Scott Knapp interview #2

Wednesday, May 15, 2024 – 10:47 a.m.

Scott Knapp was supposed to interview Jasmine for a job the evening she was last seen.

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

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• Scott Knapp

Detective Murphy: Thank you for coming in again, Mr. Knapp. Would you state your name and address for the record, please?

Scott Knapp:: Scott Knapp, 1490 Madison. I don't understand why I'm here again. I told you everything I know about Jasmine Ledbetter the first time I was here.

Detective Armstrong: We appreciate your cooperation. We just need you to help us clarify a few details.

Scott Knapp: Well, if you think so. Glad to help in any way I can. Are you close to finding out who killed that poor girl?

Detective Murphy: The investigation is progressing well. Now, would you tell us a bit more about your appointment with Jasmine?

Scott Knapp: I thought I told you all I know.

Detective Armstrong: Well, it just seems a bit strange to have an interview on a Saturday evening. Why did you make it for that day and time?

Scott Knapp: We agreed on the day and time during the phone interview. Our schedules conflicted during the rest of the week. I was in Memphis on a job earlier on Saturday. That's why we made the appointment for later in the day.

Detective Murphy: That was nice of you to meet on a Saturday evening to accommodate her schedule.

Scott Knapp: Actually, she was accommodating me by coming in then. I respected her for being responsible about her job at Square Pizza and not blowing it off for the possibility of working for me. That just made me more interested in hiring her.

Detective Armstrong: Exactly what time was your appointment?

Scott Knapp: 6:30 p.m.

Detective Murphy: You said in your earlier interview she phoned you to say she didn't need a ride.

Scott Knapp: That's right. She called around 5:00 p.m. and left a message on my voicemail that I didn't need to pick her up after all because she had a ride.

Detective Armstrong: Then she didn't show up at the appointment time?

Scott Knapp: No. When she didn't show up for the appointment, I thought maybe something had happened to her ride, so around a quarter to 7:00 p.m., I tried to phone to see if she wanted me to pick her up. When I couldn't get her, and she never showed up, I just chalked it up to my misjudgment of her responsibility and maturity. I figured she must have changed her mind about the job, and I planned to post the ad again on Monday.

Detective Murphy: Did you leave a message on her voicemail?

Scott Knapp: No.

Detective Armstrong: Did you go out that evening, Mr. Knapp?

Scott Knapp: No. I continued working for a while, then had dinner at home and stayed in for the rest of the evening.

Detective Armstrong: Did anyone see you that evening?

Scott Knapp: No, I don't think so. I was alone in my studio.

Detective Murphy: Maybe a neighbor?

Scott Knapp: My neighbors mostly mind their own business. Are you asking if I have an alibi?

Detective Armstrong: Would that be a problem?

Scott Knapp: I never went near that girl or her house, and I really don't like your insinuations.

Detective Armstrong: Do you know Kevin Ledbetter?

Scott Knapp: No.

Detective Armstrong: Are you sure?

Scott Knapp: Wait, is he in real estate?

Detective Armstrong: Yes.

Scott Knapp: I think I've met him at a couple of Chamber of Commerce events, but I don't know him well.

Detective Armstrong: But you still say you never met his daughter?

Scott Knapp: Jasmine was his daughter? I never made that connection until just now. Listen, I've told you. I never met her in person. We talked on the phone. That's all. I don't know any other way to say it, and I'm getting a little sick of answering the same question over and over.

Detective Murphy: This is a murder investigation, Mr. Knapp, and we have not been able to eliminate you as a suspect. Tell me why it couldn't have been you.

Scott Knapp: Me? I didn't even know the girl. For God's sake, what are you trying to do? I never saw her, never talked to her in person. I don't even know what she looked like. It couldn't have been me because I had no reason to kill her and was never near her.

Detective Murphy: We may need to talk with you again. Do you have a problem with that?

Scott Knapp: I'm beginning to think you have a problem if you think I had anything to do with that young woman's death. If you need to talk to me again, you may call my attorney. I'm through here.

Interview ended – 11:03 a.m.