Witness Interview: Tate Moore, found body

Monday November 4, 2002 - 1:37 p.m.

This witness, who discovered the body, was interviewed at the crime scene, Avent Park, Bramlett Blvd. A formal interview was conducted by Reporting Investigators Det. Sam Murphy and Det. Ted Armstrong, after they arrived on the scene. This interview was recorded on a portable tape recorder with the witness's knowledge and consent.

TA = Detective T. Armstrong
SM = Detective S. Murphy
TM = Tate Moore

SM: For the record, Tate, could you please state your name and address?

TM: My name is Tate Moore. I live at 603 Tyler Avenue in Oxford.

TA: Another day, another body?

TM: What can I say? It's like I'm jinxed or something.

TA: What were you doing in the park, Tate?

TM: I come here once in a while. It's usually pretty quiet, good place to think. In the summer, I sometimes bring an old acoustic guitar and try to write some chords or music. When it's less warm, I usually just come for a walk or to think things over.

TA: So what were you thinking over today?

TM: I was thinking about lyrics. I've been trying to get this love song right. Well, it's like a love song, but you wouldn't know it right away, I didn't want it to sound like something out of a hallmark card. I wasn't getting very far.

SM: You told the first officer that you heard a noise like a shot. Is that correct?

TM: I'm not sure. I heard something, and I ignored it. Then I heard someone shout out and, when I found Arlene ,I figured I must have heard a shot.

SM: So you only heard one noise which you think might have been a shot?

TM: Yeah, that's right.

SM: You definitely do not recall hearing two shots, or three?

TM: No, just the one. I was probably walking towards Arlene when I heard the second shot. I might have been further away before that so I didn't hear the other shot.

SM: What makes you think Arlene was the second person to be shot?

TM: I don't know ma'am I just assumed on account of her being wounded and the other guy being dead. Was she shot first then?

SM: I'm not able to tell you that at the moment, Mr. Moore. So you were walking, thinking, you heard something which for the moment we will assume was a shot being fired, then you heard someone shout or scream. Is that correct?

TM: Yes, I think so. I was walking like you said, along the trail, and I heard a noise like a shot, and then almost right after I heard a voice cry out.

SM: What sort of sound, like a scream or shouting?

TM: I reckon a bit of both, I couldn't say which. It was like a screamed no, but it didn't last very long, quite high-pitched but short -

TA: It's okay, Tate. We don't need to know what key it was in. So then you came running?

TM: No, sir. Well, I came quickly, but I wouldn't say I ran. I can't have been far away, I walked like 20 yards or something and I saw Arlene Melton lying down with the blood on her left shoulder and her hand over it and then I saw the other guy over there. Neither of them was moving much.

SM: You thought they were both dead?

TM: Yes, that was my first thought. Then I realized I could see Arlene's chest moving and that she must have fainted or something, so I used my cell phone to call 911 and ask for help.

SM: Did you see anyone else, or hear anything else Tate?

TM: No I didn't see anything, I could hear something moving away towards the Park Drive side of the Park, but it could have been anything, like an animal or whatever. I didn't see anything suspicious.

TA: Did you touch anything?

TM: Yeah. And no. I didn't go near the guy but I did touch Arlene to see how she was. She stirred and said, I've been shot, oh my god I've been shot, over and again maybe 3 or 4 times. I told her it's going to be okay, help was on the way. She was looking around for something, she was upset and crying as well. It wasn't that easy to make out some of what she was saying.

TA: You and Arlene know each other, don't you?

TM: Yes, we do. We've been on a few dates and she tries to come and watch the band when we play locally. I like her, she's a friend.

SM: Are you in a relationship with Arlene at the moment, Mr. Moore?

TM: Excuse me, ma'am?

SM: I mean sexually, Tate?

TM: I'm not. I don't know what it has to do with this but I haven't slept with Arlene for, let me see, 3 or 4 months. Maybe July or something, I'd have to think or look it up..

SM: You keep a record or diary of your sexual encounters?

TA: Can I read it, Tate? Can I?

TM: I don't keep a diary or any sort of record of who I sleep with, what I meant was I do keep dates of band gigs or whatever because sometimes we plan them well in advance. From that I reckon I could work out exactly when it was I last saw Arlene on a date basis.

TA: Do you know the dead man, Tate?

TM: He looked a little familiar but I can't think of his name. He's a friend of Arlene's right?

TA: Yes we think so. Name is Wenzel Hitzig

TM: Wenzel Hitzig? Is he German like the dead guy I found at Rowan Oak?

SM: He was born in Germany if I remember rightly, but he's lived in the U.S for some time.

TM: That's why he looks familiar, he was here last year wasn't he? I remember seeing him around town after the other guy was murdered.

SM: The body was found face down, Tate. How exactly did he look familiar?

TM: Am I under suspicion here?

SM: No more so than anyone else who makes a habit of finding dead bodies.

TM: You think I like finding bodies? You think I'm going around looking for this sorta stuff to happen to me? I already have to put up with the jokes about all this, you know. You can't think I had something to do with this. I'm just unlucky y'know?

TA: Well, there is the matter of your relationship with Ms. Melton?

TM: So because I slept with her, I must have killed the next guy she's with. You got me down for a crime of passion, Detective Armstrong?

TA: I'll keep an open mind, Mr. Moore. We always try to. So there's nothing you feel you can add to what you've already told us then?

TM: No sir, I don't think so. I didn't really see too much, I called 911 pretty quickly then I was waiting for you. I don't know anything else I could tell you.

TA: Did you see anyone else at in the park at any point?

TM: Someone was playing tennis I think when I first arrived.. Looked like two teenagers, male.

TA: Okay Mr. Moore, you're free to go for the moment, but we may need to ask you some more questions later.

TM: Any time, Detective. I always try to help. Could you tell me how Arlene is?

SM: I'm sure she's going to be fine, Tate, but we'd rather you didn't make any contact with her just yet.

TM: Why?

SM: Because we're not sure when we are going to be able to interview her yet and we don't want her discussing this with another witness before we do. We'll be interviewing her as soon as she is well enough.

TM: Okay I think I see what you mean.

Interview ends 2:09 p.m.