Wednesday, October 7, 2009 - 11:31 AM
The witness, Albert Plum, was seen arguing with Oscar Knight
at the Marshall
Family 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
Albert Plum
Detective Murphy: Thanks for coming in with such short notice.
Albert Plum: No problem:
Detective Murphy: For the record please state your name
and address.
Albert Plum: My name is Albert Plum. I live at 2282 Haley
Street. So what's up?
Detective Armstrong: Last time we talked, you said you
would help with
the investigation any way you could.
Albert Plum: That's right. Law and order is good
for business.
Detective Armstrong: That's why I'm confused. You
say you want
to help, but you don't tell us the truth.
Albert Plum: What do you mean? I didn't lie to you!
Detective Armstrong: You did if you lied by omission.
Albert Plum: I don't understand.
Detective Murphy: We have some questions about your
interest in Lamar
Park.
Albert Plum: The park? I don't have any interest
in the park.
Detective Armstrong: We have an eyewitness who says
otherwise.
Detective Murphy: Why don't you just tell us the truth?
Albert Plum: Honestly, I don't know what you're talking
about.
Detective Armstrong: An eyewitness places you at Lamar
Park the day
the second bag of body parts was discovered. Ring any bells?
Albert Plum: Oh.
Detective Armstrong: Exactly.
Albert Plum: That was a personal matter.
Detective Armstrong: Most things are.
Unfortunately, we're
investigating a murder.
Detective Murphy: We're not in the habit of spreading
gossip, if that
helps.
Albert Plum: Anything I say here, doesn't it become a
matter of public
record? I mean ... you're taping this.
Detective Armstrong: Yes, we are. But that doesn't
mean that
just anybody is able to listen to the tapes.
Albert Plum: Isn't it enough to say that the reason I
was in the park
that day had nothing to do with Oscar Knight or bags containing body
parts?
Detective Armstrong: I'm afraid not.
Detective Murphy: It would be a start, however.
Any little bit
helps. Feel free to take your time.
Albert Plum: I didn't do anything wrong.
Detective Murphy: That's good.
Albert Plum: I'm a respected member of this
community. I'm on
the Chamber of Commerce. I support three different athletic
teams.
This could ruin me.
Detective Armstrong: We're not interesting in ruining
anybody.
All we want is to catch Oscar Knight's killer.
Albert Plum: I swear to you that I had nothing to do
with that.
Detective Murphy: So why were you in the park that
day? Running
in the opposite direction of everybody else?
Albert Plum: I was ... meeting someone.
Detective Armstrong: Does that someone have a name?
Albert Plum: Just a first name.
Detective Murphy: And that first name would be?
Albert Plum: Bill. He said his name was
Bill. It's not
like I asked to see some identification.
Detective Armstrong: Do you think Bill will corroborate
your story?
Albert Plum: I don't know. I ... I never went into
those chat
rooms before. It was just that one time, and I left the park
before
anything could happen. I'm not sure if I could connect with him
again. I'm not sure, after I ran away, whether he'd agree to come
forward.
Detective Murphy: Thank you for telling us the
truth. In the
long run, even if it was hard, it's always the right thing to do.
If we
know the truth, we don't have to waste a lot of time digging things up
that
aren't related to the investigation.
Albert Plum: I'll never do it again.
Detective Armstrong: That's your business, Mr.
Plum. Thanks
again for coming in.
Interview ends: 12:05 PM |
