Steve Marshall interview #2

Wednesday, August 31, 2022 – 3:00 p.m.

Steve Marshall organized the Marshall family reunion and also knew Oscar Knight when they were in school.

Detectives Murphy and Parker re-interviewed Mr. Marshall at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

Participants:

• Detective S. Murphy
• Detective E. Parker
• Steve Marshall

Detective Murphy: Please state your name and current address again for the record so we can begin.

Steve Marshall: Certainly. My name is Steven Lloyd Marshall, and I live at 652 Edison Street.

Detective Murphy: We need to ask you some more questions, Mr. Marshall.

Steve Marshall: Well, here I am. Ask away.

Detective Murphy: You seem to be the person that goes the farthest back with Oscar Knight. Can you tell us more about him?

Steve Marshall: I could sit here and tell stories all day about him, but it wouldn't help you.

Detective Parker: Let us be the judge of that. Do you know if he has any enemies?

Steve Marshall: I honestly believe that everyone he knew hated him. His own father and sister can't stand him. Don't you people get it? No one liked him. No one.

Detective Murphy: How do you know how his family feels about him?

Steve Marshall: We have mutual friends, and since you people keep putting Oscar's name in the news, everyone is talking about him. We haven't had to so much as think of him in 40 years, and now we can't get away from him. It's like high school all over again.

Detective Murphy: Surely, in all your school years, he had some friends?

Steve Marshall: Never for long. My little cousin followed him around for a while. He felt sorry for Oscar because he had no friends, so he tried to be his friend. Oscar just ignored him mostly, but Jerry was persistent, and he would just show up wherever Oscar was.

Detective Murphy: So?

Steve Marshall: So, I guess Oscar got sick of him, or maybe he was just bored because one day, he tied Jerry to a tree and left him there. We didn't find him until the next morning.

Detective Parker: How little was this cousin?

Steve Marshall: I think I was about 15, so Jerry would've been about 10? But he got Oscar back.

Detective Parker: How?

Steve Marshall: About two weeks after the tree incident, Jerry bought a package of Chiclets gum and replaced the gum pieces with a laxative gum called Feen-a-mint. He was walking to school a few steps ahead of Oscar, and he dropped the pack of gum and pretended not to notice. He knew Oscar would claim it as his own. Rumor has it that Oscar ate every piece in his first class of the day.

Detective Parker: What happened?

Steve Marshall: Oscar didn't come to school for a couple of days. Nothing ever came of it, but Jerry was pleased with himself.

Detective Murphy: You said Jerry was your cousin. Is he a Marshall too?

Steve Marshall: No, he's a Tucker. His mother, Valerie, is a Marshall.

Detective Parker: Was he at the reunion?

Steve Marshall: Of course.

Detective Parker: Did he talk to Oscar at the reunion?

Steve Marshall: I don't know, but I don't see why he would.

Detective Parker: Remind me. Who was it that invited Oscar to the reunion?

Steve Marshall: I don't know, probably no one. Knowing Oscar, he just decided to come.

Detective Parker: Why would he do that?

Steve Marshall: Why does Oscar do anything? Because he saw an opportunity to stir up trouble?

Detective Parker: Why now, after all this time?

Steve Marshall: I don't know. I don't care. What does it matter now?

Detective Murphy: Did you hear anything about Oscar having plans to meet someone that night of the reunion?

Steve Marshall: No.

Detective Murphy: Any guesses who he might've been planning to meet?

Steve Marshall: No idea.

Detective Murphy: Does Jerry live in Oxford?

Steve Marshall: Yeah.

Detective Murphy: Can you give us his contact information?

Steve Marshall: Why? You think he was planning to meet Oscar? I can tell you right now he wasn't. Or is this because of the tree incident? I can't believe you people. This is absurd.

Detective Murphy: We can get it another way if you're not willing to tell us.

Steve Marshall: No, I'll tell you. I just don't know why you want to bother him about Oscar. That's all.

Detective Murphy: Just write down his address and phone numbers right here. Are there any more stories you can tell us about Oscar or the people who know him?

Steve Marshall: No way. I'm done. Can I go now?

Detective Murphy: One more question. Have you seen Oscar since the last time we talked?

Steve Marshall: No. Is that all?

Detective Parker: Thanks for coming in, Steve. We'll be in touch.

Interview ended – 3:26 p.m.