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Witness Interview: Christian Chambers

 

Chambers was contacted by telephone and interviewed Feb. 6 at his home on Virginia Street.

 

N = Det. Terry Nelson

C = Christian Chambers

 

N: Thanks for making time for us today. For the record, please state your name, date of birth, and address.

 

C: Christian Chambers, I was born May 23, 1977. I live at 17 Virginia Street.

 

N: Thank you. I'd like to start with the past few days. Have you seen Dale Taylor at all?

 

C: Not in the past few days, no. Since he's been home we've only seen each other once - last week, I think it was the 30th. We went to see "Titanic."

 

N: And since then you haven't seen him?

 

C: No. We've talked on the phone a couple of times. Or I guess we talked a couple of times before we went out, and then once after. It was the night before he left - or was supposed to leave. I still can't really believe it.

 

N: So you talked to him the night of February first?

 

C: Yeah.

 

N: What did you talk about?

 

C: Not much - he had to go eat dinner. His parents, they always do a big farewell dinner for him and Crystal whenever he's going off somewhere to train, or for a competition or whatever. Except when they go to Memphis - that's almost every day. Anyway, we talked for maybe ten minutes. I called to say goodbye, and he talked about seeing me when he got back, and he talked about training in Colorado and how he wanted to get back to work on his skating. That was about it. I wish I'd said more now, you know?

 

N: Of course. Do you want to take a minute?

 

C: No. I'm okay.

 

N: It sounds like you two go a long way back. When did you meet?

 

C: It was back in first grade. We were in Mrs. Lytton's class, we shared a table. We've pretty much been friends since then, especially before he skated a lot. After that it got harder -- I guess after seventh grade or so.

 

N: How so?

 

C: Well, you know. Someone who's such a dedicated athlete, he had to make sacrifices. He didn't get out much, didn't really have time for a lot of friends. But we stayed pretty close - I understood that I couldn't interfere with his dream, because then what kind of friend is that? So I just wanted to help him, and be with him whenever he had time. Maybe that sounds a little pathetic, but I just figured that's what I needed to be friends with him.

 

N: How did you help him?

 

C: Mostly just in school - keeping track of homework and stuff. It got pretty hard for him in high school when he was away a lot, hard to know even what day it was - so I kind of kept him on track. And, okay, sometimes I did the odd assignment or paper for him. Or I'd like find stuff on the Net - like for term papers, you know, background materials, research - and I'd give it to him, and he'd write it up if he had time. I don't really believe homework does that much as far as teaching anyone anything - it's just busy work. So I didn't mind, and anyways I'm pretty fast at it. I guess you could say I'm the brains and he's the brawn, only he's got brains too.

 

N: What about recently? Have you been helping Dale?

 

C: No. Not since graduation - you know, he's been just training all the time, not in college or anything. We really haven't seen each other that much. I guess I loaned him $20 once or twice, when he needed cash, but that's about it.

 

N: And since graduation, have you seen Dale on a regular basis?

 

C: Yeah - well, I mean no, not really. He's pretty busy. He's just training all the time.

 

N: Does that upset you?

 

C: No. I understand it's just what he has to do. It's his life.

 

N: Christian, I know it's going to be hard to answer this, but is there any reason you can think of for Dale and Crystal to disappear?

 

C: You mean as far as kidnapping? No. Everybody I know really likes them. Even people who don't know them feel like they know them, you know? -- everyone wants them to just go for it.

 

N: What about running away?

 

C: I don't think so. Dale and I used to talk about it sometimes but he - we never really wanted to.

 

N: Did you ever try?

 

C: No. We never even came close. It was more like something we would talk about to cheer him up, like when he was down about his training we'd talk about just going away and doing something else, you know, like sometimes he liked to think he wanted to lead a normal life and just get a job and stuff. But we never did it. We really only talked about it two or three times - just when he was down about his training or something. Sometimes his coaches were hard on him and a few times it just kind of depressed him. But I don't think he would ever run away - skating was what he was all about.

 

N: What about Crystal?

 

C: I don't know. I didn't know her that well. At least recently - I mean I haven't spent time with her since high school. I knew her a lot when we were all in fourth, fifth grade. She's always been really sweet to me, and I know Dale thought the world of her.

 

N: He didn't talk about arguing with her?

 

C: No. I mean, sometimes they would fight about little things - choreography, stuff like that. But they stuck together real close.

 

N: So basically you can't think of why they would disappear?

 

C: No. No clue.

 

N: Is there anyone else you can think of we might want to talk to? Any other friends?

 

C: For Crystal, I don't know. Dale, I guess I'm pretty much it. When he was home he liked to hang out with his folks pretty much.

 

N: I have just one last question. Where were you the morning of February 2?

 

C: You mean, like when they disappeared? I was here. I guess I was probably studying, or else I might have been asleep. I tend to turn in around 3 at the latest, but I don't remember exactly when it was that night.