Monday, November 5, 2007, 1:01 PM

William Bolton is a forty eight year old, Caucasian male. He has been Victor Jenning's neighbor for several years. The interview was conducted at the Yoknapatawpha Sheriff's Department and was recorded on a portable audio tape recorder with the witness's knowledge and consent.

Detective Ted Armstrong
Detective Samantha Murphy
William Bolton

Det Armstrong: Good afternoon Mr. Bolton. We appreciate you coming to talk with us. I hope it wasn’t a problem for you to take off work. As we mentioned before this conversation will be tape-recorded. Please state your name and address for the record.

William Bolton: It was no problem for me to take off. I’m my own boss. I always try and cooperate with the police. My name is William Bolton and I live in Oxford, Mississippi at 142 South Empire Court. Does this have to do with Victor Jennings murder?

Det Armstrong: Who told you Victor was murdered?

William Bolton: I just assumed it considering the type of person he was and his reputation. I mean the stuff about him blackmailing that couple and chasing young college students.

Det Murphy: How well did you know Victor?

William Bolton: I've known him for several years. He wasn’t my favorite neighbor by far. I talked to him occasionally. I first met him several years ago when we gave an open house party to meet our neighbors and he came over. I disliked him from the beginning. He made my wife feel very uncomfortable. After the party we didn’t associate with him at all. I would occasionally see him in his back yard. We made small talk.

Det Armstrong: Mr. Bolton, weren’t you and Victor having some problems with a land dispute?

William Bolton: That's true. I detested the man. He was obnoxious and rude. I disliked him from the moment I met him. And then later, I met his personal assistance, Lee Merryweather.

Det Armstrong: Did you dislike her too?

William Bolton: Not at all. But she would drop by to relay messages from Victor, and we came to know her. After a while, she started telling us about the thing Victor was accused of doing. Like the sex scandals with the college students. She said he got away with rape.

As for the land dispute, he put up a fence on my property and I asked him to remove it. I had the land surveyed and I was in the right. I hired a lawyer to handle it. I was waiting for a court date when he was arrested on the other charge and put under house arrest.

Det Murphry: When was the last time you saw Victor Jennings?

William Bolton: It was about two weeks ago. He was under house arrest and he came out in the back one evening when I was barbecuing. He didn’t even speak to me, not that it mattered. He was avoiding me since I filed the lawsuit against him.

Det Murphy: What are your plans for the lawsuit now that Victor is dead?

William Bolton: I’m going to continue with it. The Jennings family will more than likely inherit the property. I want them to move the fence off my property. Maybe they will be more cooperative than Victor.

Det Armstrong: Mr. Bolton were you angry enough at Victor Jennings to kill him?

William Bolton: Of course not, Detective. I didn’t like Victor and I was angry about the land but I didn’t hate him enough to kill him. My father always taught me if you can’t settle a dispute then find a good lawyer to handle it for you and that’s what I did.

Det Armstrong: Mr. Bolton, do you know of anyone that may have wanted Victor dead?

William Bolton: I really can’t say, Detective. I didn’t associate with Victor and I didn’t know his friends. I did meet his brother Raymond once and a friend of his, Carl Asher. He told me he and Carl grew up together and now Carl works for him. Given his reputation I’m sure there was a number of people that may have wanted him out of the way. I wasn’t one of them.

Det. Murphy: Mr. Bolton, where were you the day Victor died?

William Bolton: Let me see, I got up and left for work around 8:00am. I went to my Office in Oxford and stayed there all day. I had a lot of paper work to catch up on. I didn’t even leave for lunch. I called out and ordered pizza at Dino’s and had it delivered to my office. I left my office at 5:00pm and went straight home. My wife was home and she made dinner. I stayed home the rest of the night and watched TV.

Det Murphy: Thank you for cooperating with us Mr. Bolton. We’ll let you know if we need to speak with you again.

William Bolton: No problem Detectives. You know where to find me.

Interview ends: 1:47 PM