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Wednesday, October 1, 1997 Guest: Darlene Hooper, Night Manager Proud Larry's   Opening Remarks:   Hello everybody, I'm glad to be here tonight. Well, let's see. You know I'm Darlene Hooper, I work at Proud Larry's, I'm the night manager. I've worked there for five years, since 1992. I'm here to tell you what I can about Vicky, Victoria Symons, and answer questions if you have any.   I'll start with how I know Vicky. We went to school together, but I was one year ahead of her. I met her in eighth grade and we went through Oxford High together until I graduated, then we stayed in touch and I helped her get her job with Proud Larry's. I've known her for about eleven years.   We weren't best friends, but we were friends. I guess you'd have to say close friends since we've known each other for so long, but we don't have that much in common either. When I first met her, Vicky was shy and kind of awkward. She was taller than most of us and wore glasses and didn't always have lots of new clothes and things. She slouched and chewed gum, and sat in the back. That sort. She was in the band in 8th and 9th grade, she played the flute. When she got to 10th grade she tried out for and made the majorettes with the band. That changed everything. She became more popular and outgoing. She started dating. She got contacts. She was having fun. It was in 11th grade that she really changed. She started sneaking around, shoplifting, smoking in school, running around with a drug crowd, cutting school. Her grades really fell. She had a loose reputation, you know the sort of thing. They wouldn't let her back as a majorette in her senior year, it was so bad. I'd graduated, but I know that in senior year Vicky went really wild. Stayed out all night, partied at Cooter's, ran around a lot. She got arrested for shoplifting and was really lucky to get off that time. She barely graduated.   After graduation, she lived at home with her mother and just ran around. I know she was still shoplifting and took money from her mother a couple of times. Got heavier into drugs. She took off a few times with guys she met-- for months at a time, but eventually came home again. Once she went to New York City and tried to get a part in a soap opera, she took a few acting lessons and seemed to get more serious. She came back to Oxford when she ran out of money, but she was determined to get a job and get out of Oxford and "be somebody". She wanted to go to Hollywood and be a movie star she swore she was going to and got really hostile if anyone teased her about it.   She tried to get a cosmetician's license as a step to a job, but she didn't stick with it. In 1994 she was getting desperate after her mother finally put her foot down and told her she had to get out. I think she must have stolen money again then, know they had an awful fight, but Vicky didn't tell me about it. That's when she came to me about getting a job as a waitress at Proud Larry's. I wanted to help her, but I know Vicky, she doesn't focus, she doesn't stick to anything, she's overly dramatic, she's unreliable and I know her record for theft and drugs. She finally talked me into it, but not before I insisted and made her swear she was going to keep the drugs and alcohol away from the job, come to work, be on time and--no special favors.   Actually, it went okay for quite awhile. That was in 1994, she still ran around, did drugs, drank too much, but she stayed out of trouble and came to work and did the job. She's very popular at Larry's. Then, this spring it started getting out of hand again. Vicky's always tended to pick guys who are bad and wild. They used her and she used them and she knew it and didn't care. She wasn't interested in a long term relationship. That was someday in the future when she was a big star and all that.   She started dating a bass player in one of the local bands and messing around with hard drugs again. Skipped out on a couple of weekend shifts with no notice so she could go wherever the out of town gigs were. I was ready to fire her and she backed off just enough to keep the job. That was not great, but I could live with it, until she started going with Ed Pierce in August. Then things really went out of control, she came to work drunk or hung over, was snapping at everybody, tips fell off I know, complaints started, she wouldn't listen. Then the first week of September she got picked up for drunk walking. The court date was September 16 and she was fined $750, she wanted a salary advance because the fine took up so much of her savings. She's been trying to get a car so she can move--she lives in a bad neighborhood--high crime-- but it's only 5 blocks from Larry's so she could walk to work.   