Tuesday, March 11 – 11:37 a.m.
Detectives Murphy and Parker interviewed him at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.
The suspect was in custody at the time of the interview. He had been advised of his rights and waived his right to remain silent and his right to an attorney.
Participants:
- Detective S. Murphy
- Detective E. Parker
- Raymond Jennings
Detective Murphy: Ray. For the record, you've been advised of your rights, and you waive your right to remain silent and your right to counsel?
Raymond Jennings: Yeah.
Detective Murphy: Again, for the record, you're not under duress, and you have not been coerced in any way to waive these rights?
Raymond Jennings: Yeah, that's right.
Detective Parker: Please state your name and address for the record.
Raymond Jennings: I'm Raymond Jennings. I'm not sure what my address is now. The county jail, I guess.
Detective Parker: What about before this afternoon?
Raymond Jennings: I've been staying at the restaurant since y'all ruined my marriage.
Detective Murphy: We ruined your marriage?
Raymond Jennings: We were doing fine. Then y'all … made us say things we didn't want to say. I couldn't stay there after that.
Detective Murphy: When did you start staying at the restaurant?
Raymond Jennings: I don't know. A few days ago.
Detective Murphy: After we searched your house?
Raymond Jennings: Yeah. You already made it so me and Gayle couldn't pretend what she was doing with Vic was a secret anymore. Then, when you found … what you found, we couldn't even look at each other anymore. I had to get out of there.
Detective Murphy: Which thing that we found?
Raymond Jennings: You know.
Detective Murphy: It's better if you say it.
Raymond Jennings: All that stuff from Vic's office.
Detective Parker: They were just knickknacks. Why take them?
Raymond Jennings: Vic liked them.
Detective Murphy: That's not why you took them, though, is it? Ray, there's no point in sitting there glaring at me. You have nothing to gain by lying now.
Raymond Jennings: It didn't belong to him.
Detective Parker: What? All those things with his name engraved on them?
Raymond Jennings: Don't play dumb. You know what I'm talking about.
Detective Parker: Tell us.
Raymond Jennings: He had no right. He stole everything I ever had my whole life, ever since we were kids. He had no right to take that too. He knew it was supposed to be mine.
Detective Murphy: What?
Raymond Jennings: That damn music box my dad has been bragging about my whole life!
Detective Parker: You mean Brad Jennings?
Raymond Jennings: Who the hell else would I mean? That man had never had a kind word for me my whole life, but by god, that music box was mine.
Detective Parker: Why did Victor have it then?
Raymond Jennings: I told you. He stole it like he stole everything.
Detective Parker: If all you wanted was the music box, why take all those other things too?
Raymond Jennings: I had my reasons.
Detective Murphy: Did you kill him because of the music box?
Raymond Jennings: What?
Detective Murphy: We know you killed him, Ray. Don't you want to tell us why?
Raymond Jennings: You don't know that.
Detective Murphy: We found your blood near his body. It was fresh. We know you were there.
Raymond Jennings: Doesn't mean I killed him.
Detective Parker: Come on, Ray. Don't play dumb. Maybe he provoked you, and you had good reason to do what you did, but we won't know that if you don't tell us what happened.
Raymond Jennings: He hit me, punched me in the face.
Detective Parker: Over the music box?
Raymond Jennings: No, not about that. He slept with my wife. I could still smell her on him. He got every woman he ever laid eyes on. He had to have my wife, too?
Detective Murphy: Did Gayle know what you were going to do?
Raymond Jennings: I didn't even know. It just kind of happened.
Detective Parker: But she knew you were going over there to confront Victor about their affair?
Raymond Jennings: She was asleep. I don't think she even knew I was gone.
Detective Murphy: Didn't your children notice you went out?
Raymond Jennings: I don't think so. They didn't say anything.
Detective Parker: When did you decide to kill Victor?
Raymond Jennings: What? Victor fell on that knife.
Detective Murphy: Ray, you know that's not true. We told you what the coroner ruled.
Raymond Jennings: People are wrong sometimes. I guess this is one of those times.
Detective Murphy: Don't do this, Ray. You were doing so well. All you have to do is take this one last step, and then we'll be able to help you.
Raymond Jennings: You're going to help me now? I don't need help now.
Detective Murphy: Is that what you think? If you don't tell us what happened, you'll end up in prison for murder. That's the rest of your life, Ray. Is that what you want?
Raymond Jennings: Vic did a lot of bad things to a lot of people. It was probably … what do you call it? Karma. That's it, right? All his selfishness and bullcrap finally came back to bite him.
Detective Parker: Ray, you stabbed your own brother. You stabbed him so hard that you broke off the blade in the chest. And then you stole items worth over $1,000, another felony. Do you understand what that means?
Raymond Jennings: Then charge me with stealing. I am not going to say I killed Vic.
Detective Parker: Think about what you're doing. Don't you want to hug your grandchildren someday?
Raymond Jennings: My grandchildren? You know what? I'm un-waiving my right to counsel. I want to talk to an attorney.
Detective Murphy: Are you sure? We just want to help you.
Raymond Jennings: I'm sure. I don't want to talk to you anymore.
Detective Murphy: Okay, that's your choice. Do you have an attorney you want to call?
Raymond Jennings: I can get one. I need to make a call.
Detective Murphy: All right. Just sit tight. An officer will be in to take you to a phone in a few minutes. Maybe you can use that time to reflect on your choices.
Raymond Jennings: What is that supposed to mean?
Detective Murphy: You know what it means, Ray. An officer will be in shortly.
Interview ended – 11:54 a.m.