Sunday, July 6, 2008 - 12:30 p.m.

The witness was identified as the husband of the victim, Diane Coates. He was interviewed at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department. The interview was recorded on a portable audio cassette recorder with the witness's knowledge and consent.

Detective Armstrong

Detective Murphy

Rupert Coates

Detective Murphy: Good morning, Mr. Coates. Thank you for consenting to come in to talk to us, especially on a holiday weekend.

Rupert Coates: That's okay. I guess you're just doing your job and I'm glad to do anything I can to find out what happened to Diane.

Detective Murphy: You understand that you aren't in custody and you don't have to talk to us if you don't want to, right?

Rupert Coates: Yeah.

Detective Murphy: And that you can have an attorney present while we talk if you want to?

Rupert Coates: Do I need an attorney?

Detective Murphy: That's entirely up to you, sir. We'd be glad to wait while you call one, if you like. Or we can put you in touch with an attorney, if you don't have one.

Rupert Coates: Well... no, let's just get this over with.

Detective Murphy: You're sure?

Rupert Coates: Yes, let's get on with it. I don't want to be here all afternoon.

Detective Murphy: Okay, then. Just for the record, would you sign this waiver indicating that you've chosen to talk with us without an attorney present.

Rupert Coates: Why do I need to do that? I didn't have to do it before.

Detective Murphy: This job, it's all paperwork sometimes. Since we're talking to you here at the Sheriff's Department this time, we have a few more bases to cover.

Rupert Coates: Oh, fine. Give it here.

Detective Murphy: Thank you. Now there's one more base we need to cover for the record. Would you please state your name and address?

Rupert Coates: Rupert Coates. 210 Elm Street, Oxford.

Detective Armstrong: Do you have any idea why we asked you to come in today, Mr. Coates?

Rupert Coates: I suppose it has something to do with why you searched my house. I can't figure why you did that. What did you expect to find that would help tell what killed Diane?

Detective Armstrong: Well, we found some interesting things and we'd like you to help us understand them.

Rupert Coates: Oh? And what would that be? I'm getting a little tired of you harassing me when I deserve to be left alone to grieve my wife's death. Last time, you were very rude and insulting!

Detective Murphy: I'm sorry you feel that way. I should think you'd want to do whatever you could to solve the mystery of your wife's death. Don't you want to help us with that, Mr. Coates?

Rupert Coates: Sure, but what can I add? I've told you everything I could think of to help. What else can I do?

Detective Armstrong: You can help us understand why there were empty containers of your wife's coumadin prescription in the medicine cabinet and in your garage. And why there were traces of coumadin in the mortar and on the pestle found in your home, even though your wife stopped taking that medication several months ago. You didn't clean up very well, Mr. Coates.

Rupert Coates: What are you talking about? That was left from what the doctor prescribed for her when she had that TIA.

Detective Murphy: Well, that's what puzzles us. We understand she stopped taking it and was taking something else. Why would there be an empty prescription bottle? According to her doctor he prescribed enough for 90 days but she stopped taking it after... How long did she take it would you say, sir?

Rupert Coates: I don't remember. I didn't pay attention to what she took or when. I just knew she was taking something the doctor prescribed.

Detective Armstrong: Did you ever order a refill for her prescription?

Rupert Coates: No. Why would I? Diane was very independent. I wouldn't have any reason to do that.

Detective Armstrong: And that's what's curious. Someone ordered a refill and picked up the prescription. The pharmacist has identified you as the person who picked it up.

Rupert Coates: No. That's not possible! I didn't do that. He's mistaken. How could he even remember that long ago, any way?

Detective Murphy: How long ago was it, Mr. Coates? Would you like to tell us about it? You'd feel a lot better if you'd get this off your chest.

Rupert Coates: You're crazy. I have nothing to get off my chest. What are you talking about?

Detective Armstrong: You told us you knew your wife was having an affair. That must have been hard on you knowing she was making love to another man when you were working so hard to make a good living and maintain a nice home. She wouldn't have been able to have such a nice home without your income. She didn't deserve you. She was a disgrace. You'll feel better to get the truth out into the open. Just tell us about it. You'll feel so much better.

