Eric Brandon interview

Tuesday, October 25, 2022 – 2:50 p.m.

Eric Brandon is Kelsey Newman's ex-boyfriend. Newman previously said she was dating Brandon at the time she was hired to look after Kimberly Pace's dog, Emerson, who died while in Newman's care.

Detectives Armstrong and Murphy interviewed Brandon at the University of Mississippi library.

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• Eric Brandon

Detective Murphy: Thanks for talking to us today. This shouldn't take long. We just have one or two questions for you. Could you please state your name and address?

Eric Brandon: Eric Brandon. I live at 1536 Jefferson.

Detective Murphy: Are you acquainted with a woman by the name of Kelsey Newman?

Eric Brandon: Yes.

Detective Murphy: How would you characterize your relationship with her?

Eric Brandon: Yeah, we went out for a few months last year sometime.

Detective Murphy: Do you remember a time in October of 2021 when Ms. Newman was hired to watch a dog owned by Kimberly Pace?

Eric Brandon: Sure, I remember. That was the weekend we broke up.

Detective Armstrong: Do you know anything about the death of that animal?

Eric Brandon: No. Kelsey told me later it died, even tried to blame it on me. But I don't know what happened to it.

Detective Armstrong: She said you were supposed to check on the dog.

Eric Brandon: Well, she mentioned it to me, but I never said I would. I said I would try to get by there, but I never said definitely.

Detective Armstrong: But you didn't?

Eric Brandon: Nah, it was a busy weekend. We had a football game going on, and there was a party. And Kelsey and I weren't really getting along all that well anyway. I just didn't get around to it. Besides, it wasn't my job anyway.

Detective Murphy: When Ms. Newman asked you to go by and check on the dog, did she give you a key to get in the house?

Eric Brandon: I think so. If I would've needed a key to get in, I guess she must have.

Detective Murphy: You don't remember?

Eric Brandon: Not really.

Detective Armstrong: If she did give you a key, what happened to it?

Eric Brandon: I must have given it back to her. Yeah … now that I think about it, I did give it back to her.

Detective Armstrong: You remember now?

Eric Brandon: Yeah. We were arguing, and I— well, I kind of threw it at her.

Detective Armstrong: You threw the key at Kelsey?

Eric Brandon: Well, yeah. Not hard or anything, and it didn't hit her. But I was pissed at her for yelling at me. I wasn't the one who said I'd take care of the dog. That was on her, not me. Anyway, yeah, I gave her the key back.

Detective Murphy: Threw the key back.

Eric Brandon: Whatever.

Detective Armstrong: And you don't know anything about how the dog died?

Eric Brandon: No. I mean, I don't want to sound cold. That's too bad about the dog. But at the same time, I never asked to take care of it, and I wasn't getting paid for it, so I wasn't going to kill myself to get over there.

Detective Murphy: Do you know why Ms. Newman didn't check on the dog herself?

Eric Brandon: She said she was sick.

Detective Murphy: Was she?

Eric Brandon: Yeah, I guess.

Detective Murphy: Did you know Kimberly Pace, the woman who owned the dog?

Eric Brandon: She's that professor who got killed.

Detective Murphy: Yes, but did you know her when she was alive?

Eric Brandon: No.

Detective Murphy: You never took one of her classes?

Eric Brandon: No.

Detective Armstrong: And you never went to her house or inside her house while you had the key?

Eric Brandon: No.

Detective Armstrong: What about any other time? Did you ever go to Kimberly Pace's house for any reason?

Eric Brandon: No.

Detective Murphy: Okay, thanks for your time. We'll be in touch if we have any more questions for you.

Interview ended – 3:07 p.m.