Rachel Moody interview

Friday, July 22, 2022 – 9:04 p.m.

Rachel Moody is the personal chef for the Byrns family and is the person who called 911.

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

Participants:

• Detective S. Murphy
• Detective T. Armstrong
• Rachel Moody

Detective Murphy: Please state your name and address for the record.

Rachel Moody: Oh. My name is Rachel Moody, and I live at 1714 Johnson Avenue, Oxford.

Detective Murphy: Why don't you tell us what happened today?

Rachel Moody: Oh, my. Well, it was just a typical day up to this afternoon, and then everything changed. Alyx is dead. Dead! God knows I didn't like her, but now that she's dead, I feel bad about some of the things I thought about her.

Detective Murphy: So, you hated her?

Rachel Moody: Me? No!

Detective Murphy: Did you kill her?

Rachel Moody: No. No! I would never kill anyone. I just feel a bit guilty because I wished her dead a few times.

Detective Murphy: Why?

Rachel Moody: She was terrible. God forgive me for talking ill of the dead, but it's the truth.

Detective Armstrong: Terrible, how?

Rachel Moody: Alyx treated me like dirt—like I was so far beneath her. When she came into the kitchen to demand something of me, she would actually wash her hands before leaving even though she never touched anything. She was a real drama queen, she was.

Detective Armstrong: What do you know about what happened to her?

Rachel Moody: Nothing. Honestly! I was preparing the evening meal when David came in and told me that Alyx was trying to fool us by playing dead—again!

Detective Armstrong: David?

Rachel Moody: David Gregory. He cleans the pool. He isn't crazy about Alyx either. I asked him what she was doing this time, and he said she was in the pool, in the raft, holding a knife in her hand, and acting like she was dead.

Detective Murphy: What did you do when he told you Alyx was fooling around again?

Rachel Moody: I'm sorry, but I called 911 because I thought she needed a scare. I know I could be in trouble for that. But it's a good thing I called, seeing as how she really is dead.

Detective Murphy: So, you disliked her because she liked to pull pranks?

Rachel Moody: Not just that. She kept trying to get me fired. Alyx was always criticizing the food I prepared. Last month she even went so far as to claim I gave her food poisoning.

Detective Armstrong: Did you?

Rachel Moody: No, Detective! Of course not.

Detective Armstrong: You never tried to poison her?

Rachel Moody: No! She was a real stinker, she was. But I never. I think she must have treated every chef that way because Mr. and Mrs. Byrns never once questioned me about the food.

Detective Armstrong: What did you do after you called 911?

Rachel Moody: I prepared a turkey sandwich for David while we waited for the police.

Detective Armstrong: Did you go out to the pool? Did you touch anything?

Rachel Moody: No, I didn't go out. I just knew she was faking it, and I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of— Oh! You don't think I helped her kill herself, do you?

Detective Armstrong: Did you?

Rachel Moody: Oh, that's horrible! Do you think she was still alive, and I could've saved her if I'd gone out there?

Detective Murphy: We're just gathering information.

Rachel Moody: How long had she been dead?

Detective Murphy: We won't know the answer to that until we get the coroner's report.

Detective Armstrong: Was anyone else at the house?

Rachel Moody: I really can't say. I went to the grocery store to get fresh vegetables for supper. I didn't see anyone when I got back. I did hear Alyx fooling around upstairs while I was putting the groceries away.

Detective Murphy: What time was that?

Rachel Moody: Well, let's see. I left to go shopping at two o'clock. I checked the time because I was in a rush to prepare the evening meal. I was gone a little over an hour, so it was probably about 3:15 or 3:20 p.m.

Detective Armstrong: Did Alyx have any problems that you know of that would make her take her own life?

Rachel Moody: Are you serious? She had everything! I find it hard to believe that she killed herself.

Detective Murphy: Thank you for your time, Ms. Moody. We may need to speak with you again, but that's all for now.

Rachel Moody: You're welcome. I'm going straight to bed. I'm exhausted. Goodbye, Detectives.

Interview ended – 9:51 p.m.