Lyle Nelson interview

Friday, June 17, 2022 – 9:12 a.m.

Lyle Nelson owns the Happy Hunter, a local store that carries the Kimber PepperBlaster II.

Detectives Murphy and Parker interviewed him at the Happy Hunter.

Participants:

• Detective S. Murphy
• Detective E. Parker
• Lyle Nelson

Detective Parker: Thank you for meeting with us before the store opens. Would you please state your name and address for the record?

Lyle Nelson: I'm Lyle Nelson. I live at 302 Dogwood Drive.

Detective Murphy: The reason we're here, I wondered if you could do me a favor.

Lyle Nelson: We offer a 10% law enforcement discount. I suppose I could go to 20%.

Detective Murphy: Actually, I'm looking for information.

Lyle Nelson: Of course you are.

Detective Murphy: I'm trying to find out who might have purchased a Kimber PepperBlaster II from your store.

Lyle Nelson: I've heard this song before. Do you have a warrant?

Detective Murphy: If I had a warrant, it wouldn't be a favor.

Lyle Nelson: If you read the privacy policy on our website, you'll know we cooperate with law enforcement when required, but I'm not so sure this is required.

Detective Parker: We can get a warrant if that's what it takes, Mr. Nelson. Of course, then it becomes public record, and the press gets ahold of it, and then … well, it would be out of our hands.

Lyle Nelson: I'm not sure I want our customers thinking I'd simply share that kind of information voluntarily.

Detective Murphy: Come on, Lyle. Don't be like that. Haven't we always kept things confidential when you help us out?

Lyle Nelson: So far, but I don't know. Pulling together that kind of information sounds like a lot of work.

Detective Murphy: We have complete faith in your abilities, Lyle. You've got that computer sitting right there on your desk. I'm sure you can pull up a quick report on the screen showing the names of all the customers who bought PepperBlasters.

Lyle Nelson: Not if they paid cash.

Detective Parker: Do people still use cash?

Lyle Nelson: Some.

Detective Murphy: I'll look through the names with you, making a note of anyone related to an ongoing investigation. That name and the date of the sale. That's all. Nobody we talk to will know where we got the information. If anybody asks, we'll say we got the sales information from the credit card company.

Lyle Nelson: How do I know you don't have a photographic memory, and as soon as you leave, you won't recreate the entire report?

Detective Murphy: Really?

Detective Parker: I can get started on that warrant right now. We should have it within the hour. It won't be a problem for us to shut down your computer system while we go through your records, will it, Mr. Nelson?

Lyle Nelson: Okay, okay. It's a good thing I've been trying to track down some missing items, or else you'd have to sit here while I fumbled through the system.

Detective Murphy: Take your time.

Lyle Nelson: I thought you were in a rush.

Detective Murphy: Relatively speaking.

Lyle Nelson: Okay, so these are all the people who bought a PepperBlaster II in the last three years. As you can see, it's a popular product.

Detective Murphy: Detective Parker, would you write this down?

Detective Parker: Go.

Detective Murphy: Taylor Boyd, 12-09-2021.

Detective Parker: Got it.

Detective Murphy: Margaret Bricker, 03-10-2021.

Detective Parker: Got it.

Detective Murphy: Carol Fitch, 09-26-2020.

Detective Parker: Got it.

Detective Murphy: And that looks to be about it. Thank you so much for your cooperation, Mr. Nelson. Always a pleasure doing business with you.

Lyle Nelson: I'm looking forward to the day when that business includes you actually buying something.

Detective Murphy: Keep a good thought, Lyle. We'll be in touch.

Interview ended – 9:38 a.m.