Christopher Wooten interview

Monday, May 13, 2024 – 1:57 p.m.

Christopher Wooten was Jasmine Ledbetter's boyfriend.

Detectives Armstrong and Murphy interviewed him at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• Christopher Wooten

Detective Armstrong: Good afternoon, Mr. Wooten. Thanks for coming in. We appreciate it.

Christopher Wooten: Glad to cooperate, detective. Anything I can do to help find Jasmine's killer.

Detective Murphy: Please state your name and address for the record.

Christopher Wooten: I'm Christopher Wooten, and I live at 213 S. 17th. Could you please call me Christopher? I feel like you're talking to my dad.

Detective Armstrong: Sure, Christopher. Now, regarding Jasmine, how long had you known her?

Christopher Wooten: We met last fall, September or October, at Square Pizza after a rehearsal for one of my plays at Ole Miss.

Detective Murphy: Your play? Do you write?

Christopher Wooten: No, no. I'm a student—an actor—in the Theatre Arts Department. It was a class project.

Detective Armstrong: And you two were tight?

Christopher Wooten: We've been going out ever since.

Detective Murphy: How did you and Jasmine get along?

Christopher Wooten: Pretty well. I guess every couple has some problems.

Detective Armstrong: What kind of problems did you two have?

Christopher Wooten: It wasn't so much us. It was her mother.

Detective Murphy: What about her mother?

Christopher Wooten: Brenda didn't seem to like me. She told Jasmine I was no good and wanted her to dump me.

Detective Armstrong: Why would she say that?

Christopher Wooten: I don't know. I never did anything for her to say that. If you ask me, she wouldn't have been happy with any guy who dated her precious daughter.

Detective Murphy: Did you and Jasmine fight about her mother?

Christopher Wooten: Not fight exactly, but we talked about it a lot. Jasmine was getting pretty sick of her mother's interference in her life.

Detective Murphy: Tell us more about that.

Christopher Wooten: Jasmine felt like, being 19, she was an adult and able to make her own decisions. She couldn't wait to have enough money to get her own place. That's why she was so excited about the interview with that photographer. Did he have something to do with … what happened?

Detective Armstrong: What do you know about Jasmine's interview or the photographer?

Christopher Wooten: Not much, really. She was pretty confident she was going to get the job. She was looking forward to working more typical hours, and I guess the money was better.

Detective Armstrong: Do you know what the job was?

Christopher Wooten: Some kind of office thing, I think.

Detective Armstrong: Did you ever meet the photographer?

Christopher Wooten: No.

Detective Armstrong: You know his name?

Christopher Wooten: Scott something? I'm sure Jasmine's mother knows.

Detective Murphy: Do you have any idea who might have wanted Jasmine dead?

Christopher Wooten: Oh, God, no! She may have looked a little different to some people, but she was really a good person. I really liked her, you know.

Detective Murphy: This must be hard for you. Would you like a glass of water?

Christopher Wooten: No, I'm okay.

Detective Armstrong: What about you, Christopher? Did you kill her?

Christopher Wooten: Me? How could you think it was me?

Detective Murphy: Where were you this weekend?

Christopher Wooten: I worked at City Grocery on Saturday, and then I had the day off yesterday, so I went fishing.

Detective Armstrong: Fishing? Where did you go?

Christopher Wooten: I went up to Sardis. It's a nice drive.

Detective Murphy: Did anyone go with you?

Christopher Wooten: No, I went alone.

Detective Armstrong: Did anyone see you there?

Christopher Wooten: Not that I know of. There weren't a lot of people around, you know. Are you telling me I need an alibi?

Detective Armstrong: Just part of our investigation, Christopher. You want us to find out who did this to your friend, don't you?

Christopher Wooten: Of course! But I didn't have anything to do with it.

Detective Murphy: Then you have nothing to worry about. So what time did you get back from the lake?

Christopher Wooten: I don't know. 6:30, 7:00 last night?

Detective Murphy: What: What did you do after that?

Christopher Wooten: Nothing. Studied some scripts.

Detective Murphy: Was anyone with you?

Christopher Wooten: No, but I was there. You've got to believe me.

Detective Armstrong: If you were investigating this case, who would you talk to?

Christopher Wooten: I don't know. That photographer guy. Maybe Jasmine's friend Megan.

Detective Armstrong: You think Megan has something to do with it?

Christopher Wooten: No, of course not, but she might know something I don't that could help you.

Detective Murphy: Okay. Thanks for the tip. We may want to talk to you again, Christopher. How do you feel about that?

Christopher Wooten: I'll be glad to help in any way I can. I wish there was something more I could do.

Detective Armstrong: You can call us if you think of anything else. And we'll contact you when we need to talk with you again.

Christopher Wooten: That's fine with me.

Detective Murphy: Thank you, Christopher

Christopher Wooten: Goodbye.

Interview ended – 2:33 p.m.