Status report

Bates

Subject: Shiloh Bates

Stated Alibi: At home with Wyatt Yancey, filming a movie in their living room between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

When detectives arrived to interview the couple on October 18, 2023, Bates was dressed in a red lace teddy, black fishnet stockings, and red, patent leather platform stiletto shoes. A video camera was set up facing the couch in the living room, and sex toys were laid out on the coffee table. These circumstances appeared consistent with Bates's filmmaking claim.

Officer Richards attempted to canvass neighbors in the apartment complex to confirm Bates's alibi but was unable to make contact with any immediate neighbors. In the complex's laundry room, Officer Richards spoke with Tad Monroe, who said that while he didn't personally know either Bates or Yancey, he found them "weird" and "sneaky." Mr. Monroe couldn't offer any specific reasons why he felt this way other than that the couple seemed to avoid people.

Investigative Action

Re-interview Shiloh Bates. Collect the video camera's S.D. card as evidence and submit the S.D. card to the Crime Lab for analysis, specifically for embedded date/time stamp and evidence of tampering, if any. Continue efforts to uncover witnesses or other information to confirm or refute Bates's alibi by canvassing neighbors in the apartment complex to determine whether anyone saw her or heard any noise coming from her residence.

Collins

Subject: Mackenzie Collins

Stated Alibi: Left home at 4:00 p.m., went to Union, then to Ventress Hall for a Political Science class, and returned home at 7:00 p.m.

Review of the Under Glass video confirms that Collins left at 4:00 p.m. Officer Richards confirmed with Professor Enriques' T.A. that Ms. Collins was in class. YCSD officers on scene at 7:00 p.m. confirmed Collins's return time.

Investigative Action

None needed.

Lee

Subject: Jessi Lee

Stated Alibi: In class at Ole Miss from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. and then in the library with her study group until shortly after 4:30 p.m.

Officer Richards was unable to confirm this alibi as no one he spoke with knew of a student named Jessi Lee.

Investigative Action

Re-interview Lee to determine her actual whereabouts at the time Hoyt Biffle was killed and why she made misleading statements.

Mitchell

Subject: Lacey Mitchell

Stated Alibi: At Northwest Mississippi Community College (NWCC) in the early afternoon. Returned home briefly to retrieve notes she had borrowed from another student, then returned to school.

Review of the Under Glass video confirms this statement. Officer Vittel reviewed NWCC security footage showing that Mitchell entered the library at 1:47 p.m. and left at 3:56 p.m.

Investigative Action

None needed. 

Morgan

Subject: Ben Morgan

Stated Alibi: At work at the insurance office until 5:00 p.m., then got food at the Abner's Chicken drive-thru and arrived at the Under Glass house around 5:30 for the scheduled picketing event by COP.

Officer Vittel confirmed with the receptionist at the insurance office that Morgan left promptly at 5:00, giving a hearty wave goodbye at the door. Morgan provided an Abner's Chicken receipt timestamped 5:13 p.m. Officer Watson confirmed Mr. Morgan's 5:30 p.m. arrival time at the Under Glass house with Graham Newcastle, a COP protester who was on-site when Mr. Morgan arrived.

Investigative Action

Review Abner's Chicken drive-thru security video to confirm it was Morgan who made the purchase that generated the receipt he provided. 

Ross

Subject: Kenny Ross

Stated Alibi: Asleep from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Arrived at the Under Glass house at 5:40 p.m. to start work at 6:00 p.m.

Officer Vittel questioned three of Ross's neighbors as to whether they could confirm his arrival home in the morning or his leaving in the afternoon.

1. Kim Adams confirmed that Ross's car was in his driveway at 9:10 a.m. when she left for work but did not interact with him and was not at home when he said he left.
2. Lois Lane, who provided identification to confirm her legal name to Officer Vittel, said she noticed the car in Ross's driveway between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. because she dropped a bag as she unloaded her groceries and a can of peas rolled down her driveway. Walking back up her own drive, she noticed Ross's car. Lane did not interact with Ross and did not notice when he left.
3. John Campbell confirmed that Ross arrived home at around 7:30 a.m. He noted the arrival because Ross's car needs service, and Campbell "can always hear that piece of crap coming down the street." Campbell did not interact with Ross, and in the afternoon, he was watching a movie with headphones on and did not recall hearing the car leave the neighborhood.

Investigative Action

Continue efforts to uncover witnesses or other information to confirm or refute the alibi of Kenny Ross by canvassing additional neighbors to determine whether anyone personally interacted with him during the day or heard or saw him leave home.

Ryder

Subject: Tanya Ryder

Stated Alibi: In a meeting with a clothing designer who works out of a garage from approximately 1:45 p.m. until 3:00 p.m., then went to Uptown Coffee until 4:00 p.m. Met with manager Étienne at Heirloom Bistro for around a half an hour. Walked around "scouting locations" for an hour and returned to the Under Glass house at 5:30 p.m.

Investigators reviewed posts made by Ms. Ryder on her social media platforms and ascertained the name and location of the clothing designer. 

Officer Watson spoke with the designer, Deb Dunn of D.D. Designs, who confirmed that she and Ryder met from 1:50 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Officer Watson spoke with the assistant manager at Uptown Coffee, who confirmed that Ryder was there until approximately 4:00 p.m. She said Ryder offered customers "coffee for follows and racked up a bill of over $50 bribing people to follow her on social media." The assistant manager provided Ms. Ryder's credit card receipt showing a timestamp of 4:02 p.m.

At Heirloom Bistro, Officer Watson talked to an employee named Sheila Grant, who said she worked there as a dishwasher. Officer Watson asked to speak with the manager, Étienne, but Gran said there was no manager at the restaurant by that name. Grant was unable to confirm whether Ryder was in a meeting at the restaurant between 4:00 and 4:30 p.m., and no other employees were present for Officer Watson to interview.

Investigative Action

Continue efforts to uncover witnesses or other information that will confirm or refute the alibi of Tanya Ryder for the time between 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. by speaking to a manager at Heirloom Bistro. Review posts made by Ryder on her social media platforms between 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. for location information.

Yancey

Subject: Wyatt Yancey

Stated Alibi: At home with Shiloh Bates, filming a movie in their living room between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. When detectives arrived to interview the couple, Yancey was dressed only in black leather chaps, but before being interviewed by Detective Beckwith, he put on a pair of jeans that was lying on the living room floor. A video camera was set up facing the couch in the living room,  and sex toys were laid out on the coffee table. These circumstances appeared consistent with Yancey's filmmaking claim.

Officer Richards attempted to canvass neighbors in the apartment complex to confirm Yancey's alibi but was unable to make contact with any immediate neighbors. In the complex's laundry room, Officer Richards spoke with Tad Monroe, who said that while he didn't personally know either Bates or Yancey, he found them "weird" and "sneaky." Mr. Monroe couldn't offer any specific reasons why he felt this way other than that the couple seemed to avoid people.

Investigative Action

Re-interview Wyatt Yancey. Collect the video camera's S.D. card as evidence and submit the S.D. card to the Crime Lab for analysis, specifically for embedded date/time stamp and evidence of tampering, if any. Continue efforts to uncover witnesses or other information to confirm or refute Yancey's alibi by canvassing neighbors in the apartment complex to determine whether anyone saw her or heard any noise coming from her residence.