Stephanie Woolworth interview

Tuesday, October 29, 2024 – 2:35 p.m.

After talking to Forrest Burgess and Callie Shivers, Detectives Murphy and Armstrong asked Stephanie Woolworth, a current roommate of Callie Shivers and former roommate of Forrest Burgess, to come in for an interview.

The detectives talked with her at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• Stephanie Woolworth

Detective Armstrong: Ma'am, for the record, will you state your name, age, address, and occupation?

Stephanie Woolworth: Yeah. Stephanie Woolworth, 26. My address is 325 County Road 432 in Yocona. I play music and work at The End of All Music.

Detective Murphy: Ms. Woolworth, did you know Laurie Daniels?

Stephanie Woolworth: No. I know of her from friends and what they've told me about her, but no, not personally.

Detective Murphy: Did you know her sister, Melanie Daniels?

Stephanie Woolworth: No. I didn't know she had a sister.

Detective Armstrong: What do you know about Callie's relationship with Laurie Daniels?

Stephanie Woolworth: I know they were really into each other at one point, but…

Detective Murphy: But what?

Stephanie Woolworth: I guess it was about a year ago, now. Callie and Forrest went to New Orleans to see her. After that, it seemed like Callie didn't feel the same about her. Or about Forrest, for that matter. I don't know exactly what went down on that trip, but it must've been something big because everything changed after that.

Detective Murphy: Changed how?

Stephanie Woolworth: It's hard to describe. They were both really… I don't know, tense, I guess, when they came back. They were snapping at each other and everyone else for a little while. Then, it calmed down for a while. Forrest started not to be around as much. Callie got more into the band. Everything was cool. Later, Callie went to Jackson to meet Laurie, and she was really pissed off when she came back.

Detective Murphy: Why was she so upset?

Stephanie Woolworth: I don't know. She wouldn't talk about it. She might have talked to Forrest about it since they both knew Laurie, but she wouldn't say anything to me—probably because I wasn't too positive about the whole thing.

Detective Murphy: What do you mean you weren't positive?

Stephanie Woolworth: I told her I don't know how many times that if the chick was causing her so much trouble and pain, she was better off rid of her, and she shouldn't spend so much time and money on her.

Detective Armstrong: What do you mean, rid of her?

Stephanie Woolworth: Oh, no. I don't mean I told her to kill her or anything. That's ridiculous! I just meant that if Laurie was pulling away from her, then maybe it was all for the best, and she should just let her go. It's hard when someone you love doesn't want to be with you anymore, but you can't make someone love you back. Sometimes, you have to just let them go. You know, that old "If you love something, set it free" thing?

Detective Murphy: And did Callie let go as you suggested?

Stephanie Woolworth: I think so. Not completely, maybe, but mostly. In the last several months, she's been talking about her less and less. Until we found out Laurie was dead, of course. That kind of brought everything back to the surface if you know what I mean. But before that, yeah, it seemed like she was letting go. If Forrest had any kind of clue, he would have done the same thing, but he's an idiot.

Detective Murphy: What do you mean?

Stephanie Woolworth: You know they were both in love with her, right? Sometimes, it brought him and Callie closer, both of them bonding over this poor girl who had such a good heart but had so tragically lost her way and trying to figure out how they could help her. But then the jealousy would kick in, and they'd be back to fighting over her. But that was a long time ago. After that Jackson trip, their fights were more about Forrest wanting to talk about Laurie and Callie not wanting to hear it.

Detective Armstrong: How is it that you know so much about what they were fighting about?

Stephanie Woolworth: Look, we all lived in the same house, and the house is not that big. They'd fight; I could hear it. Simple as that.

Detective Murphy: How long did you live with the two of them?

Stephanie Woolworth: I don't know exactly. I moved in about a year ago, I guess. A while before they went to New Orleans. Forrest was hanging around a lot back then, staying on our couch most nights, but after they got back from New Orleans, he just never left.

Detective Murphy: So even though Callie and Forrest were, as you said, snapping at each other after their trip to New Orleans, he still moved in with you?

Stephanie Woolworth: Yeah, but he had practically been living there before that. We figured we might as well get some rent money out of him since he was there all the time anyway. But then it got to be too many people, and he had to move out.

Detective Armstrong: Any other reason he moved out?

Stephanie Woolworth: He wasn't paying rent. He did at first, but then he started getting further and further behind. And he was developing a real problem with alcohol and drugs, which was probably where all his money was going. It seemed like he was messed up on something most of the time, and sometimes he'd get violent. Living with someone who gets drunk and breaks things gets old real fast. He was just causing problems, so Callie asked him to move out.

