Wanda Martin interview #2

Monday, July 24, 2023 – 11:00 a.m.

Wanda Martin is a junior at Yoknapatawpha High School and used to play on the volleyball team.

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

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• Wanda Martin

Detective Armstrong: Good morning, Miss Martin. We appreciate you coming to talk to us again. Please state your name and address for the record.

Wanda Martin: Like I told you before, I don't know anything about Katy's death. I had plans today, and now they're ruined.

Detective Armstrong: Sorry for your inconvenience. Would you please state your name and address?

Wanda Martin: Like I told you before, I live at 111 Woodward Place in Oxford, Mississippi. How long is this going to take?

Detective Murphy: If you sit down and cooperate, it shouldn't take long.

Wanda Martin: Fine, I'll sit down and be quiet. What do you want to ask me?

Detective Armstrong: Do you have access to the athletic equipment storage area at the high school?

Wanda Martin: Sure, but so do a lot of other people. It's near the showers. But I haven't had any reason to go in there since they disbanded our team.

Detective Armstrong: Could you have taken something out of there without anyone noticing?

Wanda Martin: Yeah, I guess, but why would I want to? What's this about, detective?

Detective Armstrong: Miss Martin, you disliked Katy very much, didn't you? Did you hate her enough to kill her?

Wanda Martin: Oh my God, of course, I didn't kill her. You think I killed Katy? I didn't! I didn't do it!

Detective Murphy: Calm down, Wanda, and get yourself under control. Would you like some water?

Wanda Martin: Thank you.

Detective Murphy: Are you able to continue now?

Wanda Martin: Yes, thank you. Look, I didn't hate Katy. We were friends at one time, and I'm sorry she died.

Detective Murphy: Did Katy ever talk to you about trying to get the volleyball team reinstated?

Wanda Martin: No. Why would she care about that?

Detective Murphy: I don't know. Maybe because she thought it wasn't fair that the school got rid of it.

Wanda Martin: Yeah, right. Like she cared.

Detective Murphy: She went to Mr. Roberts and pressured him to bring the volleyball team back.

Wanda Martin: She did not.

Detective Murphy: She did. Mr. Roberts told us.

Wanda Martin: I can't believe that. Why didn't she tell me?

Detective Murphy: Maybe she didn't want to get your hopes up in case it didn't work out.

Wanda Martin: Look, Katy and I weren't friends anymore, but I never wanted anything bad to happen to her. I'm not so sure about some other people.

Detective Armstrong: Like who? Do you know someone who wanted to harm Katy?

Wanda Martin: I just don't know. Paula Kruse has gotten even weirder since Katy died, and I didn't think that was even possible.

Detective Armstrong: Do you know why? Have you asked her?

Wanda Martin: No, she doesn't really talk to people except Tim Howorth. Him, she can't get enough of.

Detective Armstrong: So you think Paula had something to do with Katy's death?

Wanda Martin: I don't know. Did you talk to the cheerleaders? They all act like best friends, but they actually hate each other. And everybody knows how much Sherry and Jennifer hated Katy.

Detective Armstrong: Sherry's not a cheerleader anymore.

Wanda Martin: She may not be on the team anymore, but she's still a cheerleader at heart. You know what I mean?

Detective Armstrong: So you think someone from school killed Katy? Another teenager?

Wanda Martin: To think that someone I've known all my life could have done that to her is … I don't even know. I can't wrap my head around it. I can't imagine how Cody and her parents are able to cope with this.

Detective Murphy: Okay, thank you for talking to us again, Wanda. We'll be in touch if we need anything else.

Wanda Martin: I wish there was something I could do to help.

Interview ended – 11:18 a.m.