Delilah Garrett interview #3

Friday, March 9, 2023 – 8:20 p.m.

Delilah Garrett was Ambrose Garrett's wife.

Detectives Armstrong and Murphy spoke to her in her supervisor's office at Baptist Memorial Hospital.

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• Delilah Garrett

Detective Armstrong: Hello, Mrs. Garrett. How are you doing?

Delilah Garrett: I'm holding it together the best I can, detective. Working helps.

Detective Murphy: Thank you for seeing us here. We have some things we hope you can help us clear up.

Delilah Garrett: Of course, Detective Murphy. I'm glad to do anything to help.

Detective Armstrong: First, we need you to state your name and address for the record, please.

Delilah Garrett: Delilah Garrett, 121 Cedar Hill Drive.

Detective Armstrong: Thanks. Now, on that Sunday, March 5th, do you remember what time you went to work?

Delilah Garrett: I always work 3:00 to 11:00 p.m. on Sundays, so I probably left home around 2:30 p.m. or a little before.

Detective Armstrong: And was your husband at home when you left?

Delilah Garrett: Yes.

Detective Murphy: And how was he then?

Delilah Garrett: He was fine.

Detective Murphy: He wasn't upset or not feeling well or anything like that?

Delilah Garrett: No, he was fine.

Detective Murphy: Do you know if he had plans to go anywhere or get together with anyone between the time you left and the meeting late that afternoon?

Delilah Garrett: I don't think so. He would've told me.

Detective Murphy: Is there any chance he might have gone somewhere and didn't tell you? A last-minute kind of thing, maybe?

Delilah Garrett: I guess he could have, but he liked to spend that time getting ready for the meeting, so I doubt it.

Detective Armstrong: The first night we met, you told us that Ambrose was fine when he left. Do you remember that?

Delilah Garrett: No, I don't remember much of that night except when you told me Ambrose was— but he was fine, so I probably did say that.

Detective Armstrong: If you were already at work by the time he left, how do you know how he was when he left?

Delilah Garrett: Ambrose always called me before he left for the meeting. That day, we didn't get to talk very long because there was a delivery, but he was fine. He was looking forward to the meeting.

Detective Armstrong: About what time was that?

Delilah Garrett: I'm not sure, sometime between 4:00 and 4:30 p.m.

Detective Murphy: Mrs. Garrett, was your husband depressed or worried about anything in particular around the time of his death?

Delilah Garrett: No, Ambrose was never depressed. He was a pretty energetic person. He confronted problems head-on. He didn't sit around and brood about them. I think he liked confrontation, like at the HOA meetings.

Detective Murphy: Do you think there's any possibility he was upset about something that you weren't aware of?

Delilah Garrett: No, I don't think so. He was pretty upfront with me about any problems he encountered at work, so I think he would've told me if he was upset about anything.

Detective Armstrong: Would he have withheld information from you about his health?

Delilah Garrett: No. I talked with his doctor, Dr. Carroll, and he assured me Ambrose was in good health for his age except for being overweight. I even asked if the drinking could have had something to do with Ambrose's sudden death. He said no.

Detective Murphy: When we talked before, you mentioned that your husband had started carrying a flask.

Delilah Garrett: Yes, that's true. I tried to talk him out of it, but once Ambrose made up his mind, there was no changing it.

Detective Murphy: Can you tell us what he usually had in the flask?

Delilah Garrett: We didn't really talk about it. At first, it was vodka—because of the smell.

Detective Murphy: He didn't want people to know he was drinking?

Delilah Garrett: Kind of. He always said he didn't care what anyone thought, but he didn't like it when anyone said anything about it.

Detective Armstrong: You said it was vodka at first. Was it something else lately?

Delilah Garrett: I don't know. He knew I didn't like him drinking so much, so we didn't talk about it very often.

Detective Murphy: But you think he might have switched to something else?

