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Based on Johnny McPhail's statement that he met and often saw Corwin
Fitz at Murff's bar, YCSD investigators spoke with 21 patrons of Murff's who were
identified as bar regulars. They were asked if they had seen or spoken
with Fitz in the bar and if they ever saw him being violent or
aggressive. These interview synopses, provided in summary and not
verbatim, are the most relevant to the investigation and are
representative of all interviews conducted.
- Donna Cook, age 29, office manager,
119 Chestnut Street
Cook said she met Fitz in December 2003. Cook remembered
his name because her father was also named Corwin. Cook said Fitz came
into the bar one Saturday afternoon when it was slow. The two of them
watched Wheel of Fortune and drank shots. Cook said she thought Fitz
was "pretty good looking, but too short." When Cook was presented
with a photograph of Fitz, she was unable to identify him, claiming she
probably remembered him wrong. Cook said that, though she had visited the bar
many times since that Saturday afternoon, she hadn't seen him again.
- Tate Moore, age 30, musician,
710 South 19th Street
Moore said that he met Corwin Fitz in May of 2004. Moore said that
Fitz was a regular at the bar on the Wednesday night acoustic jam that
was hosted by Moore from 10:00 p.m. until midnight.
According to Moore, the first time he spoke with Fitz
was closing time at the bar and Fitz was refusing to leave. According
to Moore, "[Fitz]
took a swing at me and missed. When he drew back for a second, I knocked
his feet out from under him and he dropped like a rock. All of a
sudden, I hear a roar and it's Fitz. He was laughing like a fiend. I guess
he
got a kick out of it. We did okay after that. That night we drove out
to his compound and partied with his crew all night."
Moore said, in later encounters, Fitz was often aggressive
when drinking and his size could easily intimidate. According
to Moore, "If
you were willing to stand up to him, then he gave some respect. If you
showed fear he pushed harder." Moore said he saw Fitz "bitch slap" several
different people in the bar for disagreeing with him. Moore was unable
to identify by name anyone slapped in this manner, claiming he
had never seen them before.
- Dirk Nelson, age 34, UM Associate Professor,
312 North 16th Street
Nelson said he was very familiar with the victim.
They met early in March 2004, when Nelson walked into Murff's bar
while Fitz was challenging
everyone in the bar to a fight. No one came forward and Fitz was
becoming more belligerent. Nelson fake whispered, "How about a battle of
wits?" Fitz heard this and shouted back, "What the…? All right, smartass.
Do
you agree with Stephen Hawking that information swallowed by a black
hole is forever hidden from the outside universe and will never be
revealed?" According to Nelson, he and Fitz spent the rest of the evening
discussing metaphysics and drinking. Following that, they made a habit
of breaking apart the theories of Freud, Aristotle, Greenspan and even
Madonna.
Nelson said he and Fitz shared an interest in Hegelian
logic and often challenged each other over interpretation. Fitz was
reading the
original German texts and loved to quote them in mangled German.
According the Nelson, "Fitz was sort of smart but mostly full of crap,
which is the most un-Hegelian thing there could be."
- James Quince, age 41, mechanic, 1750 Jefferson Avenue
Quince described himself as a regular at the bar, coming in about
twice a week from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. Quince was firm in his belief that Fitz
was never in the bar during those hours and that he had never seen him.
According to Quince, the bar fills with area store workers who stop in
for a quick drink and Fitz would have been noticed.
- Jeffery Rodham, age 23, UM graduate student,
1006 Van Buren Avenue
Rodham claimed he met Fitz at the bar during a televised
lacrosse game between New Jersey and Boston on March 26, 2004. Both
Rodham and Fitz cheered for the Boston team. Rodham couldn't recall having
any
particular conversation, but did recall that Fitz paid for Rodham's
drinks that evening. Rodham recalled the date because he was arrested
for driving under the influence that evening on his way home. According
to the
arresting officer, someone from
the bar called to report Rodham. Rodham suspected the caller was Fitz.
Following that night, Rodham saw Fitz in the bar about once a week,
but according
to Rodham, "We didn't have much to say to each other."
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