Sunday, October 15, 2000 - 11:40 a.m.

After filing the report on the discovery of the body of Zoe Chase, Detectives Armstrong and Murphy were notified of Incident #003931-15J-2000, which was potentially relevant to their investigation. After reviewing the Incident Report, Detective Armstrong proceeded to the scene of Incident #003931-15J-2000, the B-Quick convenience store on Highway 7 East, to interview the witness, Shirley Harris.

TA = Detective T. Armstrong

SH = Shirley Harris

TA: For the record, ma'am, could you please state your name and address?

SH: Shirley Harris, 218 Highway 334 , Oxford.

TA: You spoke to Officer Winters this morning about the wallet you found. If you would, just tell me how you happened to find the wallet, as best you can remember it.

SH: Like I told the other man, I was emptying the trash like always and I saw this wallet sittin' on the top of the trash in that can over yonder. That's not somethin' I run across too much, so I figured somethin' was wrong about it. Is that why you're here? Something bad happen?

TA: What made you think something was wrong?

SH: Well, that's not something I see too regular, a wallet sittin' in the trash like that. I looked inside to see who it belonged to, in case someone threw it away on accident. I noticed right off there wasn't no money or charge cards or nothin' like that inside and that didn't seem right. There was a driver's license in there, but I though it was too early to be callin' someone about losin' their wallet, so I just called y'all. I reckon when someone loses their wallet or gets it stolen, sooner or later they tell y'all about it, so who's ever it was could get it back eventually if y'all had it.

TA: So you found the wallet and then you called us, right?

SH: That's right.

TA: You didn't take anything out of it yourself? Maybe some kind of reward for finding it or something?

SH: No, I did not. Just 'cuz I work in a convenience store instead of some fancy office don't mean I'm a thief.

TA: I wasn't trying to imply that, ma'am. Just making sure what happened.

SH: Yeah, sure.

TA: And what time was this that you found the wallet? Do you remember?

SH: I 'spect it was maybe five, ten after six this mornin'. I come in a little bit before 6:00, like always, to open up, so by the time I got to them trash cans outside, it musta been five or ten after.

TA: Do you always look inside a trash can before you empty it?

SH: Naw. Just happened that wallet caught my eye. It's not the kind of thing that's usually in there, so it just caught my eye, I reckon.

TA: And what made you contact the Sheriff's Department about it?

SH: Like I said, there wasn't no money or charge cards in there, and that just struck me as suspicious. We're real security conscious here, have to be in this line of work, so I'm trained to call y'all whenever I run across somethin' that don't seem right.

TA: What time did y'all close last night?

SH: They always close up right at 11:00 on the dot.

TA: You didn't work last night?

SH: I don't work the night shift, but Rhonda - she's the one who does work at night - she never stays a minute past 11:00. Runs customers outta the store and everything if she has to. Her husband don't like it if she's late, so she makes sure she never is.

TA: I see. This Rhonda, you know her last name?

SH: Rhonda Lamb, married to Tommy, not Gordon.

TA: Okay. Did you notice anything else unusual this morning when you came in? Any cars in the parking lot, other trash around, anything like that?

SH: No, not a thing. Everything looked pretty regular to me.

TA: Is there anything else you can think of you need to tell me about?

SH: Can't think of anything.

TA: Well, if you do, you just give me a call over at the Sheriff's Office.

SH: Will do.

TA: Thank you for your time.

End interview 11:52 a.m.