Myra Olander interview #2

Thursday, September 7, 2023 — 9:45 a.m.

Weldon Foyle told detectives he was working for Myra Olander at the time Kristi Waterson was killed.

Detectives Armstrong and Murphy re-interviewed Ms. Olander at her residence.

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• Myra Olander

Detective Murphy: Thanks for letting us in. We appreciate your hospitality.

Myra Olander: Cops knock on your door, you don't really have a choice, do you?

Detective Murphy: Well, we had some follow-up questions and thought it might be easier on you if we came to your house. We won't be long and didn't want to trouble you with a trip into town.

Myra Olander: Isn't that polite of you? You guys know how I feel about this. Let's try to make this as short as possible.

Detective Murphy: Okay, would you please state your name and address?

Myra Olander: Myra Olander and I live at 3342 Delay Road.

Detective Murphy: And what is your occupation?

Myra Olander: I'm a potter, and I also work with ceramics.

Detective Murphy: You're aware that we're continuing our investigation into the murder of Kristi Waterson, correct?

Myra Olander: Yes, of course. Your screw-up with that rich kid was all over the news.

Detective Armstrong: Ms. Olander, how do you feel about this investigation?

Myra Olander: What do you mean?

Detective Murphy: You want us to close this case, right? You want us to find the killer?

Myra Olander: Of course.

Detective Murphy: How do you feel about the victim?

Myra Olander: It's terrible. What happened to her … it's just tragic.

Detective Murphy: But do you have any opinions about her as a person? About Kristi Waterson specifically?

Myra Olander: I heard she was a rich slut. Simple as that. Seems she didn't have a care in the world except when she was going to get laid next.

Detective Murphy: Do you think she deserved to die?

Myra Olander: Of course not.

Detective Armstrong: Here's a picture of her. Take a look. She looks like an average person. Just like you and me. She might be rich, but you can't tell it in this photo. Just hanging out in the Grove with a dog. That could be you. That could be some hard-working coed.

Myra Olander: So what's your point?

Detective Murphy: We know what kind of person you are, Myra. We know you don't like the police, and that's okay. But we also know that you have always fought on the side of the underdog—on the side of people getting screwed over.

Detective Armstrong: You've got quite a history of participating in protest marches for women's rights, anti-nuke rallies, free speech causes. You want to help people.

Myra Olander: Obviously, I do. But what does this have to do—

Detective Murphy: In fact, we've been told that women's rights are a significant cause for you. The organizers of the Take Back the Night marches on campus said you were their most dedicated volunteer.

Myra Olander: Yes, it's important to me and—

Detective Murphy: Myra, who is more of an underdog? Who is more of a victim? Who is more in need of your help than someone who was murdered?

Myra Olander: What do you mean?

Detective Murphy: Kristi Waterson might have had money, and she might have been a snob, but she was still savagely murdered, ritually slaughtered in a sexually degrading way. Doesn't that bother you?

Myra Olander: Yes, it does! But I don't see why you're telling me all this.

Detective Armstrong: We think you can help us.

Myra Olander: But how?

Detective Murphy: To tell you the truth, Myra, I think you should definitely help us. Between you and me, the DA is running for re-election, and he's looking to make a big stand. If someone out there knows something about this murder and doesn't come forward, he's liable to charge them with being an accessory. There would be a trial, and that person would have to hire an attorney—

Detective Armstrong: Spend a ton of money.

Detective Murphy: And sit through a lengthy trial. So you should want to help us—for your own good.

Myra Olander: I don't know what you're getting at.

Detective Murphy: Let's go over it again. Tell us about the night of August 26th.

Myra Olander: Weldon was here doing some work for me.

Detective Murphy: What time did he get here?

Myra Olander: Around 6:30 p.m., and he was here until 2:30 a.m.

Detective Murphy: And what was he doing for you?

Myra Olander: He did some yard work, and then he was scraping and sanding my porch so it could be painted.

Detective Murphy: You needed it done that day?

Myra Olander: I usually work around Weldon's schedule. He's so busy with school and his other jobs. He said he had time that night, so I told him to come over.