I would only agree to a week advance, and I didn't want to do that. That was $250 and she was really pissed off over it. I was afraid with how she's been acting she'd stiff us for it. Friday is payday. Last week on the 19th I know pretty much exactly what she had. She had about $485 in savings and including the advance she got a check on the 19th $418.20, so I think she had about $900. I know she had at least the $418 in cash on Saturday because she'd cashed her paycheck right before she came to work and wanted to put it in the safe in the office.   On Saturday the 20th she came in about 3:00 p.m. and got a call at about 8:30 p.m. I remember it was right before it started to get busy. She was jumping all over the place after that, singing, joking, and teasing saying she had a big date after work. I thought she just had a date and a drug score. Then we got really busy and I forgot about it. Later Saturday night people were talking about the accident and escape, but I didn't really put it together then. I was too busy and distracted. Thinking back on it, I can't believe I didn't see this coming.   Vicky was scheduled to work on Sunday and Detective Nelson came in about 3:30 in the afternoon to interview the staff, including Vicky. Vicky never showed up. I chocked it up to another "no show" due to drugs and Detective Nelson said they'd have her come in to the station on Monday. Monday afternoon I was in a really bad mood, we were short staffed and I was complaining about her and one of the part timers, a student, said she didn't want to get involved, but she saw Vicky talking to someone outside after work on Saturday, she said she thought it was Pierce. Victoria was with that "guy that escaped."   I made her go call the Sheriff's office and report it. They brought over some photos for her to look at and she wasn't sure, but I know she really was and it was Pierce. Victoria is gone, there's been no one at her place, she hasn't called, hasn't shown up for work and no one's seen her. Then Tony is found dead and Victoria rented the room. I'm sure she's with Pierce. It would be just like her to do something like this. Maybe she thinks she'll be famous like Bonnie and Clyde, I don't know. I feel sorry for her in a way. I hope they find her before she gets hurt. I think that is about everything I can tell you about Vicky, do you want me to answer any questions?     Question & Answer session with Ms. Hooper:   Q: Was she ever in rehab and were there any other problems she had like heroin? A: Yes, she was in rehab once - no heroin, some coke.   Q: Do you know if Vicky knew Purity? A: Who? Vicky?--Maybe--she did make a rather cold comment one time "She got what she deserved". Vicky was into the Shovel parties.   Q: What was name of bass player Vicky went with, and name of band? A: They don't want to be named, sorry. He was only 17 at the time.   Q: Do you know Macy Lamar - did Vicky know Macy? A: No, I don't know her, I know who she is. I don't know if Vicky knew her. I guess it's possible.   Q: You never said anything about Vicky being mean. What do you think? Could she? A: Maybe, at least cold and self-centered.   Q: Are you aware of Proud Larry's reputation as a place to get Rophynol? Was Vicky a dealer? A: It used to be. Kitchen staff - most gone now I think with Sheriff Lamar's crack down. Vicky's not a dealer - but if she could get money to get out of Oxford and saw that as a route -- maybe.   Q: How did she ever get involved with such a piece of trash? Her boyfriend? A: She thought of guys like that as exciting, not trash.   At this point Ms. Hooper had to return to work, the following is a continued Question & Answer session with Elizabeth Jones.   Q: How about Tony Phelps - what do you know about him? Did Darlene or Vicky know him? A: Yes, both Vicky and Darlene do know / did know Anthony Phelps. Darlene has said that he was quiet, not a problem at Larry's and she was surprised that he was implicated in the rapes. She stated she did not have any info to think he would be the rapist. No comments from patrons, or complaints.   Q: Don't you think Vicky might be dead too? I hope she isn't but the odds don't look to good for her either. A: We have no reason to think so, she did rent the room out for Anthony Phelps, but it is a concern, she is in the companionship of an accused murderer.   Q: Was Macy adopted? A: No.   Q: Does Dave Woolworth play bass? A: He might have. I seem to recall that. But the bass player is not Woolworth and no attempt to hide relevant information on that boyfriend. He was 17 so underage and not willing to be named.   Q: Was Vicky abused as a child? A: Well, not that we know of. She certainly is one of those kids that seems to have raised herself though, brought up in single parent, double shift household and didn't have it easy.   Q: Did Macy know Purity? A: We don't think so, she really had little way to do that. She didn't begin working at Square Books until this summer.   Q: What happened with Perez and Pierce? A: Perez was raped. She didn't tell that until after she returned in the fall, about 3 - 4 weeks ago, but she really didn't want anything more to do with Pierce and she went on tour with a summer theater company in late May so was gone all summer.