Gayle Jennings interview

Thursday, March 14, 2019 – 1:45 p.m.

Gayle Jennings is married to Victor's brother, Raymond.

After getting information that a vehicle registered to Ray and Gayle Jennings was seen at Victor Jennings' house on the day of the murder, Detectives Murphy and Parker interviewed Gayle Jennings at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

Participants:

• Detective S. Murphy
• Detective E. Parker
• Gayle Jennings

Detective Murphy: Have a seat, and state your name and address, please.

Gayle Jennings: My name is Gayle Jennings, and I live at 122 County Road 313. Why did you want to see me?

Detective Murphy: For the record, can you tell us what your relationship was to Victor Jennings?

Gayle Jennings: He was my husband's brother.

Detective Parker: What do you know about his death?

Gayle Jennings: Nothing, really. I thought it was a terrible accident, but then I saw in the paper it's a homicide now?

Detective Parker: When was the last time you saw Victor alive?

Gayle Jennings: I don't remember. Several weeks before his death, I think.

Detective Murphy: So if we had information that you were at Victor's house on the day he died?

Gayle Jennings: Who told you that? I talked to him on the phone, I think, but that's all.

Detective Parker: Do you drive a black Buick LaCrosse with the license plate 264 APV?

Gayle Jennings: Oh, now I remember. I did go over to Victor's. I forgot all about it.

Detective Parker: What time was that?

Gayle Jennings: Let me think. Yes, it was in the early afternoon, I think. I don't remember the exact time. I just popped in for a few minutes.

Detective Murphy: Is that what we're calling it these days?

Gayle Jennings: What is that supposed to mean?

Detective Parker: Why did you pop in to see Victor that day?

Gayle Jennings: I just wanted to make sure he was doing okay. He couldn't go out, you know. He got lonely sometimes.

Detective Murphy: How often would you say you popped in to help Victor with his loneliness?

Gayle Jennings: Just occasionally. He was family.

Detective Murphy: And if we had information that you've been there several times a week ever since he was put on house arrest?

Gayle Jennings: Who is telling you these things?

Detective Murphy: Tell us again how often you visited him.

Gayle Jennings: Fine. Maybe it was a few times a week. So what? He was my brother-in-law, and he was trapped there.

Detective Parker: Your father-in-law doesn't get out much anymore because of his health. Do you visit him a few times a week too?

Gayle Jennings: Brad has Margaret to take care of him.

Detective Murphy: So you were taking care of Victor the way a wife would?

Gayle Jennings: You can't talk to me like that. Who do you think you are? I'm leaving.

Detective Murphy: That's your choice. Parker, set up another interview with Ray Jennings so we can ask him why his wife visited his brother several times a week to take care of him like a wife would.

Gayle Jennings: That's not funny. You can't do that! Ray would kill me if he knew.

Detective Murphy: You think you might stay and answer some more questions then?

Gayle Jennings: Yes, well, I can stay a little longer, I guess.

Detective Parker: Did you ever meet Carl Asher?

Gayle Jennings: Yes, but I didn't like the way he was always looking at me, so I told Victor to make sure he wasn't there when I visited.

Detective Parker: Would you call your relationship with Victor an affair?

Gayle Jennings: I'm not saying anything else until we get one thing straight. You cannot say a word to Ray about any of this. If he finds out, I won't have anything left. I'll tell you whatever you want to know, but you have to promise you won't tell Ray.

Detective Murphy: That's in your hands. If you tell us everything and don't lie or hold anything back, maybe we won't have to talk to Ray about it.

Gayle Jennings: That's the best you can do?

Detective Murphy: That's the best we're going to do right now.

Gayle Jennings: Y'all suck.

Detective Murphy: You're not the first to say that. So you were having an affair with Victor?

Gayle Jennings: It sounds so trashy when you put it that way. I loved Victor. He was strong and powerful. When he wanted something, he went after it. Ray is a wimp. He lets everyone walk all over him. Victor made fun of him, and we laughed about it all the time.

Detective Parker: Did Victor love you too?

Gayle Jennings: Victor never talked about his feelings. He wasn't that kind of man. But I think he did love me in his way.

Detective Murphy: So what was the plan? Were you and Victor going to run off together?

Gayle Jennings: We didn't have a plan. We used to joke about me leaving Ray, and me and Vic getting married, but we weren't serious.

Detective Parker: You both weren't serious, or Vic wasn't serious?

Gayle Jennings: What's the difference?

Detective Parker: Did you kill him because he wouldn't marry you?

Gayle Jennings: I loved him! What don't you understand about that? I never would have done anything to hurt him.

Detective Murphy: So who do you think did kill him?

Gayle Jennings: I don't know. If Ray ever found out I was sleeping with Victor, he might, but I doubt it. Oh, I'd love that. With Ray in prison, I'd have everything. I hope he did it.

Detective Murphy: That's very touching. But since you said you don't think Ray did it, who else might've?

Gayle Jennings: There's Carl. He's low enough and mean enough to do it. Was any money missing from the house? Or anything of value? Carl has sticky fingers.

Detective Parker: What makes you say that?

Gayle Jennings: That's what Vic said.

Detective Parker: Okay. Anyone other than Carl you can think of?

Gayle Jennings: Oh, Victor's secretary. She's jealous of me, you know? She was always trying to get close to Vic if you know what I mean, but he wasn't interested. She was always lying to him about me, saying I hadn't called and not giving him my messages. And she was always wearing those tight outfits that I told Vic were totally inappropriate for work. He just laughed when I said that. He couldn't see what she was really like.

Detective Murphy: You think she killed Victor because she couldn't steal him away from you?

Gayle Jennings: You say that like you don't believe me.

Detective Murphy: Imagine that. Let's talk about where you were on March 9th. You said you visited Victor in the early afternoon sometime?

Gayle Jennings: Yes, I already told you.

Detective Murphy: How long would you say you stayed at his house?

Gayle Jennings: I don't know. Around an hour?

Detective Parker: Was anyone else there when you were there?

Gayle Jennings:  No.

Detective Murphy: When you left Victor's, where did you go?

Gayle Jennings: Home.

Detective Parker: Was anyone else there when you got there?

Gayle Jennings: Ray and the kids.

Detective Murphy: What did you do after you got home?

Gayle Jennings: I told Ray I had a headache and went to lie down. I guess I fell asleep for a while. When I got up, it was time to make dinner.

Detective Parker: Did you go out again anytime that day or that evening?

Gayle Jennings: No.

Detective Parker: Were Ray and the twins home with you the whole time?

Gayle Jennings: Yes. Where else would they be?

Detective Murphy: Now, Gayle, we agreed that you'd tell us the truth about everything and not hold anything back. Is there anything you've told us that you'd like to change? Anything you'd like to add?

Gayle Jennings: No. I didn't lie. I swear. You're not going to tell Ray about me and Vic, right?

Detective Murphy: If we find out you didn't tell us everything, we might have to. We can't make any promises right now, and we might need to talk to you again.

Gayle Jennings: I'll do anything. I'll come back anytime. Just please don't tell Ray.

Detective Parker: We'll be in touch, Mrs. Jennings. Goodbye for now.

Gayle Jennings: Bye.

Interview ended – 2:12 p.m.