Kevin Ledbetter interview #2

Wednesday, May 15, 2024 – 9:30 a.m.

Kevin Ledbetter was the victim's father.

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

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• Kevin Ledbetter

Detective Armstrong: Thank you for coming down again, Mr. Ledbetter.

Kevin Ledbetter: No problem, Detective. Anything I can do to help catch my little girl's killer.

Detective Armstrong: Would you please state your name and address for the record?

Kevin Ledbetter: Certainly. Kevin Ledbetter, and I live at 310 Lewis Lane in Oxford.

Detective Murphy: Mr. Ledbetter, in our first interview, you said that you and Jasmine had been close, but recently, that closeness had faded.

Kevin Ledbetter: Yes, unfortunately, she and my wife didn't get along as well as I hoped, but I think that would've gotten better, given time.

Detective Murphy: Did you ever give Jasmine rides when she needed to get somewhere?

Kevin Ledbetter: Rides? Well, sometimes, yes, I would. She would usually call a friend, but she knew she was welcome to call me if she got stuck somewhere.

Detective Armstrong: On the night of May 11th, did she call you for a ride?

Kevin Ledbetter: The night she was murdered? No, I didn't receive a call from her that evening. I wish I had. Maybe I could have saved her.

Detective Armstrong: Are you okay, sir? Do you need a moment?

Kevin Ledbetter: No, no, I'll be fine. It's just tough to talk about it now that it's sunk in that my little girl, my precious little girl is gone. That someone would do this to her, she was an angel. I can't see why someone would hurt her. And then just leave her body in the woods for some animal to find? What kind of sick person would do such a thing?

Detective Murphy: That's what we're trying to find out. You mentioned she was an angel. Was there anyone who didn't care for her?

Kevin Ledbetter: No, everyone liked her. I can't think of anyone that would hate her enough to do this.

Detective Murphy: Was she really an angel, Mr. Ledbetter? I mean, to you, she was, but is it possible she might have been doing things you would disapprove of?

Kevin Ledbetter: No! She's perfect … was perfect. I can't believe she's gone. I had so much that I wanted to do with her. Things I never got to say. I can't believe you would say that about her. Clearly, you didn't know her. I bet you didn't know she liked to do things with me.

Detective Armstrong: What kind of things?

Kevin Ledbetter: She liked to help me do things that her mother considered "man" things. Like changing the oil in the car, and we were going to paint the garage together before I moved out. I'd even bought the paint. And now it will never happen.

Detective Murphy: So she wasn't necessarily a girly kind of girl?

Kevin Ledbetter: No, her mother liked to think of her that way, but she wasn't. Oh, don't get me wrong. She could dress up and be the most polite young lady you ever met, but she was truly happiest wearing blue jeans and an old shirt.

Detective Armstrong: You said you were going to paint the garage with her, and you'd bought the paint.

Kevin Ledbetter: Yes, we were going to do that before the divorce, but things just got so bad between her mother and me that I moved out before we did it.

Detective Armstrong: That would've been, what? Two, three years ago?

Kevin Ledbetter: About three.

Detective Armstrong: I remember when I painted my garage. I made the mistake of just trying to use newspaper to cover the floor, made a big mess.

Kevin Ledbetter: I bought a tarp to cover the entire floor. I knew if I got one drop of paint on that floor, Brenda would have killed me.

Detective Murphy: What kind of tarp was it?

Kevin Ledbetter: One of those clear plastic kinds you can buy in a big roll.

Detective Murphy: When you moved out, did you leave it there or take it with you?

Kevin Ledbetter: I left it there. I have no need for it now. I think part of me was hoping that someday I might be able to go back and paint the garage with Jasmine, but that will never happen now. I'm sorry, detectives. I don't know how much more of this I can take right now. Can we do this another time?

Detective Murphy: That would be fine. We understand this is difficult for you, sir. We'll contact you if we need anything else.

Kevin Ledbetter: Thank you.

Detective Armstrong: Thank you, Mr. Ledbetter. We'll be in touch.

Interview ended – 9:50 a.m.