Sharon Atherton

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Interview: Sharon Atherton: Sharon Atherton is the best friend of missing teen, Macy Lamar. She was interviewed at her home with her parents in the next room. The interview was completely voluntary. Ms. Atherton was interviewed to obtain any information that might lead to the identification of Macy Lamar's whereabouts. Excerpts of that interview are reprinted with the permission of Sharon Atherton and her parents.

DN = Detective Nelson
SA = Sharon Atherton
DN: Sharon, you know we want to ask you some questions about Macy to help find her. You can ask for your parents to join us at any time. We want to talk with you in hopes we will learn something to help Macy. You understand that?
SA: Yes, sir.
DN: How long have you and Macy been friends?
SA: Since kindergarten, we've been friends for 12 years.
DN: I'll bet you know Macy very well, then.
SA: Yeah, I think I know her better than anyone.
DN: I'm sure you'll be a big help then. Let's start with the last time you saw Macy. When was that?
SA: Um, I saw her Saturday, the day she disappeared. Her Mom invited me to go to the Mall with them, but I couldn't I had to go home and baby-sit my brother.
DN: That was the last time you talked to her?
SA: Yes. She was supposed to come over Saturday night and help me baby-sit, we were going to watch movies and she was going to stay over. When she didn't show up, I called and found out what happened.
DN: And you haven't heard from her since she disappeared at all?
SA: No. Nothing at all.
DN: What did you talk about on Saturday?
SA: Well, like, just normal stuff. Nothing special.
DN: Can you remember anything about the conversation?
SA: Um...we went through her jewelry together, she wanted to get some new earrings and we talked about that...we played some music...umm...I can't remember anything special...just stuff.
DN: Okay. Did you talk about boyfriends?
SA: No.
DN: Macy has been dating Tom Westerbeke, is that right?
SA: Yeah, but, like, it's not a serious relationship or anything.
DN: What does that mean?
SA: Well, you know, they weren't...um...having sex or anything.
DN: Was Macy involved with any other boys?
SA: No. Macy's not really into that.
DN: You are sure about that, she couldn't have been seeing anyone else, someone older maybe?
SA: No. She'd have told me about it. She wouldn't keep something like from me.
DN: Was Macy sexually active?
SA: No way.
DN: Would Macy tell you if she were?
SA: Yes, I know she would. We've talked about it before.
DN: You are sure she wasn't seeing anyone else, couldn't have been pregnant?
SA: No! Not Macy, she's too smart for that. No way.
DN: Fine, Sharon. I'm sure you know we want to find Macy and this information is more important than keeping secrets or protecting Macy from embarrassment right now.
SA: Yes, sir, I understand. I want Macy found, too.
DN: What about other relationships? Who did Macy know?
SA: Probably most everybody in school. She has lots of friends.
DN: Okay, I'm going to ask you to make a list of all the people you can think of. What about outside of school?
SA: Well, there's everyone at church, we both go to Springfield Baptist, and the swim club, um...the people she works with at Square Books, other than relatives I can't think of anyone else.
DN: Is there anyone in particular that Macy has been talking about lately?
SA: Uh, let me think about it. No....I can't think of anyone.
DN: Is there anyone you can think of that might have had a problem with Macy? Anyone jealous of her? Any fights?
SA: Well, sure there are, like, some girls that are jealous of Macy. She's popular, gets good grades, Tom's good looking, but I can't think of any fights or anyone that would really hate her. You know, want to do something to her or anything.
DN: Did Macy talk to you about anything that might have made her fearful lately....any calls, notes, something stuck on her locker at school?
SA: No.
DN: Have you noticed anyone hanging around the school, the track, following you lately?
SA: No..
DN: Have you heard any rumors at school on those lines....anyone said anything about anything unusual lately? Anyone they might be afraid of?
SA: No.
DN: Has Macy ever talked to you about running away?
SA: Well, Macy's gotten mad at her parents before and said she should just move in with me, but that was just being pissed off, she would never do that, she wouldn't run away, why would she?
