Adam Tang interview

Tuesday, January 12, 2021 – 11:48 a.m.

Corrie Townsend identified Adam Tang from a photo array as the boy who showed particular interest in Katie when they all played Frisbee together on the afternoon of Katie's death.

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

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• Adam Tang

Detective Murphy: Thank you for coming in to talk to us. I'm Detective Murphy. This is Detective Armstrong. Would you state your name and address for the record?

Adam Tang: What do you want?

Detective Murphy: Right now, I want your name and address.

Adam Tang: Adam Tang. 314 Bramlett Boulevard.

Detective Murphy: How old are you, Adam?

Adam Tang: Twenty-two.

Detective Murphy: You're a little old for high school girls, aren't you?

Adam Tang: I don't know what you're talking about.

Detective Murphy: Do you know this girl?

Adam Tang: Isn't that the dead girl from the news?

Detective Murphy: Do you know her?

Adam Tang: No.

Detective Murphy: Never met her?

Adam Tang: No.

Detective Murphy: So if multiple people are telling us that you were hitting on her at the skate park a few days ago, what? They're all wrong?

Adam Tang: Hitting on her? How old are you?

Detective Armstrong: Knock it off. How well did you know Katie?

Adam Tang: Who's Katie?

Detective Armstrong: Are you really this stupid, or are you just acting stupid, which is a different kind of stupid?

Adam Tang: Hey, man. You don't have to get personal.

Detective Armstrong: Glad to hear it. Now, how well did you know Katie?

Adam Tang: I just talked to her that one day at the skate park. That's it!

Detective Armstrong: You liked her?

Adam Tang: She was all right.

Detective Armstrong: You asked her to party with you, didn't you?

Adam Tang: So what?

Detective Armstrong: She laughed at you, didn't she?

Adam Tang: No! No way some skanky piece is going to laugh at me.

Detective Armstrong: That's not what we heard.

Adam Tang: Well, you heard wrong.

Detective Murphy: It made you mad when she laughed at you, right?

Adam Tang: You don't know what you're talking about.

Detective Murphy: Did you follow her when she left the skate park?

Adam Tang: Why would I do that?

Detective Murphy: So you could teach her some manners?

Adam Tang: Hey, it was her loss. I don't need to go chasing after some dumb b**** just because she didn't know a good thing when she saw one. Another one will be around in a minute.

Detective Murphy: So you weren't angry that she laughed at you in front of all your friends?

Adam Tang: That didn't happen.

Detective Murphy: We all know that it did.

Adam Tang: Whatever, b****.

Detective Murphy: If it's upsetting you this much just talking about it, how angry did it make you when all your friends were watching?

Adam Tang: That didn't—

Detective Murphy: Did it make you want to hurt her?

Adam Tang: No.

Detective Murphy: Get back at her for making a fool out of you?

Adam Tang: Nobody makes a fool out of me!

Detective Murphy: And if they do?

Adam Tang: No one does, so it doesn't matter.

Detective Armstrong: Have you ever been to the Kangaroo Express on University?

Adam Tang: Yeah.

Detective Armstrong: When was the last time you were there?

Adam Tang: I don't know.

Detective Armstrong: Think.

Adam Tang: I don't know, man.

Detective Armstrong: Yesterday? A week ago? A month? A year?

Adam Tang: Maybe last week sometime.

Detective Armstrong: When last week?

Adam Tang: I don't know.

Detective Armstrong: You're going to want to try to remember.

Adam Tang: But I don't remember.

Detective Armstrong: Tell us everything you did on Sunday.

Adam Tang: I woke up, ate some breakfast, went over to the skate park, hung out, went to get a pizza, went to my friend's house.

Detective Armstrong: You didn't go home?

Adam Tang: No, crashed on the couch. Too many beers. And I wouldn't want to drive while under the influence, officer.

Detective Armstrong: What time did you get to the skate park?

Adam Tang: About noon? Maybe a little later.

Detective Armstrong: And what time did you go for pizza?

Adam Tang: Around 6:00 p.m., give or take.

Detective Armstrong: Where did you go?

Adam Tang: Square Pizza.

Detective Armstrong: By yourself?

Adam Tang: No, me and my friends all went.

Detective Armstrong: Write down your friends' names and numbers.

Adam Tang: Why?

Detective Armstrong: Because we need to check out your story.

Adam Tang: Why?

Detective Armstrong: To find out if you had an opportunity to kill Katie.

Adam Tang: I never touched that girl!

Detective Armstrong: So prove it. Give us your friends' names and numbers.

Adam Tang: Fine. I'm writing.

Interview ended – 12:14 p.m.