Kenny Ross interview #3

Sunday, October 22, 2023 – 11:00 a.m.

Kenny Ross works as a production assistant at Hoyt Biffle's Under Glass, the site of Biffle's murder.

Detectives Beckwith and Magee interviewed him again at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

Participants:

• Detective P. Beckwith
• Detective J. Magee
• Kenny Ross

Detective Magee: Welcome back, Kenny. Once again, full name and address.

Kenny Ross: Kenny Ross. 805 College Hill Road.

Detective Magee: Last time, we discussed Alden Puckett a bit. Did Hoyt ever speak about Alden?

Kenny Ross: Not to me. He didn't talk about Zeke either. It seemed to me Hoyt liked to keep the past in the past.

Detective Magee: Why did you have that impression?

Kenny Ross: It was just a feeling. From what Zeke told me about their old heists, I think Hoyt was getting to the point where he wanted to settle down and do legit business. 

Detective Beckwith: So he hired you.

Kenny Ross: Hey, man, I didn't come down here to get insulted.

Detective Beckwith: Then, tell us honestly, if you're settling down and want to earn the reputation of a legit business, why would you hire an ex-con to run a pseudo-kink web channel about Ole Miss coeds for horny men old enough to be their fathers?

Kenny Ross: I don't claim to know why Hoyt did the things he did. I'm just saying that Under Glass is legit. It's not a facade for some scheme. It's just good old American business.

Detective Magee: And we have to take your word for that.

Kenny Ross: Yeah, you can. Have you found anything otherwise? It would be news to me.

Detective Beckwith: All right. Have you ever run into Alden or talked to him personally?

Kenny Ross: No, I told you last time that I don't know him. I don't even know what he looks like. 

Detective Beckwith: He's a professor at Ole Miss.

Kenny Ross: If you say so. I don't know him personally.

Detective Beckwith: Okay. How about Chas Laughlin? Do you know him?

Kenny Ross: I know him from his shop. He's got a bad reputation. I met his kid, Gage, once at a bar in Batesville. Dumb as a rock. 

Detective Magee: What's Laughlin's reputation in your estimation?

Kenny Ross: He's a crook. He overcharges customers. He underpays his people. I wouldn't take my old Honda to him.

Detective Beckwith: If you haven't done business with Laughlin, how would you know this about him?

Kenny Ross: I knew people that worked for him for a while. They wanted to be honest mechanics but didn't last a month at that shop.

Detective Magee: Do these mechanics have names?

Kenny Ross: Not that I want to tell you. They don't have a thing to do with Hoyt's death, so I'm not going into detail about them.

Detective Beckwith: Have you ever had a personal run-in with Laughlin?

Kenny Ross: Nah. He works days, and I work nights. I don't hang out with many people since working at Under Glass—no time to.

Detective Magee: Did Hoyt ever talk about Laughlin?

Kenny Ross: Nope. I don't know if he even knew Laughlin. He never said anything to me if he did. What's with all the questions about Laughlin?

Detective Beckwith: Just doing the job.

Detective Magee: Now, you just mentioned that you don't have the time to hang out with people after working at Under Glass, but Raisa Hahn said you took her out when she lived at the house.

Kenny Ross: I did that as a favor to Hoyt. 

Detective Beckwith: Not attracted to Hahn?

Kenny Ross: It wasn't that. Hahn has a smoking body. She's pretty in a girl-next-door sense. But, God, is she boring.

Detective Magee: So why did Hoyt want you to take her out?

Kenny Ross: To liven her up. To find out what would get her out of her shell. Eventually, Hoyt thought maybe she just needed to get laid. 

Detective Beckwith: Did you get her out of her shell?

Kenny Ross: Nope. She just drained the fun out of every room she was in. And before you ask, no, I didn't have sex with her. No one hated her for being so boring, but no one was stopping her when she wanted to leave either. 

Detective Magee: Raisa mentioned that she needed the money and room Hoyt provided her. Did Hoyt ever use this fact to take advantage of her?

Kenny Ross: Nah. He just kept hoping that she'd change eventually. But, man, people don't change.

Detective Beckwith: Raisa claimed she had to wear more revealing clothing.

Kenny Ross: Raisa's idea of revealing clothing and everyone else's idea of revealing clothing are worlds apart.

Detective Magee: So if we find Raisa's compilation footage, you would be surprised if there was something racy in it?

Kenny Ross: Truly. Raisa was at the house a couple of months before I was hired, so I can't speak to any of that 2021 footage, but I highly doubt Raisa's compilation drive has anything racy in it. 

Detective Magee: And you are sure you don't know where all the ex-housemate video footage is?

Kenny Ross: I have no clue. Only Hoyt knew.

Detective Beckwith: Let's talk about Shiloh Bates's compilation hard drive. 

Kenny Ross: Watched it, huh? Hopefully not here at the station because that drive is definitely not safe for work.

Detective Magee: We don't have it.

Kenny Ross: You lost it?

Detective Magee: We never had it.

Kenny Ross: What do you mean? You said you said you collected all the drives last time we talked.

Detective Magee: We did collect all the drives that were in the shed. Shiloh's wasn't among them.

Kenny Ross: What? I'm sure it was there.

Detective Beckwith: Okay, Kenny, it's time you level with us. Wyatt told us that you have a thing for Shiloh.

Kenny Ross: What do you mean?

Detective Beckwith: He told us that Shiloh signed her lingerie for you.

Kenny Ross: He's on dope. He's a liar.

Detective Magee: Wyatt also told us that Shiloh was working with you to steal video footage out of Under Glass. Come clean. You have Shiloh's compilation drive, don't you?

Kenny Ross: No. I'm telling you the truth. I don't have it.

Detective Magee: And Raisa's drive? And maybe Violet Lamb's drive, all for your personal pleasure?

Detective Beckwith: Or maybe you have all the drives and hope to sell them later. Now that Hoyt's dead, you won't have to share the profits.

Kenny Ross: Whoa, are y'all for real? I don't have the drives! I didn't kill Hoyt for the drives! I have no idea where any of them are. It's the God's honest truth!

Detective Beckwith: I'm having a hard time believing you. You told us yourself that Hoyt was probably keeping the drives to sell the footage later because that's what you would do. Remember?

Kenny Ross: But…

Detective Beckwith: Maybe Hoyt caught you stealing them.

Kenny Ross: Whoa, hold on. I think I better stop talking.

Detective Magee: Things are fitting in place against you, Kenny. Now's not the time to stop talking. Once you do that, we can't help you anymore. It's back to Holly Springs or worse…

Detective Beckwith: …like Parchman.

Kenny Ross: Oh. Y'all got this all wrong.

Detective Magee: Where are the drives, Kenny?

Kenny Ross: I don't know. My God, I have no idea.

Detective Beckwith: We can search your place and that old Honda of yours. If we do, what are we going to find?

Kenny Ross: Nothing. Swear to God.

Detective Magee: I guess we'll find out.

Interview ended – 11:24 a.m.