Witness Interview: Buford and Margaret Howard Buford and Margaret Howard, neighbors of Christian Chambers, were questioned March 18 at 5:15 p.m. in their home by Detective Nelson. N = Detective Terrence Nelson BH = Buford Howard MH = Margaret Howard N: Mr. Howard, Mrs. Howard, I appreciate your agreeing to talk to us. BH: Certainly, officer. Anything we can do to help with this. Awful tragedy. Just awful. N: You've lived here how long? BH: Three years this May. Ever since I got a job with Financial Services at the university. N: Are you familiar with Christian Chambers? BH: We certainly are. Seemed like a nice boy. Polite. N: Have you noticed anything odd or unusual about Christian Chambers or his residence since early February? BH: Lord, that'd be mighty hard to answer. We knew of the boy but I can't say that we *knew* him, if you know what I mean. MH: He cut our grass one summer, not last year, though. BH: That's right. I'd forgotten that. He did cut our grass, two years ago, I think? Did a good job of it. Always on time. Still, never really talked with him much. Just small talk when we paid him. MH: I gave him lemonade some days. Fresh-made. From my mother's recipe. BH: I don't think he needs to know that, hon. MH: Oh. I'm sorry. N: That's all right, Miz Howard. In this business you never know what might be important. Are you familiar with Christian Chambers' cars? BH: Oh, yeah. We see them coming in and out, now and then. Mostly in that Beamer convertible for the past year. MH: Such a pretty car. And he's a nice-looking boy. I always waved to him when he passed. If I saw him, of course. BH: I doubt he's interested in your waving to young Chambers. MH: Of course, dear. BH: He's got a gray car, too. Dark gray. Older. A Civic, I think. Haven't seen it much since he got the Beamer. N: Do you recall anything unusual during the time since February 1st? MH: Bud? BH: You're not gonna bring that up again, are you? N: Bring up? MH: I heard something. That night. BH: She *thinks* she heard something. MH: I know what I heard, Bud. N: What did you hear, ma'am? MH: Way over in the morning, around 4 o'clock, I heard a car outside. I'm a real light sleeper, don't you know. You just can't be too careful, the way things are these days. And it was just so close. I thought it was somebody out in our drive, when I woke up, and it scared me so that I just laid there, listening. I thought sure it was one of those awful drug gangs come to rob us and do who knows what kind of terrible thin- BH: Margaret. MH: Well, I did. N: Did you see the car, ma'am? MH: Well, no. Not the car, as such. I saw some tail lights, way on down the street. Like I said, I was so scared I just laid there like I was froze in place, listening. Then I thought maybe it wasn't quite close enough to be in our drive. And I couldn't hear anybody breaking in. And just about the time I worked up my nerve to think about getting out of bed to look, I heard it leaving. N: But you didn't see the car? MH: Nossir. I surely didn't. By the time I got up and slipped to the window, it was way down the street, nearly out of sight. N: Mr. Howard, did you hear the car? BH: Not a damn thing. And I'd be surprised if she did, either. MH: Bud! BH: Hon, you know you woke me up and I didn't hear or see anything at all. Not a thing. Got up and checked the whole house, too. Forgot to slip into my houseshoes and nearly froze my feet. MH: I didn't wake him 'til after. That's why he didn't hear anything. N: So you heard or saw nothing, Mr. Howard. BH: Nossir, I did not. N: And you heard a car so close-sounding you thought it was in your drive, Mrs. Howard? MH: Yessir, I surely did. No matter what Bud says. I know what I heard. I remember I looked in the Eagle the next day to see if anybody'd been robbed or terrorized or anything. What kind of people are up driving cars at 4 in the morning? N: Thank you, Mrs. Howard. Mr. Howard. Here's my card. Please let us know if you remember anything else from that night, or anything else since then. MH: I'll be on the lookout, young man. I know you law officers have a hard life, trying to catch those awful people. Just like on NYPD Blue. BH: Margaret, don't get started. End Interview.