Rupert Coates: You've got to understand. I didn't want to hurt her. I was just so humiliated. I only wanted things back the way they were before this all happened.

Detective Armstrong: I know. She was playing you for a fool. And when you work so hard. That must have been hard on you.

Rupert Coates: The night I met Talley -- the night of her stroke -- I couldn't believe it. She had betrayed me, our wedding vows, everything I believed in. I begged her to go to counseling with me. She just laughed in my face. Said I was a wimp. That he was a real man. She just laughed at me. I hated that. She had no right to laugh at me. I loved her. I really did love her.

Detective Armstrong: Is that when you decided to kill her?

Rupert Coates: Oh, God, no. I wanted to fix our marriage, but she wasn't interested. She said she liked things the way they were. She didn't want to go to counseling. Said what did she need counseling for, that it was my fault I couldn't keep her happy -- that I should go to counseling to learn how to be a man. I was crushed and humiliated. I finally even offered to give her a divorce. I don't even believe in divorce, but I couldn't live with things the way they were and she wouldn't do anything to change them. She expected me to just go on like nothing had ever happened and put up with her infidelity. I couldn't do that. I don't understand what happened to her. She was so different from the wonderful woman I married.

Detective Murphy: What did she say about a divorce?

Rupert Coates: She laughed at that too. Why would she want a divorce, she said? She enjoyed the security of being married and the benefits of two incomes. And she said I was gone so much she had a right to live her life as she wished. That was so unfair! She knew that traveling was a necessary part of my job. It wasn't as if I had a choice. She acted as if our problems were all my fault. She was shameless. I just couldn't stand it any more.

Detective Armstrong: So you decided to get her out of your life?

Rupert Coates: It sounds so cold when you say it. Don't you understand? I couldn't live that way anymore. I had to do something. I didn't know which way to turn. She was shameless. She didn't seem to care if everybody knew about her affair. I could feel people laughing behind my back. It was horrible.

Detective Armstrong: When did you decide to give her the coumadin, Mr. Coates?

Rupert Coates: I guess it was about the time she stopped taking it because of the side effects. I knew enough about coumadin to know she shouldn't be taking it while she was taking the aspirin. My dad had a blood clot in his groin a couple of years ago and I remember him saying he had to be careful while he was on coumadin so as not to cause bleeding. He couldn't even have dental work when he was on it because of the possibility of excessive bleeding. I did some research on coumadin -- and then, of course, the tablets were just sitting there in the medicine cabinet.

Detective Armstrong: And when did you actually start giving it to her?

Rupert Coates: I don't know. After Memorial Day, maybe. She told me she had gotten a room at the YCCC for the conference. I knew what that meant. I knew she was planning to meet with him there.

Detective Murphy: Didn't she have a recurrence of the mouth pain when you gave it to her?

Rupert Coates: No, there wasn't enough time, I guess. It took about a month for that to happen the last time. I was counting on something happening at the conference so, if anyone thought she didn't die from natural causes, Talley would be suspected. I never figured on y'all finding me out. I never thought the pharmacist could identify me.

Detective Armstrong: How did you administer the coumadin to her without her knowledge?

Rupert Coates: In her food, or her drinks -- especially the Campari. That was her favorite. She drank it every day. She wouldn't notice anything in that. It was a dark enough red to mask any color detection and I tasted one of the tablets, but it seemed tasteless. The tablets ground up easily and dissolved quickly in a small amount of liquid. So when I put them in the Campari bottle, she never noticed it. I knew she'd drink it every day. right before the conference, I just mashed up the tablets I had left and dumped it in the Campari. She was the only one who drank it and she drank lots of it. I didn't want her to suffer. Did she suffer? I just wanted it to all go away... to go back the way it was... Oh God. What have I done? Diane, I'm so sorry... Has anyone told Miguel? Oh, poor Miguel. What's he going to think? What have I done to him? I must have been out of my mind. What's going to happen now?

Detective Armstrong: Rupert Coates, you are under arrest for the murder of Diane Coates. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you desire an attorney and cannot afford one, an attorney will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?

Rupert Coates: Oh my God.

End interview - 12:57 p.m.