Jessica Durham interview
Thursday, June 1, 2023 – 1:44 p.m.
In the course of speaking to the registered owners of vehicles with possible license plate matches to the car seen on Devlin Beauchamp's street the night he was killed, investigators asked Jessica Durham to come in for an interview.
Detective Murphy spoke with Ms. Durham at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.
Participants:
- Detective S. Murphy
- Jessica Durham
Detective Murphy: Please state your name and address for the record.
Jessica Durham: Jessica Anne Durham, 116 Thacker Loop, Oxford.
Detective Murphy: Ms. Durham, you own a 2015 black Nissan Sentra, license plate number OZI 477?
Jessica Durham: Yes, ma'am.
Detective Murphy: Are there any distinguishing characteristics of the car of note?
Jessica Durham: Well, I have a pretty colorful bumper sticker on it from this band called Phish.
Detective Murphy: With the image of a balloon on it?
Jessica Durham: No, ma'am, though it sort of looks like that, I guess. Never thought of it, but you could see it that way… sure.
Detective Murphy: Any other distinguishing characteristics?
Jessica Durham: Well, it did have some damage on the right rear fender, but my boyfriend fixed it for me.
Detective Murphy: Do you remember when? What date?
Jessica Durham: It was like a week and a half ago or something?
Detective Murphy: You understand that we contacted you because your car matches a general description of one seen near the home of Devlin Beauchamp on the night of May 20, 2023? The night he was murdered?
Jessica Durham: Yes, ma'am. I understand that y'all said my car, or one like mine, was spotted around Dev's house on the night he was killed.
Detective Murphy: Dev? You knew Devlin Beauchamp?
Jessica Durham: Sure. Our bakery plays against the Home Plate softball team. I know all the Home Plate folks. Really fun bunch! Anyway, from what the officers said, it sounds like it could have been my car there.
Detective Murphy: Were you in or around Devlin Beauchamp's neighborhood on the night he was killed?
Jessica Durham: Oh no, ma'am. Me and my boyfriend were moving. No, I borrowed a friend's truck, and she borrowed my car. I guess you could say we swapped for the weekend.
Detective Murphy: And who is this friend?
Jessica Durham: Mickie Webster. I guess we aren't what you'd call close, but we pal around sometimes. And she was such an angel to lend us the truck. We're trying to save all the money we can to buy some decent furniture, so she saved us about a hundred bucks on rental fees.
Detective Murphy: How long did you have Ms. Webster's truck, and she have your car?
Jessica Durham: Well, we swapped Saturday morning about 10:00 or so, and Jed, my boyfriend, he brought the truck back to her Monday morning and got my car. And then that's the day he fixed it because when I got home, I had a brand new fender.
Detective Murphy: Did Ms. Webster mention to you where she had gone that weekend? Where she had taken your car?
Jessica Durham: No, but I didn't ask either. The tank was full, and the speedometer didn't show any real mileage, so I assume she just more or less scooted around town with it. You know, running errands, going back and forth to work, and things like that?
Detective Murphy: Okay. Have you had any reason to talk to or spend any time with Ms. Webster since then?
Jessica Durham: Well, we did see her at Dev's memorial, you know… but I wouldn't call that socializing. She came in a couple times to the bakery for coffee and some rolls.
Detective Murphy: Did you talk?
Jessica Durham: A little. She's pretty depressed about Dev and what happened to him. I noticed she started smoking again, poor thing. And her hair, I guess she's still not thinking straight.
Detective Murphy: What do you mean?
Jessica Durham: Well, the upkeep on that style plus the color? It's a lot. Anyway, I don't mean to be critical. She actually looks real cute with that new cut, don't you think?
Detective Murphy: Yes, very cute, I'm sure. You mentioned color. Has she changed her hair color recently?
Jessica Durham: Oh, she did. It's much darker now. Black, which fits her mood better these days, I guess.
Detective Murphy: What color was it before?
Jessica Durham: It was brown. Looked real nice on her. This new color is more of a statement, I guess.
Detective Murphy: What kind of statement is she making?
Jessica Durham: I don't know. "My guy got killed, and everything suc— is terrible"?
Detective Murphy: But Devlin wasn't her guy anymore, was he? They had broken up.
Jessica Durham: Maybe so, but anyone could see they were still totally into each other. I don't know why they were fighting it.
Detective Murphy: She never said why they broke up?
Jessica Durham: Not to me, but like I said, we're not best friends or anything. Besides, it was obvious she didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't ask.
Detective Murphy: Well, thank you for coming in. If we need to speak to you again, you'll be available?
Jessica Durham: Oh, of course, ma'am.
Detective Murphy: The officers have taken photographs of your car. Should we need any witnesses to look at it or need to perform any forensic analysis of it, will you make it available?
Jessica Durham: I surely will.
Detective Murphy: Okay. Thanks again for coming in, Ms. Durham.
Jessica Durham: You're welcome, ma'am, and good luck.
Detective Murphy: Thank you.
Interview ended – 2:13 p.m.
