Kincannon Hall canvass
Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department investigators conducted interviews with numerous students who reside in Kincannon Hall on the University of Mississippi campus, including Cody Matthews' roommate, to see what they knew about Cody Matthews and his relationship with Kimberly Pace.
The interviews summarized are some of the most typical or relevant to the investigation and are representative of all interviews conducted.
Name: Chris Davidson
Class / Hometown: Sophomore / Dothan, AL
Mr. Davidson said he did think Cody Matthews was capable of violence. He couldn't back his assessment up with any evidence, just that "it's a feeling. The guy was just obsessed with that professor. Couldn't stop talking about her."
Name: Donnie Gross
Class / Hometown: Sophomore / Rome, GA
Mr. Gross said Cody Matthews had been obviously upset before and after Kimberly Pace's murder. He said that Cody was angered by the letters to the DM insinuating that Pace sold grades.
He added that after her murder, Cody's anger turned to sadness.
Name: Rob Johnson
Class / Hometown: Junior / Nashville, TN
Mr. Johnson said he often spent time with Cody Matthews as he lives two doors down on the same floor. Johnson described Cody as obviously depressed after Kimberly Pace's murder. He said Cody didn't talk as much, rarely came out of his room, and just was generally very upset.
Johnson said he didn't think anything about Cody's behavior was unusual since he liked the victim so much. Johnson also noted that, although he thought Cody definitely had a crush on the victim, he hesitated to call it stalking.
Name: Trey Jordan
Class / Hometown: Junior / Jackson, MS
Mr. Jordan lives on the same floor as Cody Matthews. He claimed not to know Cody very well but still thought Cody was "a freak." When pushed for reasons why he felt that way, Jordan just said he couldn't put his finger on it but that Cody was "just weird."
He claimed not to pay attention to Cody any more than just passing him in the hallway, so he didn't know anything about Cody's moods since the murder.
Name: Jason Tang
Class / Hometown: Sophomore / Gautier, MS
Mr. Tang is Cody Matthews' roommate. Tang said he did think it was a little weird the interest that Cody took in Kimberly Pace. However, Tang was reluctant to say Cody's interest was dangerous.
Tang did confirm that on the night Dr. Pace was killed, he came home around midnight and ate a piece of pizza that Cody had left over. He also confirmed Cody's statement about renting the game Call of Duty: Black Ops because he played it himself the following day. He said Cody had told him he had gone to the Square to get the pizza and video game and then returned home. Tang said he believed Cody, although he had no factual knowledge of Cody's activities.
Tang said he is an extremely heavy sleeper, so it is possible Cody could have left the room after he went to bed, although he doubted that had happened. He said Cody had been depressed after Dr. Pace's death, lacked energy and enthusiasm, and often stayed in bed.
When pushed to describe Cody's personality and his attention to Dr. Pace, Tang said, "Look, I'll agree that Cody can be a little weird. He's a shy kid with a speech impediment. That would make anyone seem a little weird. But I can't imagine that he would ever hurt anyone."