Delilah Garrett: I don't know. I thought I heard him saying something about moonshine once. He was talking to someone on the phone, and I was getting ready for work, so I wasn't really paying any attention to him. But that's what I thought he said. But that can't be right, can it? People don't drink moonshine anymore, do they?

Detective Armstrong: Some people do. You said Ambrose was on the phone. Do you know who he was talking to?

Delilah Garrett: I don't have any idea.

Detective Murphy: When was that?

Delilah Garrett: I'm not sure. Maybe a week before he….

Detective Armstrong: Do you know if he ever got any moonshine?

Delilah Garrett: I don't think so. Where would he get it?

Detective Armstrong: If he did get some, do you think he would've hidden it from you?

Delilah Garrett: I'd like to think he wouldn't have, but if I'm being honest with myself… he knew I thought he was drinking too much, so he might have. But if he did, he just hid it to protect me. He never would've done anything to hurt me.

Detective Murphy: About the flask, do you happen to know when he refilled it last?

Delilah Garrett: I'm sorry. I don't. Before the meeting, maybe?

Detective Murphy: It was empty when we found it. Was it normal for him to drink that much within a few hours?

Delilah Garrett: Oh, my. That's— I don't know. I just don't know.

Detective Armstrong: Mrs. Garrett, do you think there's any possibility Ambrose took his own life?

Delilah Garrett: Oh no, detective. I can't imagine Ambrose— well, you know. He was much too stubborn to give in to anything. And besides, I don't know of anything in his life that would give him cause to do something like that. You think he killed himself? No, I can't accept that. He would never.

Detective Armstrong: Well, if he didn't kill himself, then someone else did. It would have to be someone who had an opportunity to get close to him. Did you—

Delilah Garrett: Me? Are you saying you think I killed Ambrose?

Detective Armstrong: Should we be saying that?

Delilah Garrett: No, of course not! Ambrose and I loved each other.

Detective Murphy: Okay, but whoever killed him was someone with access—

Delilah Garrett: Access to what? I don't even know what killed him.

Detective Murphy: I'm sorry, but we can't share that information with you at this stage of the investigation.

Delilah Garrett: Well, what are you asking me then? Did I have access to him? Of course, I did. But I would never have hurt my husband. I loved him.

Detective Armstrong: Mrs. Garrett, tell us about your relationship with Patrick Tyler.

Delilah Garrett: Patrick? What does Patrick have to do with this?

Detective Murphy: We don't know. That's why we're asking you: What is your relationship with Patrick Tyler?

Delilah Garrett: Patrick is an old friend.

Detective Armstrong: Was he Mr. Garrett's friend also?

Delilah Garrett: Ambrose knew him, but Patrick and I have been friends for a long time.

Detective Murphy: Do you think Mr. Tyler considered you to be more than a friend and wanted Mr. Garrett out of the way, so to speak?

Delilah Garrett: No, detective, I do not think that. I think you're grasping at straws. I think you should be looking at the people who really had it in for my husband, like that Bower woman. Or Warren. He's a sneaky one, calling the police on Ambrose for no good reason. Ambrose told me all about it.

Detective Armstrong: Did you leave the hospital any time during your shifts the night of your husband's death?

Delilah Garrett: I hardly had time to grab a bite to eat. I certainly didn't have time to leave the hospital.

Detective Murphy: That's a long time to go without eating.

Delilah Garrett: Not really. I usually have a good meal before I go to work, and it holds me over if I don't have time to grab something during my shift. Most of the time, we can step away for a few moments to get something from the vending machines or go down to the cafeteria on a meal break. Uh-oh. I'm being paged. I'm going to have to leave.

Detective Armstrong: What would you say if it was proved that you killed your husband?

Delilah Garrett: I think you would have made a huge mistake, and you should find the real killer instead of falsely accusing me. I'm sorry. I really must get back now. You know where to find me when you have information about who killed my husband. I'd appreciate it if you'd keep me up to date on how it's going. Goodbye.

Interview ended – 8:39 p.m.