David Estrada interview #2

Sunday, August 4, 2024 – 6:33 p.m.

The detectives wanted David Estrada's input on some open questions, including a few potentially related to his profession.

Detectives Armstrong and Murphy spoke with him again at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• David Estrada

Detective Murphy: Thank you for coming in again.

David Estrada: No problem. Lorraine's working tonight, so I've got some time.

Detective Armstrong: Would you please state your name and address?

David Estrada: Yes, I'm David Estrada. I live at 128 Leighton Road.

Detective Armstrong: What kind of car are you driving these days?

David Estrada: A Camry.

Detective Armstrong: What color?

David Estrada: Blue.

Detective Armstrong: A new one?

David Estrada: Hardly. It's about 12 years old now.

Detective Armstrong: You must really like it to still be driving it.

David Estrada: It gets me from here to there. I could get a newer car, I guess, but the one I have works fine. And a more expensive car isn't a great idea in my line of work.

Detective Murphy: You think it might make you a target to your clients?

David Estrada: Most of the addicts I work with are working hard to stay clean, but the more access to money they have, the harder it can be to resist temptation.

Detective Armstrong: We've had some reports of someone in an old car parked near the Moran residence several times in the weeks before Kelly's death. Any chance that was you?

David Estrada: No. Any time Lorraine and I went over there, we went in her car. It's newer, nicer, fits in better in that neighborhood.

Detective Armstrong: You never went over there on your own without Lorraine?

David Estrada: Are you kidding? Russell's a decent enough guy, and Kelly was … Kelly, but without Lorraine, I doubt I ever would've had much reason to be in contact with either of them.

Detective Murphy: But your wife enjoyed spending time with Kelly and her other friends.

David Estrada: I think so.

Detective Murphy: You're not sure?

David Estrada: They used to get together two or three times a week, but lately, Lorraine hasn't been seeing them as much, I don't think.

Detective Murphy: No?

David Estrada: Lorraine still met Kelly for tapioca—

Detective Murphy: Karaoke?

David Estrada: Yeah, karaoke every week, but she used to go over early and hang out a little while before they went over to Rooster's for karate.

Detective Murphy: Karaoke?

David Estrada: Yeah. What did I say?

Detective Murphy: Karate.

David Estrada: Hah! Kelly doing karate. Now, there's an image!

Detective Murphy: But Lorraine hadn't been going over early anymore?

David Estrada: No. It was almost like she didn't want to go. I told her she should just stay home if she didn't feel like going that night, but she said Kelly was expecting her, and she'd end up having fun once they got to Rooster's, so she might as well go.

Detective Murphy: Do you know why she didn't want to go?

David Estrada: I think she was just tired. She's had a lot of stress at work lately.

Detective Murphy: Why?

David Estrada: I don't know. The last year or so, Lorraine doesn't like to talk about work, and I don't want to push because that might just make it worse. If she wants to talk about it, she knows I'm here to listen.

Detective Armstrong: I don't know, well, anything really about being a pharmacist. Is it typical for there to be a lot of stress in that kind of job?

David Estrada: Well, like so many other industries these days, the huge corporations are taking over everything. Gordon's is an independent pharmacy, so they've got a lot of pressure to stay competitive with the big chains without lowballing themselves into bankruptcy.

Detective Armstrong: Is there anything else that could've been adding to her stress?

David Estrada: Like what?

Detective Armstrong: It can't come as any surprise to you that prescription meds are popular with drug abusers these days. Has Lorraine ever talked to you about people trying to get her or other employees at Gordon's to give them meds they weren't prescribed?

David Estrada: Active addicts will try anything to feed their jones, so I'm sure that's happened at Gordon's many times

Detective Armstrong: Lorraine talked to you about that?

David Estrada: She doesn't need to. If I didn't already know that, I'd be really bad at my job.

Detective Murphy: But you've been a drug counselor for quite a while, right? You've got a lot of experience identifying the behaviors and physical signs of drug use, right?

David Estrada: Sure.

Detective Murphy: We talked before about whether you saw any signs of possible drug abuse in Kelly, and you essentially said yes—without actually saying yes.

David Estrada: Labeling someone as a drug addict is tricky, especially when they and the people around them don't acknowledge there's a problem.

Detective Murphy: Fair enough. What about the other women in the group of friends?

David Estrada: Lorraine would never abuse drugs! She's a pharmacist, and I'm a drug counselor. She's familiar with every bad thing that can possibly happen in that kind of situation.

Detective Murphy: Okay, not Lorraine. But what about the other women: Trish, Karen, Nicolette?

David Estrada: I don't know anything for a fact.

Detective Murphy: Understood, but do you have an unofficial opinion based on your years of experience?

David Estrada: I suspect they've all been under the influence of opiates at one time or another. But use doesn't necessarily equal abuse or addiction. You understand that?

Detective Murphy: But using opiates when you don't need them probably isn't a good sign, right?

David Estrada: Probably not.

Detective Murphy: Again, not holding you to anything you speculate, did it ever seem to you like any of those women … enjoyed the opiates more than the others?

David Estrada: I see what you're saying, and unofficially, off the record, and in every other way, not a professional assessment, I might be a bit more concerned about Karen than the others. Not counting Kelly, of course.

Detective Armstrong: When you were here before, you mentioned a feud between Kelly and Kenny Ross. Is there anything else you can tell us about that now?

David Estrada: I'm not sure I'm comfortable talking about it. Anything I could say would just be rumors I've heard, not anything I know for an actual fact.

Detective Armstrong: Okay. We'll all agree ahead of time that what you tell us may or may not be accurate. Right, Detective Murphy?

Detective Murphy: Yes. May be right. May not.

David Estrada: Fine. I think Ken's been trying to stay on the straight and narrow since he got out, but he still keeps his hand in, if you know what I mean. No straight job he can get is going to pay him as much as he made selling. Maybe he just wants to make sure his options are open in case it comes down to that. I don't know.

Detective Armstrong: And so?

David Estrada: And so maybe Kelly was doing something that cut into his potential business.

Detective Armstrong: Maybe Kelly was doing something like what?

David Estrada: Well, that's one thing I don't know. Maybe she was selling some of her Percocet at bargain-basement prices, or maybe she was giving it away. But that doesn't make sense either because, from what I saw, she really was in pain, so I'd be surprised if she had any to spare.

Detective Armstrong: Meaning what?

David Estrada: Meaning, I don't know, which is why I didn't want to talk about this.

Detective Murphy: So, with the understanding that you have no proof and you're not making any accusations, you think there possibly could have been some… not entirely above-board communication between Kelly and Kenny Ross about something that may or may not have had something to do with drug sales?

David Estrada: Maybe.

Detective Armstrong: Okay. Thanks again for your time. We'll be in touch if we need anything else.

Interview ended – 7:05 p.m.