guess he wanted me to turn off my ra-diddio. I turned it up a
notch.
Charlie Daniels sure kin play that fiddle.
Detective Armstrong: Not a good way to make friends, is it?
Davis Myers: No, it ain't. But some people just don't know
good music when
they hears it.
Detective Armstrong: I meant you. You turned the music up
instead of down.
That's not a good way to make friends.
Davis Myers: No one else was complainin' so I cranked it up.
Detective Armstrong: You told us you were from Indiana. Are
you sure you're
telling the truth about that? Be careful how you answer that, because
we have
ways of finding out.
Davis Myers: Well, I wasn't borned back home in Indiana, down
by the Wabash
River, but it's a purty place. No, I was borned in good ole
Kentucky,
down where the Green River flows. Heh. Guess you can tell I like my
music.
Detective Armstrong: Oh yes, we sure can.
Detective Murphy: Ted, will you cut that out and get on with
the reason we
asked Mr. Myers to come in today?
Detective Armstrong: Ok. Back to business. Did you and Mr.
Knight have
words, Mr. Myers?
Davis Myers: No, I don't think he'd want to mess with the
likes of me. He just beat on the walls and I beat back. He finally gave
up.
Detective Armstrong: What time was that, do you remember?
Davis Myers: It was around 10 pm. I remember 'cause it was a
long day and I
was tired. I looked at my clock and went to sleep purty fast, I guess.
I didn't
hear no more till way up in the night. The music woke me up. I turned
if off
and went back to sleep.
Detective Armstrong: So, you didn't hear any noise coming from
the next
room? Nothing suspicious?
Davis Myers: Nope. I didn't know nuthin' else, till I heard
you po-lice over
there bangin' around. What did that ole boy do anyways? Kill someone?
Detective Armstrong: What about the other guests at the hotel?
Did you know
anyone else there?
Davis Myers: Nah. Wasn't interested in meetin' 'em, either. I
just wanted a
place to lay my head, so I could start my trip agin' next mornin'.
Detective Armstrong: I hate to cut your trip short, but you
can't leave
town. We might need to talk to you again.
Davis Myers: What? You cain't do that. I got stuff to do. I'm
goin' to mosey
on down to the coast. See the ocean. Ain't never done that before. Bet
it's
right purty.
Detective Armstrong: It is, at that. But you have to stay
close. We never
know which way a case is going to go and you may be called in again.
Davis Myers: You coppers. You like to stop a guy from havin'
fun, don't
cha? What am I supposed to do till you’re done with it all?
Detective Armstrong: We got some real purty bars here. I bet
you'd like to
see some of them. Have a nice tall one. Maybe two. Ten?
Davis Myers: You gonna pay for my room?
Detective Armstrong: No. Sorry, we don't do that, but I hear
the Days Inn is
purty nice. You might try there.
Davis Myers: I feel sorry for the poor folk livin' here in
Oxford. You're a
piece of work.
Detective Armstrong: Have a nice day.
Interview ends 10:55 AM |
