Witness Interview: Kristi Dawes

Witness Interview: Kristi Dawes

Kristi Dawes was the other Oxford passenger on the 4:16 a.m. Magnolia Transit bus to the Memphis airport on the morning of Monday, February 2nd. All passengers on the Magnolia Transit manifest for February 2nd were interviewed on February 7th. Ms. Dawes contacted the Sheriff's office on Friday, February 27th with information she subsequently recalled about that morning. Ms. Dawes was interviewed at the Sheriff's Department on Monday, March 2. Dawes is a resident of Oxford.

N = Detective Terrence Nelson
D = Kristi Dawes

N: Ms. Dawes, please state your name and address for the record.

D: My name is Kristina Megan Dawes, and I live at Old Taylor Place, Apartment Number 17, in Oxford. I am a student at the University of Mississippi.

N: You were on the 4:16 a.m. Magnolia Transit bus that went to the Memphis airport on February 2nd, is that correct?

D: Yes it is. I was riding the airport shuttle bus to catch a plane to Miami to visit my sister for a week. She was having a baby. She has had a beautiful baby boy that Thursday, 10 lbs. 4 oz.

N: What time did you arrive at the Big Star to catch the bus?

D: It was right before it left, about 10 after 4:00 I think. The bus was there and we left just a few minutes after I boarded.

N: Did you see anyone or anything when you got to the Big Star lot, or while you were on the bus waiting for it to leave?

D: When we first talked about it I didn't think I had. But then I remembered something funny. I noticed a car parked at the curb by a fire hydrant down the street from the shopping center. Over behind the McDonald's.

N: What kind of car?

D: I couldn't really tell. I was sitting by a window seat and could see it across the parking lot down the street. It was right down from McDonald's, on that intersection road with University Avenue. . .what is that road?

N: McLarty Road is the road I think you are thinking of-right in front of the tire shop, Pro Tire?

D: That's right. It was at the curb, right by a fire hydrant, and I thought, that person is going to get a ticket, are they having car trouble? It was curious. It was just sitting there, idling. I remember I was just staring out the window and it caught my eye. It might have been a Toyota or a Subaru or something like that, just a little two door hatchback. I couldn't tell for sure, but I think it was black, or a dark color anyway. The windows might have been tinted, but it was too dark to tell. I couldn't see anyone in the car at all, but the car was running. I could see the exhaust.

N: What happened then?

D: Nothing. It just sat there.

N: Do you know of Dale and Crystal Taylor, the ice skaters from Oxford?

D: I know of them, I don't know them. I watched them on television in December. They were very popular. It was horrible what happened to them.

N: Yes it was. That's what I'm leading up to. So you know what they look like?

D: Yes I do.

N: You are sure you didn't see either one of them that morning?

D: Yes, I'm sure. I've thought it over and over and there wasn't anyone else around. Everything was closed so it would have been easy to pick out someone right there.

N: But you saw this black car?

D: Yes I did. At least I think it was black. It was there when we pulled out. I remember glancing over at it and then the person sitting next to me said something and I looked away. I got distracted, but as we were pulling out of the parking lot onto University I think the car peeled out.

N: Peeled out?

D: I think so. I heard the loud sound of tires screeching, but by that time we were going up University towards the highway exit. I can't say for sure if it was that car, but I think it was. It was the only car around.

N: You didn't see the car again on the highway near the bus?

D: No. I didn't think anything else about it. Do you think the killer could have been in the car?

N: I really can't comment about that, Ms. Dawes. We're just trying to get as much information as we can about what was going on that morning.

D: Have I helped?

N: Yes you have. We'll be calling you again if we need more information about the car.

D: I'll be glad to help. My brother is going to be a policeman.

N: Really.

D: That's right. He's in school here, too. Bobby Dawes. You should give him a job when he graduates.

N: Maybe so, Ms. Dawes. Have him give us a call. Thank you for your time.