Detective Armstrong: Was this some kind of porch painting emergency?

Myra Olander: No. What does that mean?

Detective Armstrong: Was it so time-critical that Weldon needed to take time off from his usual Saturday night job to come work on your porch?

Myra Olander: Of course not. That's ridiculous.

Detective Murphy: What were you doing while Weldon was working on your porch?

Myra Olander: I was working on my pots. I already told you that.

Detective Armstrong: The noise didn't bother you?

Myra Olander: What noise?

Detective Armstrong: The scraping, the sanding.

Myra Olander: Oh. No, it wasn't too bad.

Detective Armstrong: You must be a very patient woman. My wife has never complained more than when I was scraping our porch.

Myra Olander: Oh. Well, it didn't take long. Weldon is very efficient.

Detective Armstrong: Is that right?

Detective Murphy: Let's lay it on the table, Myra. Weldon wasn't here that night, was he?

Myra Olander: Of course he was! I told you—

Detective Armstrong: You told us a load of crap!

Detective Murphy: Myra, you should really think about helping us.

Myra Olander: I don't know.

Detective Armstrong: We showed you what Kristi looked like alive. You wanna see the autopsy photos? You wanna see how she looked after she was murdered?

Detective Murphy: They're not pretty pictures, Myra.

Myra Olander: But—

Detective Armstrong: You aging activists are all alike. You talk a lot but no follow-through. Take Back the Night, my foot. You don't care about some woman being slaughtered.

Myra Olander: Of course I do. I just—

Detective Murphy: You better hope that some of your buddies are willing to fight for you because when you're sitting at the defendant's table, you will be the underdog. You!

Myra Olander: Okay! He wasn't here! Is that what you want me to say? Weldon wasn't at my house.

Detective Armstrong: Where was he?

Myra Olander: I don't know.

Detective Murphy: Why did you lie for him?

Myra Olander: He said he needed help. He said that he had gotten mixed up in something, and some rich kids were going to make him the scapegoat. He needed my help. But Weldon couldn't have murdered that woman! I know how this looks, and I'm sorry, but Weldon isn't the killer.

Detective Armstrong: Tell us exactly what he said.

Myra Olander: He said that it had been late at night. He was walking home and stumbled upon some drunken frat boys in the parking lot behind Neilson's. They called him over and started talking to him. Said they were glad that he had walked up right then.

Detective Armstrong: And?

Myra Olander: They kept telling him to stand in a specific spot. He was wondering what was going on when a boy came bursting out the back door at a full run. All the drunks ran off, and this spotlight came on, and Weldon was standing there. A security guard came running out, yelling about security cameras and how they were on video, so Weldon finally ran away.

Detective Murphy: What were the kids doing at Neilson's?

Myra Olander: Weldon didn't know. He didn't know if they were stealing stuff or vandalizing the property or what, but it was clear that they wanted him standing in the view of the cameras and spotlight. It was clear they were setting him up to be the fall guy.

Detective Murphy: You told us before that Weldon doesn't confide in you. Why would he tell you all of this?

Myra Olander: He needed my help to cover for him. Weldon's a good, hard-working kid. He's gotten screwed over his entire life. I thought I should help him fight back against the people who get everything handed to them.

Detective Armstrong: You knew we were investigating a murder, not some petty crime at a clothing store.

Myra Olander: I know, I know. I hated doing it, but I thought I should stick to Weldon's story. And then, once it got rolling, it was too hard to go back and admit the truth.

Detective Murphy: Do you have any reason to doubt Weldon's story about what happened that evening? About the incident at Neilson's?

Myra Olander: No. Weldon is very reserved and keeps to himself. You might even call him secretive, but I've never known him to lie.

Detective Murphy: Are you 100% confident in your belief that Weldon isn't involved in Kristi Waterson's murder?

Myra Olander: Absolutely.

Detective Murphy: Is there anything else you haven't told us?

Myra Olander: No, that's it. I swear.

Detective Murphy: I hope that's true. Thanks for your time. We'll be back in touch.

Detective Armstrong: Please don't leave town without informing our office.

Interview ended – 4:41 p.m.