Suspect #2 interrogation, part 2

Thursday, August 15, 2024

[LORRAINE ESTRADA INTERVIEW RESUMED – 3:31 p.m.]

The detectives returned to Lorraine Estrada to see if she was ready to tell them how her fingerprints ended up on that phone and other places.

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

Participants:

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

Detective Armstrong: Mrs. Estrada, thanks for your patience.

Lorraine Estrada: It's Dr. Estrada.

Detective Armstrong: Yes, I think you mentioned that before. Sorry.

Detective Murphy: Now that you've had a chance to gather your thoughts, is there anything you want to tell us about those locations where we found your fingerprints at Kelly Moran's house?

Lorraine Estrada: I already told you. I was over there all the time. I'm sure I touched many things.

Detective Murphy: And do you have any thoughts on how your fingerprints got on that cell phone?

Lorraine Estrada: I don't know what to tell you.

Detective Murphy: Okay. Maybe it'll come to you. In the meantime, I wonder if you ever noticed anything about the relationship between Kelly and Karen West.

Lorraine Estrada: I don't know what you mean. They were good friends.

Detective Armstrong: Did you notice any tension between them lately?

Lorraine Estrada: I'm not sure how to answer that. Kelly … had a strong personality, so it wasn't unusual for her to clash with people from time to time.

Detective Armstrong: Including you?

Lorraine Estrada: I'm sure we had our disagreements.

Detective Armstrong: Like about her Percocet?

Lorraine Estrada: She had a prescription for that.

Detective Armstrong: Yes, but maybe she talked you into giving her more than she was prescribed?

Lorraine Estrada: I'm a professional. I could lose my job and a lot worse if I did something like that.

Detective Armstrong: Yes, you could.

Lorraine Estrada: What are you trying to say?

Detective Murphy: Did you ever get the impression that she was maybe selling some of the pills you were giving her?

Lorraine Estrada: Kelly was in a lot of pain. I'm sure she used all the tablets she was prescribed herself.

Detective Armstrong: Did she use all the extra ones you gave her herself, too?

Lorraine Estrada: Are you accusing me of something, detective?

Detective Armstrong: Kelly had a significant amount of cash hidden in her house, and she had quite a few visitors who came and went. What would you make of that?

Lorraine Estrada: That she had a lot of friends and her husband makes a good living?

Detective Armstrong: Maybe. Or there could be another explanation.

Lorraine Estrada: What are you trying to say?

Detective Murphy: You and Kelly were pretty close, right? You went to karaoke together every week?

Lorraine Estrada: Yes.

Detective Murphy: So you can understand how we might think she could've leveraged your friendship to get a few additional Percocet tablets? Because her pain was so terrible, right?

Lorraine Estrada: Like I said, she was in a lot of pain.

Detective Murphy: But if she did somehow manage to convince you to give her extra tablets, maybe even as a one-time thing, it's also possible she could've taken advantage of your kindness to get you to continue to give her extra medication, isn't it?

Lorraine Estrada: I suppose I can see how people like you who deal with criminals all the time might think that, but only if I actually gave her any extra medication—which I wouldn't do. My husband is a substance abuse counselor, for heaven's sake.

Detective Armstrong: Yes, that would be awkward, wouldn't it? What would he do if he found out what you'd been doing?

Lorraine Estrada: Doing? I wasn't doing anything.

Detective Armstrong: Remember how we told you earlier that we have another witness we're talking to right now?

Lorraine Estrada: Yes.

Detective Armstrong: So there's no point in continuing to lie to us. We already know what you did.

Lorraine Estrada: I don't know what you mean.

Detective Armstrong: Yes, you do. We'll give you a few minutes to think about what you want to say next. You should also think about the evidence we have against you.

Lorraine Estrada: What evidence?

Detective Armstrong: You know. Now, think about how you're going to explain it. We'll give you a moment.

[LORRAINE ESTRADA INTERVIEW SUSPENDED – 3:54 p.m.]