Detective Murphy: To your knowledge, did Forrest ever go back to New Orleans after his trip there with Callie?

Stephanie Woolworth: I think he did go back there a few times by himself. He was hell-bent on saving Laurie from whatever she was involved in down there, whether she wanted to be saved or not. Typical.

Detective Murphy: Do you know what happened on those trips? Did he see Laurie? Did he help her?

Stephanie Woolworth: I don't think so. Either she wouldn't see him, or he couldn't find her. I don't think he ever saw her down there after that first trip with Callie.

Detective Murphy: Did he mention anyone else he saw or talked to in New Orleans?

Stephanie Woolworth: I don't think so. I think he just roamed around looking for her, asking people if they'd seen her, stuff like that. There was some doctor or something he was looking for, but I don't know if he ever found him. He was always really quiet when he came back. He was probably depressed because Laurie blew him off. Again. He never learns.

Detective Armstrong: Did you ever see Forrest practice voodoo?

Stephanie Woolworth: He had all sorts of books about it, and he was in some voodoo community online or something. I don't know. But I never saw him making voodoo dolls or dancing naked in the moonlight or casting spells or anything like that. Is that what you mean?

Detective Armstrong: Did he ever hurt you physically?

Stephanie Woolworth: Ha! Shut up.

Detective Armstrong: I'm serious.

Stephanie Woolworth: No! Jeez.

Detective Murphy: How long have you played in Kitten Sack?

Stephanie Woolworth: Around two years. I think…

Detective Murphy: All of you live together?

Stephanie Woolworth: Yeah, except Lola. She lives in town with her girlfriend. And there's always people coming over, crashing on the couch—like Forrest, the eternal couch crasher.

Detective Armstrong: Does he still sleep there?

Stephanie Woolworth: Sometimes.

Detective Murphy: When was the last time Forrest stayed there?

Stephanie Woolworth: Um, he stayed with us a little while about a month ago, I think… yeah, that sounds right.

Detective Armstrong: Why?

Stephanie Woolworth: Either it was because he didn't have a place to crash, or he was too drunk to go home.

Detective Murphy: Wasn't that after Callie had asked him to move out?

Stephanie Woolworth: Yeah.

Detective Murphy: But he was still living there anyway?

Stephanie Woolworth: No, he moved out. But the thing about Forrest is, no matter how much of a pain in the a** he is, you can't help feeling sorry for him. He's not a bad guy. He's just an idiot. So we still let him crash with us when he needs to.

Detective Armstrong: You keep calling him an idiot. What do you mean by that?

Stephanie Woolworth: He's an idiot because he refuses to let go of the past. He had this picture of how his life was going to be, and when it all fell apart, so did he. He still wants that life, and he can't understand why it didn't happen, so he keeps trying to make it happen. But it never will—even when Laurie was alive, no one but Forrest believed it could—and he can't face that, so he drinks or does drugs or both to try to make the pain go away. It's sad. Stupid, but sad.

Detective Armstrong: You seem to know a lot about his background for not having known him very long.

Stephanie Woolworth: Yeah, well, that's Forrest. He gets drunk and tells his life story to anyone who's around, whether they want to hear it or not. I lived with him, so I heard it a lot.

Detective Murphy: So if Forrest still stays with you occasionally, does that mean he and Callie are getting along now?

Stephanie Woolworth: They're doing okay. Or they were until they found out about Laurie. Now… I think it's hard for them to be around each other now because it makes them think of Laurie. I don't think Forrest has come over at all since… well, since the news about Laurie.

Detective Armstrong: We understand that Laurie called Callie at your house late last month. Were you there when that happened?

Stephanie Woolworth: Yeah. I could only hear Callie's side, but it sounded like a typical Laurie phone call where she was freaking out about something that only made sense to her. And of course, Forrest started wigging out too, asking Callie what was wrong and did Laurie want him to help and on and on, all while Callie was still on the phone. She kept telling him to shut up, and he would for a minute, but then he'd start up again. It was ridiculous.

Detective Armstrong: So Forrest was there when Laurie called?

Stephanie Woolworth: Yeah, but after she got off the phone and he still wouldn't shut up, Callie made him leave because he was being so annoying.

Detective Armstrong: This was before or after y'all kicked him out?

Stephanie Woolworth: After. He was just there hanging out.

Detective Armstrong: Really? Okay. So, there was another call from Laurie a couple of days later?

