Archive: Scott Bryant interview

Friday, September 17, 2021 – 1:45 a.m.

Scott Bryant is the live-in boyfriend of Virginia Dole.

Detectives Armstrong and Ragland interviewed him at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

Participants

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective M. Ragland
• Scott Bryant

Detective Ragland: I'm Detective Ragland, and this is Detective Armstrong. Thank you for talking to us. We realize this is difficult, and we're sorry for your loss.

Scott Bryant: Thank you.

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

Scott Bryant: You have that information. I mean, we just came from there. Can't we skip some of this? I need to start calling people. Oh, God—like her parents. Do her parents know?

Detective Ragland: We have to follow protocol, so the sooner we get past this, the sooner we can get you out of here. Some of these questions may be hard to answer, but we need you to do your best.

Scott Bryant: Okay. Okay. My name is Scott Bryant, and I live at 59 Snow Mass Cove.

Detective Ragland: Great. Thank you. Where were you yesterday evening?

Scott Bryant: Wait, yesterday evening? I'm sorry, like a few hours ago?

Detective Ragland: Right. It's after midnight, so, yes, a few hours ago.

Scott Bryant: Right, sorry. I was at the theater for a rehearsal. For the first read-through of our new immersive zombie play, so the acting company was there and the director. Oh, and my assistant, and the playwright.

Detective Ragland: We'll need you to give first and last names, please.

Scott Bryant: Sure. Anna Kessler, she's the director. The playwright is Denis Goodman. Woody Herron is my assistant. The actors are Martin Vargas, Weston Naboa, Janet Weber, Kyler … uh … Bird…sail? No, Birdsall. Kyler Birdsall. And Nathan Daugherty was there too. He's both actor and tech crew, so he was there for me and for Anna.

Detective Armstrong: What is your role at the theater?

Scott Bryant: I'm the stage manager. Then Woody's my assistant, and Nathan works backstage crew but also sometimes does some acting.

Detective Armstrong: What time did you arrive at the theatre?

Scott Bryant: Woody and I both got there at 5:30 p.m. He swept the space while I set up a table and some chairs, put out some bottled water, just basically set up for the read-through.

Detective Armstrong: What time did you leave?

Scott Bryant: Just after 11:00 p.m.

Detective Ragland: Did you leave the theater at all during that time?

Scott Bryant: No. No way. The stage manager is first in and last out and runs the rehearsals.

Detective Ragland: Doesn't the director do that?

Scott Bryant: Yes, in the artistic sense. But the stage manager is responsible for basically making sure that everything happens and that it all happens on schedule. Bottom line, if it doesn't involve the actors' artistic expression, it's the stage manager's responsibility.

Detective Ragland: It's a big job, then?

Scott Bryant: Huge. All-encompassing. It doesn't leave time for much else.

Detective Armstrong: Did this affect your relationship with Virginia?

Scott Bryant: Ginny. She's Ginny. And yes, it affected our relationship—obviously, more than I realized. I … I feel like it's my fault.

Detective Armstrong: How so?

Scott Bryant: Because. She tried to tell me. We'd fight about it, and I just shrugged it off. I mean, she knew my job was demanding.

Detective Ragland: How often did you fight about it?

Scott Bryant: Lately, almost every night. Last week, she told me I had to choose. I said she should choose. I told her she should get a hobby. "Get a hobby, Virginia!" I said. She hated being called Virginia. After that, she wasn't angry anymore. Just … sad.

Detective Ragland: Had she ever mentioned suicide?

Scott Bryant: No! No, of course not. I would've done something if she had!

Detective Armstrong: There was a prescription pill bottle for painkillers by the bed. Was that her prescription?

Scott Bryant: No. Oh, God. No, Ginny doesn't take pharmaceuticals. She's more holistic. Those must've been mine.

Detective Ragland: When were you prescribed painkillers?

Scott Bryant: Last year. August. I wrenched my back at the theatre and was on bed rest for two weeks. The pills made me sick, so I took them for maybe three days, then only when the pain was really bad. After the first week, I quit taking them at all. Oh, my God, this is all my fault. All my fault.

Detective Armstrong: How many pills would you estimate were left in the bottle?

Scott Bryant: I took maybe ten pills. I think the prescription was for 30, so probably around 20 pills were left?

Detective Armstrong: Where did you keep the bottle?

Scott Bryant: In the medicine cabinet above the sink in our bathroom.

Detective Armstrong: And when was the last time you recall seeing the pill bottle there?

Scott Bryant: I… I don't know. I mean, I never noticed that it was gone, but I wasn't really looking for it. It was always there, so far as I remember.

Detective Ragland: Did Ginny know where you kept them?

Scott Bryant: Yes. Yes, of course. All the medicine was in there. In the medicine cabinet. Nothing really, because her supplements and whatever homeopathic remedies she had were in the kitchen in a cabinet above the coffee maker. We didn't really have anything wrong with us that required a prescription, so…

Detective Armstrong: Did anyone else know where you kept them?

Scott Bryant: No. Nobody really knew I had them at all. I tweaked my back while I was alone at the theatre just reorganizing the shop, and we were in between shows, so I took a couple of days off, and no one knew about it.

Detective Armstrong: Where did you last see Ginny?

Scott Bryant: At home. She was there when I left for the theatre.

Detective Armstrong: What time did you leave the house?

Scott Bryant: Around 4:50 p.m., maybe? Before 5:00 p.m. for sure.

Detective Ragland: Did the two of you talk before you left?

Scott Bryant: We did. It was fine. She was fine. No argument or pressure for me to get home. It was… nice, actually. I didn't feel guilty for the first time in a long time.

Detective Ragland: What did you talk about?

Scott Bryant: She… uh… reminded me to … get some nine-volt batteries for the smoke detectors. It's time to change them. I'd forgotten to buy some last week. So I said I'd remember, and she said, okay thanks, and I said no problem, and she hugged me and said, "Have fun. Love you," and I said, "Yeah, you too," and I gave her a little kiss and then left.

Detective Armstrong: Nothing unusual in her behavior?

Scott Bryant: No, nothing. It was all very… ordinary. Normal. Oh, my God, so … casual. I mean, don't forget batteries for the smoke detectors? I— I— can't even … believe … she's… gone.

Detective Ragland: I think we can stop here, for now, Mr. Bryant. We may need to speak with you again.

Scott Bryant: Okay. Of course. Okay, then. I… I'll just— can I make a few phone calls before I go? I need someplace to stay. And a ride. I need a ride to … somewhere.

Detective Ragland: Whatever you need. Take your time. And again, we're sorry for your loss.

Interview ended – 2:03 a.m.