Wesley Brooks interview #2

Thursday, January 28, 2021 – 12:17 p.m.

Wesley Brooks is the victim's son.

Detectives Armstrong and Beckwith re-interviewed him at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective P. Beckwith
• Wesley Brooks

Detective Beckwith: Good afternoon, Wesley. Thanks again for coming in. Please state your name and address for our records.

Wesley Brooks: My name is Wesley Brooks, and I live at 439 Chandler Avenue, Oxford. What's this about? Have you found my father's killer?

Detective Beckwith: We're doing everything we can, and we've gotten some good leads, which is why we need to ask you a few more questions.

Wesley Brooks: I'll do anything to help you find my dad's killer.

Detective Armstrong: I know this is difficult for you, but we really need you to tell us the truth.

Wesley Brooks: Tell the truth about what? I told you all I know the last time I was here.

Detective Armstrong: For starters, you said you didn't see your father the day he died.

Wesley Brooks: That's right.

Detective Armstrong: What if I told you someone saw you at Wall Doxey Park the day your dad was killed?

Wesley Brooks: They must have been mistaken because it wasn't me. Like I told you before, I was home asleep.

Detective Armstrong: Come on, Wesley. We all know you're not telling the truth. Did you follow your dad there that day?

Wesley Brooks: No. I was sleeping.

Detective Armstrong: Did you follow him there to kill him?

Wesley Brooks: Hell no! What reason would I have for killing my father? I loved him.

Detective Armstrong: Plenty of people kill the ones they love, Wesley.

Wesley Brooks: Maybe some people, but not me!

Detective Armstrong: Then tell us why you were at Wall Doxey Park that day.

Wesley Brooks: Okay! I'll tell you the truth. I thought my father was having an affair. I wanted to catch him in the act, so I followed him.

Detective Armstrong: So maybe you found him with someone and confronted him?

Wesley Brooks: No, I just followed him.

Detective Beckwith: Tell us about that.

Wesley Brooks: I got up to go to the bathroom that morning, and I overheard my dad tell my mom he had to meet a client. I thought this was my chance to catch him, so I decided to follow him.

Detective Beckwith: What did you do?

Wesley Brooks: I left home a few minutes after he did. He had turned like he was going into town, so I went that way, but I couldn't find him.

Detective Beckwith: You saw him leave?

Wesley Brooks: Yes.

Detective Beckwith: So you can tell us what vehicle he was driving?

Wesley Brooks: He was in my mom's car, the Cadillac. She had the SUV filled up with stuff for some charity thing.

Detective Beckwith: Did they often swap vehicles?

Wesley Brooks: I don't know. Whenever they needed to, I guess.

Detective Beckwith: Okay, so you drove into town, but you couldn't find him. Then what did you do?

Wesley Brooks: I drove around for a while, but I didn't know where to look.

Detective Beckwith: But eventually you found him?

Wesley Brooks: Yeah, I thought I was going to have to give up and go home, but then I saw him headed the other way, going north.

Detective Beckwith: What did you do?

Wesley Brooks: I turned around and followed him. I didn't know we were going to Wall Doxey until we got there.

Detective Beckwith: Did he know you were following him?

Wesley Brooks: I don't think so. I had to stay pretty far back so he wouldn't see me because there wasn't much other traffic.

Detective Beckwith: Did you notice if anyone else was following him?

Wesley Brooks: No. Do you think— you think the killer followed him up there?

Detective Beckwith: We just have to consider all the possibilities. Could you tell if he was alone in the car?

Wesley Brooks: It looked like it, but I wasn't close enough to know for sure.

Detective Beckwith: Okay, so you followed him to the park, and then what? 

Wesley Brooks: When I got there, I parked near the visitor's center. I got out and walked around in the woods, looking for the car, but I never found it. After a while, I went back to my truck and left.

Detective Armstrong: You thought his car might be in the woods?

Wesley Brooks: No, obviously not, but I didn't want him to see me, so I stayed out of sight in the woods.

Detective Armstrong: That made it easier to sneak up on him and shoot him, right?

Wesley Brooks: I told you I didn't do that!

Detective Beckwith: Did your mother suspect your father was having an affair?

Wesley Brooks: Not as far as I know. If she did, she never said anything to me about it.

Detective Armstrong: Was there someone you suspected your father was involved with?

Wesley Brooks: Yes, sir. It was Christy Arnold. The first time I met her, I couldn't help noticing how she and my dad looked at each other.

Detective Armstrong: How did you happen to meet her?

Wesley Brooks: I saw them together on the square one day. I guess they'd gone out to lunch together.

Detective Armstrong: It doesn't sound like they were hiding if you saw them on the square.

Wesley Brooks: No, but they were up to something. I saw them whispering and giggling about something when they thought I wasn't looking.

Detective Armstrong: Did that make you angry?

Wesley Brooks: Of course, it made me angry! My mom didn't deserve that.

Detective Armstrong: Did you say anything to your father about your suspicions?

Wesley Brooks: I asked him about her, and he just shrugged it off. He said she was too young for him, and besides, he loved mom. I didn't believe him.

Detective Beckwith: What did you do after you left the park?

Wesley Brooks: I went home. Mom had gone out to run errands or something. I don't think she even knew I left the house.

Detective Armstrong: So there's no one who can verify your story?

Wesley Brooks: No, I guess not.

Detective Armstrong: You see the problem, don't you, Wesley? You lied to us once, so how are we supposed to believe you now?

Wesley Brooks: I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth before, but I was just trying to protect my mom's feelings. She's been through enough, so I never told her I suspected Dad was cheating on her. It would probably kill her.

Detective Armstrong: Is that the only thing you've lied about?

Wesley Brooks: Yes. I swear!

Detective Armstrong: I hope that's the truth, Wesley. If we find out you've lied about anything else, we're going to have a real problem.

Wesley Brooks: You won't. I've been completely honest about everything else.

Detective Beckwith: Thanks for coming in, Wesley. We'll be in touch if we need anything else from you.

Wesley Brooks: Thank you both. Goodbye … and please find my dad's killer.

Interview ended – 12:44 p.m.