DN: How did she feel about her Mom and Dad getting a divorce?
SA: Oh. She hates it. She...well, she just wishes they weren't.
DN: Go on....
SA: Well, I um, don't know if I should really talk about that. Does it really have anything to do with finding her?
DN: Sharon, it's important you tell us anything you know. Anything might be a clue to help us here. Please go ahead.
SA: Well, she said her Mom and Dad haven't really gotten along that great for a long time. They, like, have their own lives, you know? And, Macy couldn't understand why they couldn't just keep going that way, why they had to get a divorce. On the other hand, Macy loves her Mom, and she did say she wants her Mom to be happier. She'd like her to have more of a life, but I think that's something Macy has been seeing as happening way after she's in college and on her own. Not now.
DN: Is that it? What about fights?
SA: I guess, well, Macy and I, like, live at each other's houses, you know? We've been doing that since we were little. I never saw her parents fight. Most of the time it was just her Mom, her Dad wasn't around. Macy's told me about some fights, but that was a long time ago, I don't think they've been fighting.
DN: Did Macy ever talk about her father hitting her mother, or hitting Macy?
SA: No, nothing like that.
DN: What about Macy, how did she get along with her parents?
SA: Oh, great. I mean they had fights, like over clothes and stuff, how late to stay out, staying on the phone too long, stuff like that, but nothing really important.
DN: Did Macy ever talk to you about her Mom or her Dad seeing someone else?
SA: Oh boy. I hate to talk about this stuff. Are you sure we have to?
DN: Yes, go on Sharon.
SA: (long pause) Okay. Macy did tell me she thought her Dad was having an affair. She asked me never to tell anyone, though.
DN: Sharon, you are doing the right thing. What did she tell you about this?
SA: Well, she said she heard her Dad on the phone a few times talking to someone, like, personal, like laughing and stuff. She said it sounded like he was talking to a woman and he was trying to be quiet, you know, like so no one would know he was on the phone. When Macy asked him about it later he said he wasn't on the phone. That bothered her. A lot. There were other things.
DN: Go ahead, Sharon, what other things?
SA: Well, I don't really know, I don't think Macy did either. She thought her parents were colder to each other, intentionally avoiding each other, she walked in on her mother crying a few times, and her Mom doesn't cry, I know.
DN: Did Macy have an idea of who this affair was with?
SA: No, she didn't. She partly really wanted to know and partly didn't. I think she thought it was someone in the campaign staff, but I'm not sure, she didn't know.
DN: What about her mother, Sharon, did she say anything about her mother seeing anyone?
SA: No, I mean, I asked her that, too, she said no way.
DN: Okay, Sharon, you are doing just fine.
SA: Are we almost finished? This is hard.
DN: Just a few more questions. Was Macy into any drugs?
SA: No way.
DN: You're sure?
SA: Absolutely.
DN: Sharon, I want you to think hard and tell me if you know of any secrets Macy might have had that she wouldn't tell her parents about.
SA: No....I can't think of any. I mean there's stuff we talk about that she probably wouldn't talk so much with them about, like sex, but her Mom's a nurse and she's cool, she and Macy have a good relationship. I can't think of any secrets, except the affair thing.
DN: Was Macy upset about moving into an apartment with her Mom?
SA: No. It's more cramped than the house was, but she didn't mind it.
DN: Have you and Macy, or just Macy been to any events lately with a crowd? A concert, a show, anything with a crowd?
SA: No.
DN: Do you have any ideas on who might want to take Macy, or why Macy might leave on her own?
SA: No. I can't see her running away, she just wouldn't. I think it had to be that she was forced to go with someone at the Mall, either with the escaped prisoners, or someone else. It's so scary and I can't stop thinking about it .. (sobbing)
DN: Sharon, you've done a great job. We appreciate your honesty and cooperation, you let us know if you think of anything at all, no matter how small it seems, that might help us.
SA: (Nods yes.)