Thursday, September 10, 2009 - 6:00 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: For the record please state your name and
address.
Albert Plum: My name is Albert Plum. I live at 2282 Haley Street. Thank you for agreeing
to meet with
me so early.If I'm not there to open the store, it doesn't get
opened.
Detective Armstrong: Don't mind the yawns. So you
manage a
store?
Albert Plum: Ace Hardware.
Yes,
I'm the owner. Which means I open the store, close the store, and
do most
everything in-between.
Detective Murphy: That must keep you busy.
Albert Plum:Very.
Detective Armstrong: What kind of store is that again, a
hardware
store?
Albert Plum: That's right. The best selection
around.
Service with a smile.
Detective Armstrong: Do you carry axes? Stuff like
that?
Albert Plum: For law enforcement, there's a ten percent
discount. I really appreciate the work you folks do, protecting
the
family.
Detective Murphy: Did you hear about that incident over
at the Days
Inn?
Albert Plum: You mean that dismemberment a few weeks
ago? It's
shocking, the behavior of some people. I bet half the people who
rent
rooms at those motels have a home and family waiting for them.
And
they're not checking in alone, either.
Detective Murphy: There's always a chance that whoever
dismembered the
body purchased tools at your store. Would you have records of
that type
of transaction?
Albert Plum: Certainly. You can come look at them
any time you
want. Of course, if the person paid cash, there's no identifying
information.
Detective Murphy: Do you remember anybody purchasing
cutting tools
lately?
Albert Plum: Nobody comes to mind.
Detective Murphy: And you're there most of the time, is
that correct?
Albert Plum:Sometimes I'm busy out back, and one of the
part-timers
handles the sale.
Detective Murphy: And there would be no record if, say,
you borrowed
tools and then brought them back
Albert Plum: No, but I wouldn't do that, not and sell
them as
new. That wouldn't be right.
Detective Armstrong: We've been informed that you
attended the
Marshall Family Reunion.
Albert Plum:I did, yes. I went to school with
many of the
attendees.It's good to put on a public face from time to
time. I'm
an advertisement for the store.
Detective Armstrong:You didn't simply attend because
they were your
friends?
Albert Plum: I try not to dwell on the past. Build
bridges, I
say, rather than focus on the water passing underneath.
Detective Armstrong: Well, how did the reunion go?
Did you drum
up some business?
Albert Plum: It can be very hard to judge the
effectiveness of any
advertising campaign.Attending the reunion was at least cheaper
than the
advertisements I buy in the programs distributed at school plays.
And the
food was better.
Detective Armstrong: Did you happen to run into Oscar
Knight?
Albert Plum: In fact, I had words with him.
Detective Murphy: About what, exactly?
Albert Plum: I don't make it a habit of speaking ill of
people, but if
anybody deserves such treatment, it would be Oscar. He couldn't
even finish
greeting me without asking about my father.
Detective Murphy: That seems friendly enough.
Albert Plum: Oscar knew very well that I have no father
to speak
of. He only asked the question to get a rise out of me.
Detective Murphy: Did he succeed?
Albert Plum: I learned long ago how to deal with bullies.
Detective Armstrong: So what did the two of you talk
about?
Albert Plum: I don't remember everything that was said.
Detective Armstrong: What can you remember?
Albert Plum:Oscar suggested that we might be
brothers.It was
at that point, Detective, that I almost lost control.
Detective Armstrong:Perhaps you saved those feelings
for later.
Albert Plum:I don't understand.
Detective Armstrong: You admit you had issues with
Oscar. You
admit having knowledge of the recent events at the Days Inn.Why
not
admit that you took tools out of your store and you went there and
killed him?
Albert Plum: Because I did no such thing.
Detective Armstrong: You must have thought about
it. Fantasized
as you stood in your store, surrounded by axes and sledgehammers, how
it would
feel to sink one into Oscar's head.
Albert Plum: Detectives. I can only imagine the
sorts of people
that you're accustomed to having in this room, but I am not a
murderer. I
am a loyal Oxford native and businessperson. As such, I will help
you
with your investigation in any way that I can.
Detective Murphy: Thank you, Mr. Plum. We just
might take you up
on that.
Interview ends:6:39 AM |