Stephanie Woolworth: Yeah. She left a crazy message on the voicemail—really pissed, too—basically saying the complete opposite of what she'd just said a few days before. I don't know. She sounded nuts to me, but then I didn't know her.

Detective Armstrong: Was Forrest there when you heard this message?

Stephanie Woolworth: No, thank god.

Detective Murphy: Do you recall if you saw Forrest on September 1st? Any time around that date?

Stephanie Woolworth: I saw him one day, maybe around then, but I couldn't tell you the date. Me and Elke were going out to get some barbecue from Betty Davis Grocery. You know it? Great barbecue. Anyway, Forrest came in to get a pack of cigarettes.

Detective Murphy: Callie wasn't with you when you saw him?

Stephanie Woolworth: No.

Detective Murphy: Do you remember where she was?

Stephanie Woolworth: Home, I guess.

Detective Armstrong: Did Forrest say where he was going or where he had been?

Stephanie Woolworth: No, he didn't say much. I remember we were like, "Hey, Forrest, what's up? What the hell are you doin' out here?" He's usually the chatty type, but he didn't say anything. He might've been upset about Callie kicking him out when Laurie called, though.

Detective Armstrong: Do you remember which way he went when he left Ms. Betty's?

Stephanie Woolworth: I think he might have pulled out in the direction of Holly Springs, but I couldn't be sure.

Detective Murphy: And you're certain you don't remember the date?

Stephanie Woolworth: It could've been a Sunday?

Detective Murphy: Did you see him after that?

Stephanie Woolworth: Like I said, he crashed on the couch some at the beginning of September. One time, right after he got kicked out of Bobby Wannamaker's place.

Detective Armstrong: Who is Bobby Wannamaker?

Stephanie Woolworth: The record producer. When we heard Forrest had moved into his place, we were hoping he'd hook us up with Wannamaker, help us get some attention for the band, but now I guess it's good he didn't since he got kicked out.

Detective Armstrong: Do you know why Wannamaker kicked him out?

Stephanie Woolworth: Somebody said Forrest tore up a bunch of stuff. I wouldn't doubt that if he was totally out of his mind, drunk and trippin' out.

Detective Armstrong: Have you seen him that way?

Stephanie Woolworth: Hell, yeah. We have a big hole in the kitchen wall from when he threw a chair up against it. And one night, we had a party out at the house. The band was playing, and we had about seven kegs out there—a lot of people. Well, after one of our sets, we found Forrest out on the road, yelling at the top of his lungs. He was screaming out in the middle of the highway. Luckily, no cars were coming, but it was just a matter of time before one came along and creamed him.

Detective Armstrong: What did you do?

Stephanie Woolworth: One of our friends, Dave, went out to pull him out of the road, and Forrest just, like, grabbed him by the arms and flung him into the ditch like a baby doll or something. And Dave's a big dude.

Detective Armstrong: Did you ever get him to calm down?

Stephanie Woolworth: Yeah. Finally, we chased him inside and tucked him in his cot. He passed out pretty quick.

Detective Armstrong: What was up? Any idea why he was behaving that way?

Stephanie Woolworth: When he binges, he's a maniac.

Detective Armstrong: Does he do that often?

Stephanie Woolworth: Mostly when things don't go his way. But he's not a bad guy—just an idiot like I said.

Detective Murphy: Do you know JC Strong?

Stephanie Woolworth: Ugh. That guy.

Detective Murphy: So you do know him?

Stephanie Woolworth: Unfortunately. He's a pig. He thinks the only reason there are lesbians in the world is because those women haven't slept with him yet. It's probably more accurate to say that numerous women have been turned off men completely as a result of even superficial contact with him. He's a pig.

Detective Armstrong: Has he ever harassed you?

Stephanie Woolworth: No. He was hassling Callie for a while, but she didn't put up with any crap from him. He still talks big, from what I hear, but he doesn't really come around us anymore.

Detective Armstrong: When was the last time you saw him?

Stephanie Woolworth: I don't know. I try to stay away from him.

Detective Armstrong: Days? Months? Years?

Stephanie Woolworth: Months, probably. Can we talk about something else? Just thinking about him gives me the creeps.

Detective Murphy: Okay, then. Is there anything else you think we should know?

Stephanie Woolworth: About what?

Detective Murphy: Forrest, Callie, anything you saw or heard related to Laurie Daniels.

Stephanie Woolworth: No, I don't think so.

Detective Murphy: Thanks for your cooperation. We'd like you to stay available in case we want to talk with you again.

Stephanie Woolworth: Sure.

Interview ended – 3:21 p.m.