Tim Howorth interview #2

Monday, July 24, 2023 – 12:30 p.m.

Tim Howorth was Katy Brown's boyfriend.

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

Participants:

• Detective Ted Armstrong
• Detective Samantha Murphy
• Tim Howorth

Detective Armstrong: Thanks for coming back in, Tim.

Tim Howorth: Anything I can do to help, detectives.

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

Tim Howorth: My name's Tim Howorth. I live at 221 Cooke Street.

Detective Armstrong: Okay. Just so we're clear, Tim, you're here voluntarily, and you can leave anytime you want to. Do you understand?

Tim Howorth: Yeah.

Detective Murphy: Do you recognize this, Tim?

Tim Howorth: Yeah, it looks like her diary.

Detective Armstrong: Whose diary?

Tim Howorth: Katy's.

Detective Murphy: Did you ever read it?

Tim Howorth: No, ma'am, she wouldn't let me. She said it was private.

Detective Armstrong: Katy wrote that she was afraid of you. Any particular reason she would be?

Tim Howorth: Are you saying I killed her?

Detective Murphy: The reason we're here today is so we can get to the bottom of what this means. No one is accusing you of anything.

Tim Howorth: Yeah, right.

Detective Armstrong: Tell us about the night of June 24th.

Tim Howorth: That was Steve's 18th birthday party.

Detective Armstrong: Were you drinking at that party?

Tim Howorth: I had a couple of beers. So what?

Detective Murphy: Does Steve have a last name?

Tim Howorth: I don't want to get him in trouble.

Detective Murphy: You need someone who can corroborate your story, so we'll know whether you're telling us the truth or not.

Tim Howorth: Fine. Steve Robins.

Detective Armstrong: What did you do after the party?

Tim Howorth: Katy texted me and said she was bored after hanging out with her doofus brother all day. She asked me if I wanted to come over and watch a movie, so I said sure.

Detective Armstrong: Katy's parents had no problem with you being over there so late at night?

Tim Howorth: Well, like I said, I was kinda drunk, so I snuck in through the back window. They never knew I was there.

Detective Armstrong: Then what happened?

Tim Howorth: We were trying to pick out a movie, and she's all like, "Let's watch Mamma Mia," and I'm like, "No, let's watch something good." She got mad, and we argued, and at one point, I grabbed the remote and threw it against the wall. Then I left.

Detective Murphy: Did you touch her or threaten her?

Tim Howorth: No, nothing like that. I was drunk. I didn't want to watch that dumb movie, so I threw the remote. I was just being stupid.

Detective Murphy: Was that the only time you did something that scared her?

Tim Howorth: I guess.

Detective Murphy: She wrote that when you drink, you turn into an angry guy she didn't know and didn't like.

Tim Howorth: She said that?

Detective Murphy: See right here?

Tim Howorth: Wow. I mean, I knew she got all goody-goody about the drinking, but she never said anything about … that.

Detective Murphy: Has anyone else ever mentioned that you get angry when you drink?

Tim Howorth: I don't know. Maybe.

Detective Murphy: You should give that some serious thought. Maybe it's not a good idea for you to be drinking. And that's aside from the fact that you're underage, and it's illegal.

Tim Howorth: Yeah, okay.

Detective Murphy: This isn't a joke, Tim. You need to take this seriously. Your whole future could depend on it.

Tim Howorth: Okay, okay!

Detective Armstrong: A couple weeks after that incident with the movie, Katy wrote that you had been acting strangely.

Tim Howorth: So?

Detective Armstrong: She thought maybe you wanted to break up with her.

Tim Howorth: She did?

Detective Armstrong: Were you looking to get out of your relationship with Katy?

Tim Howorth: Yeah, I guess. I just didn't know she knew that.

Detective Armstrong: Why did you want to end the relationship?

Tim Howorth: She was nice and all, but her family is weird. Her brother's a creepy little doofus, always following us around and stuff. It's like he got mad whenever someone else was around her.

Detective Armstrong: You must be pretty relieved. Breaking up is difficult and painful. Now that she's dead, you won't have to go through all—

Tim Howorth: I didn't kill her to break up with her!

Detective Armstrong: Then why did you kill her?

Tim Howorth: What? No, that came out wrong. I didn't kill her at all!

Detective Armstrong: We'd like to believe that, Tim. What does your new girlfriend have to say about it?

Tim Howorth: New girlfriend?

Detective Armstrong: We heard you were seeing someone new.

Tim Howorth: Not that again. Paula and I are just friends. I don't know why people don't get that.

Detective Armstrong: Did you kill Katy so you could be with Paula?

Tim Howorth: You've lost it. I already told you I didn't kill her! You think I'd kill someone just so I wouldn't have to break up with her? That's insane. You said earlier I could go whenever I want, so I want to leave now.

Detective Murphy: That's fine, Tim, but can I ask you one more thing before you go? It doesn't have anything to do with Katy.

Tim Howorth: What do you want?

Detective Murphy: Do you wear contacts?

Tim Howorth: What?

Detective Murphy: Do you wear contact lenses?

Tim Howorth: Since I was twelve.

Detective Murphy: It would help us out a lot if you could get us a copy of your vision prescription.

Tim Howorth: My prescription?

Detective Murphy: We could get a court order for it, but if you provided it voluntarily, that would help us out a lot.

Tim Howorth: I'll have to find it, but I can email it to you later, I guess.

Detective Murphy: Thank you. We really appreciate it.

Detective Armstrong: Hey Tim, just one last thing.

Tim Howorth: What?

Detective Armstrong: How were you going to do it?

Tim Howorth: Do what?

Detective Armstrong: Break up with Katy.

Tim Howorth: I guess we'll never know.

Interview ended – 1:03 p.m.