Jackie Woodruff interview

Tuesday, July 13, 2021 – 9:40 a.m.

Jackie Woodruff is a former client of Robert Pruitt.

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

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• Jackie Woodruff

Detective Murphy: For the record, would you please state your name and address?

Jackie Woodruff: My name is Jacqueline Woodruff. Jackie, to pretty much everyone but cops.

Detective Murphy: Your address?

Jackie Woodruff: 356 County Road 102.

Detective Armstrong: Do you have any idea why we asked to speak with you today?

Jackie Woodruff: I imagine it has to do with Robert Pruitt. I heard someone had finally put him in his place.

Detective Armstrong: You seem less than grieving.

Jackie Woodruff: Pruitt was a bum. He rolled out some cockamamie defense strategy that went over like a lead balloon. I do time, and then he has the nerve to send me a bill for services rendered.

Detective Murphy: Were you angry with him?

Jackie Woodruff: Of course. I would have taken him to court, but then I'd have another bloodsucker on my back.

Detective Armstrong: Where were you on the night Robert Pruitt was killed?

Jackie Woodruff: I was out trying to find a job.

Detective Murphy: On a Friday evening? Not a lot of personnel offices open then.

Jackie Woodruff: No, but there are plenty of bars in town, and I went to see if any of them could use some help.

Detective Armstrong: Any luck?

Jackie Woodruff: I got a couple of hours at Oxford Billiards, but when you got a record, you can't get anything permanent.

Detective Armstrong: Did you happen to apply for work at the Pruitt residence?

Jackie Woodruff: I was nowhere near that place.

Detective Murphy: So you know where he lives?

Jackie Woodruff: Sure, I went by his house one time for a defense meeting. I shouldn't have bothered.

Detective Armstrong: Why do you say that

Jackie Woodruff: His defense was less than adequate. I'm innocent, you know?

Detective Murphy: Tell us about the necklace.

Jackie Woodruff: You must know the story already.

Detective Murphy: Humor us.

Jackie Woodruff: It was Valentine's Day. This guy in his mid-fifties is nursing an appetizer, waiting for his date. Finally, he decides she isn't coming and asks for his check. He pays in cash and tells me he's leaving the necklace for me as a tip. What am I going to do? Refuse it?

Detective Armstrong: Why give you the necklace?

Jackie Woodruff: Ask him. All I did was take his order, bring his food, and refill his soda.

Detective Murphy: Why didn't you develop a composite sketch of him? Apparently, you refused to cooperate.

Jackie Woodruff: That was Pruitt's idea. He said he didn't want to depend on a criminal for my defense. Ha. The burglar probably could have done a better job than Pruitt did.

Detective Armstrong: Why not pay the legal bill?

Jackie Woodruff: I lost a year of my life, a year of my children's lives. They're going to grow up knowing that their mother served time in prison.

Detective Armstrong: What was your husband doing the night Robert Pruitt was killed?

Jackie Woodruff: He was watching our children. I hope you're not suggesting that Henry was involved with what happened.

Detective Armstrong: Someone was, and it sounds like you and your husband had issues with the victim.

Jackie Woodruff: Victim? Pruitt wasn't a victim. He was a leech who deserved what he got.

Detective Murphy: You were in the drama club at school.

Jackie Woodruff: I thought I was going to be a professional actor.

Detective Murphy: Why should we believe you aren't acting now?

Jackie Woodruff: If I seemed distressed by what happened, that would be acting. I probably shouldn't say so, but I'm glad Pruitt was killed.

Detective Armstrong: Do you believe in using violence to solve problems?

Jackie Woodruff: I never did before. Now I think it depends.

Detective Armstrong: On what?

Jackie Woodruff: It depends on your available options. Look, I had nothing to do with Pruitt's murder. I'm not going to lie and say I never thought about killing him. I thought of that often in jail, but I wasn't involved.

Detective Murphy: You go up for murder, and your children will have children of their own by the time you see them again.

Jackie Woodruff: I went down once for a crime I didn't commit. It's not gonna happen again.

Detective Armstrong: Take a look at this photo of the other dead man. You recognize him?

Jackie Woodruff: No.

Detective Murphy: Would you tell us if you did?

Jackie Woodruff: I waited on tables for so long that I must have seen every face in this town and then some. After a while, the only faces I remember are my kids.

Detective Armstrong: What about your husband?

Jackie Woodruff: Henry's an angel. He stood behind me the entire time. I don't even want to think about how hard this has been for him.

Detective Murphy: We'll want a list of the places you went and what time you got there Friday night.

Jackie Woodruff: Gimme a pen … There.

Detective Murphy: That's all for now. We may have more questions later.

Jackie Woodruff: Sure. Whatever. I hope you do find whoever snuffed Pruitt.

Detective Murphy: Why's that?

Jackie Woodruff: So I can buy him a drink.

Interview ended – 10:09 a.m.