Smiling blonde woman

What happened?

Investigation Day 1

Yoknapatawpha Emergency Services received a 911 call reporting the discovery of a dead body in an apartment west of the university campus.

The local news reported from the scene that the dead woman, an instructor at Ole Miss, may have committed suicide.

Back at the sheriff's department, Detectives Armstrong and Murphy talked to the dead woman's roommate, Michelle, to learn more about Kristi and the circumstances surrounding the discovery of Kristi's body.

When officers saw a man hanging around outside Kristi's apartment, they brought him in to talk to the detectives.

Afterward, Detectives Armstrong and Murphy reviewed background information on Kristi Waterson and the results of the canvass of her apartment complex.

That evening, the Oxford Weekly Planet published their coverage of the death.

Investigation Day 2

The next morning, the detectives got a call from the medical examiner, who found something as he was beginning the autopsy.

When Detectives Armstrong and Murphy got back from the coroner's office, Kristi's cell phone records had come in.

A little later, they spoke to Kristi's parents by phone.

Then they went over to the university to talk to Kristi's supervisor.

After they finished with him, the detectives examined Kristi's office for potential evidence related to her death.

Later, they talked to students in the business school about their experiences with Kristi as a teacher.

When Detectives Armstrong and Murphy got back to the sheriff's department, they found an inventory of evidence from the crime scene waiting for them.

Later, the deputies who'd spoken to people at an apartment complex near Kristi's provided a summary of what the residents said.

Other officers who spoke to businesses in the area also provided information on what they found out, while investigators mapped out locations that have come up in the investigation.

Investigation Day 3

The next morning, the detectives talked to Michelle's boyfriend to find out more about her activities the night Kristi died.

Then they talked to one of Kristi's students and alleged ex-boyfriend.

Next, Kristi's roommate came in for some follow-up questions.

When Detectives Armstrong and Murphy finished with Michelle, the composites of the man seen near Kristi's apartment were ready for them to review.

Later, the Coroner's Office released its preliminary report, and the local media was quick to publish the news.

Soon after, the young woman Hunter said he'd been dating stopped by on her way to work to talk with the detectives.

Investigation Day 4

The next morning, the detectives rousted Dewey out of bed when they visited his apartment for another conversation.

When they got back to the station, the preliminary analysis of evidence collected at autopsy was waiting for them.

Then the detectives spoke with another of Kristi's students, who was less enamored of her teaching style.

That afternoon, Detectives Armstrong and Murphy executed a search warrant on a suspect's home and vehicle.

Investigation Day 5

The next morning, they had some more questions for Debby.

After lunch, the detectives talked to one of Kristi's colleagues in the business school.

Then Detectives Armstrong and Murphy spoke to a gas station clerk and a local delivery driver to check a couple of alibis.

Investigation Day 6

The next day started with a woman who came in at the detectives' request to discuss one person's alibi.

Then the detectives talked to the manager of the Rebel Inn to try to get more information about Kristi's phone calls there.

When they got back to the station, investigators briefed Detectives Armstrong and Murphy on what they'd learned from John Brewer's neighbors and Weldon Foyle's neighbors.

Later that afternoon, the crime lab sent over their early findings on the evidence collected during the searches of Hunter's residence, vehicle, and person.

Investigation Day 7

First thing the next morning, the detectives arrested a suspect in Kristi's murder, and the OWP's Crime Beat was quick to inform the community about it.

That afternoon, the suspect's attorney arrived and they all sat down for a conversation about the evidence that led to the charges.

Meanwhile, the Crime Beat expanded their coverage of the arrest.

A short time later, the detectives learned that another person of interest had been arrested on unrelated charges and was suddenly feeling chatty.

Investigation Day 8

Investigators updated their map to include additional places of interest to the investigation.

A little later, Detectives Armstrong and Murphy received a packet of information from the court.

After reviewing that information, the sheriff's department and the district attorney's office decided to release the suspect currently in custody. The local news caught up with the freed suspect outside the detention center.

The detectives pressed on with their investigation, asking one of Kristi's colleagues to come in for another conversation.

Investigation Day 9

The next morning, Detectives Armstrong and Murphy returned to the Rebel Inn with the search warrant the manager required to give them access to the hotel's records.

While the detectives looked into new leads, the OWP's Crime Beat reported on the community's reaction to recent developments in the investigation.

After lunch, Kristi's supervisor came into the station to answer some more questions. Then the detectives had another sit-down with Michelle, and this time her attorney joined them.

Later, Detectives Armstrong and Murphy reviewed everyone's alibis to assess whose whereabouts the night Kristi died still raise questions.

Investigation Day 10

The next morning, the detectives decided to go back to an earlier witness and ask a few more questions.

That conversation led them to revisit a second witness to see if they had anything to add to their previous statement.

In light of what they'd learned, Detectives Armstrong and Murphy asked a person of interest to come in and clear up some conflicting information.

After that conversation, the detectives immediately applied for a search warrant and conducted the search that afternoon.

Investigation Day 11

When the preliminary forensics came in on the search evidence, Detectives Armstrong and Murphy arrested a new suspect in Kristi's murder.

Investigation Day 12

The next morning, the detectives talked to the alleged killer, who declined to have an attorney present.

In their evening update, the local news blog posted an in-depth look at the twists and turns of the Waterson murder investigation.