Doug Jordan interview #2

Tuesday, March 23, 2021 – 9:20 a.m.

Doug Jordan is an employee at Laughlin Auto Body in Oxford and was working a "side job" with Daniel Collier.

The detectives spoke with him again at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

Participants

• Detective P. Beckwith
• Detective J. Magee
• Doug Jordan

Detective Beckwith: Thanks for coming in again, Doug.

Doug Jordan: Why do you people keep haulin' me in here? People are gonna start asking questions.

Detective Magee: What a coincidence. That's exactly why we wanted you to come in: to ask questions.

Doug Jordan: I already answered everything you asked me. I don't know anything else.

Detective Magee: We'll see. Let's start with one I know you know the answer to. Give us your name and address.

Doug Jordan: Doug Jordan. 504 Martin Luther King Drive, Oxford.

Detective Magee: See how easy that was?

Doug Jordan: Just get on with it.

Detective Beckwith: Have you ever been to Daniel Collier's house?

Doug Jordan: No.

Detective Beckwith: Never?

Doug Jordan: Never.

Detective Magee: You told us before that Dan went too far with your little parts skimming scam.

Doug Jordan: I wouldn't put it like that exactly.

Detective Magee: You did before.

Doug Jordan: Okay, so what?

Detective Magee: So did you go over there to have a talk with him? Explain the error of his ways?

Doug Jordan: I told you, no.

Detective Magee: Maybe Dan wouldn't listen to reason, and you were worried about what would happen when Chas found out, so you leaned on him a little, and things went bad.

Doug Jordan: I never went over there. I never got into it with Danny—not as his house or anywhere.

Detective Beckwith: Good. So we aren't going to find any evidence you were there? No witnesses, no fingerprints, nothing.

Doug Jordan: No.

Detective Beckwith: You sure? You don't sound sure.

Doug Jordan: Well, I don't know what all Danny's got at his house. There could be something from the shop that might have my prints on it. I just don't know.

Detective Beckwith: Uh-huh. Okay.

Doug Jordan: I'm not lyin'!

Detective Magee: Glad to hear it. Let's see if we can keep that going. Do you know if Chas ever went over to Dan's house?

Doug Jordan: Chas? No way in hell.

Detective Magee: Why not?

Doug Jordan: Chas wants to see somebody? They come to him. He don't go to nobody.

Detective Magee: How does he get people to come see him?

Doug Jordan: Depends. Sometimes he gives 'em a call. Sometimes he sends someone to, uh, give 'em a ride.

Detective Magee: I see. And did he send someone to give Daniel a ride after that last run to Corinth?

Doug Jordan: I wouldn't know.

Detective Magee: Uh-huh. Try this one. Who does he usually send to give someone a ride?

Doug Jordan: Depends on who's available.

Detective Magee: Like, for instance?

Doug Jordan: I don't know.

Detective Magee: I'm not buying what you're selling, Doug. Was it you he sent?

Doug Jordan: No! I don't do that.

Detective Magee: Give people rides?

Doug Jordan: Yeah.

Detective Magee: Uh-huh. So who then?

Doug Jordan: A lot of times, he sends the kid.

Detective Magee: The kid?

Doug Jordan: Gage! The useless little s*** is always slacking off anyway, lazy pissant.

Detective Beckwith: Do you know if he sent Gage to get Danny?

Doug Jordan: It's possible, but I don't think so.

Detective Beckwith: Why not?

Doug Jordan: Because if they went after Danny for skimming parts, they woulda come after me too. Unless…

Detective Beckwith: Unless what?

Doug Jordan: Unless Danny didn't give me up. That woulda set Gage off, for sure.

Detective Beckwith: What?

Doug Jordan: Not tellin' him what he wanted to know. Gage likes to think he's in charge, and he don't like it when people remind him he ain't nothin' without his daddy standing behind him.

Detective Beckwith: Do you think he could've been involved in killing Danny?

Doug Jordan: No telling. I mean, he's got the temper to go off and do something stupid, but I don't know if he has the, uh, cajones, you know?

Detective Magee: Have you heard any talk around the shop about what happened to Dan?

Doug Jordan: Nah. Just the usual "too bad about Dan, that's messed up" kind of thing.

Detective Magee: What do you think that means?

Doug Jordan: People are sad Dan's dead and think the story sounds pretty crazy. What else would it mean?

Detective Magee: If any of your co-workers knew anything about what happened to Dan, would you hear about it?

Doug Jordan: Maybe. Maybe not. But it doesn't matter because I ain't heard nothin'.

Detective Beckwith: Doug, look at me. You liked Danny, didn't you?

Doug Jordan: Sure.

Detective Beckwith: And you want whoever did this to him to be held accountable, right?

Doug Jordan: Sure.

Detective Beckwith: So why are you holding back? Help Danny. Tell us what you know.

Doug Jordan: Can't nobody help Danny now. I don't know who's responsible for what happened to him. I just know I don't want it to happen to me.

Detective Beckwith: You sure?

Doug Jordan: Can't tell you what I don't know.

Detective Beckwith: All right. If you say so, but I want you to think about what you owe Danny, and if you remember something you think we ought to know, you give us a call.

Doug Jordan: Yeah, I hear ya.

Interview ended – 8:46 a.m.