Max Snyder interview #2

Wednesday, January 3, 2024 – 12:20 p.m.

Max Snyder, who organized the conference where the victim was a scheduled speaker, contacted the detectives to say he had additional information relevant to the investigation.

Detectives Murphy and Parker spoke with him again at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

Participants:

• Detective S. Murphy
• Detective E. Parker
• Max Snyder

Detective Murphy: Thank you for calling us, Mr. Snyder. Before we begin, would you state your name and address for the record, please?

Max Snyder: You're welcome, detective. I want to help clear up this mess as soon as possible. Oh, my name is Max Snyder, and I live at 2216 Church Street in Oxford.

Detective Parker: When you called, you said you might have some additional information for us.

Max Snyder: Yes, that's right. I apologize for being so rattle-brained when I talked to you right after everything happened, but I had a lot on my mind—and the shock of Jared's death, of course.

Detective Murphy: We understand. What is it you want us to know?

Max Snyder: Well, I got to thinking of people who might want to do Jared harm, and I thought of a couple of people.

Detective Parker: Okay. Shoot.

Max Snyder: I mentioned Sonya Davis last time we talked, but I didn't tell you that her husband Peter's sister, Joy, owned those Elvis letters that Jared ended up with. And she committed suicide because of it. At least, that's the scuttlebutt. Peter's been pretty upset, naturally.

Detective Parker: Peter's been upset because of his sister's death or upset at Jared in particular?

Max Snyder: Well, both.

Detective Parker: All right. Thanks for telling us about that.

Max Snyder: That's not all.

Detective Parker: Okay. What else?

Max Snyder: I've also heard that Kelly Bradley may have been mixed up in that letter business. Of course, it could just be idle gossip, but she supposedly had a thing with Jared. She wasn't the only one from what I hear. That couldn't have made Alison very happy.

Detective Murphy: What kind of "thing" did you hear Jared had with Kelly Bradley?

Max Snyder: An affair. What else? He thought he was God's gift to women. Used his charm to get what he wanted, then dumped them.

Detective Murphy: And who told you he had an affair with Kelly?

Max Snyder: Who? Oh, I don't know. It's a small community. Everyone talks about everyone else.

Detective Murphy: How long have you known about it?

Max Snyder: Not long. I must've heard people talking about it at the cocktail party.

Detective Parker: Okay, we'll look into that, Mr. Snyder. Anything else you think we should know?

Max Snyder: You might want to talk to Carl Warren. He's here at the conference to spread the word of his Elvis Faithful … group. He has quite a following already.

Detective Parker: Elvis Faithful?

Max Snyder: I'd call it a cult, but he'd say it's a religion. It's based on Elvis Presley's beliefs or something, and he calls himself the pastor. I don't really get it. You should get him to explain it. But he'd lose a lot of followers and a lot of money if those mysterious papers of Jared's revealed something scandalous about Elvis.

Detective Parker: Is that what the papers were going to do?

 Max Snyder: I'm not sure. Jared wouldn't tell anyone what was in the letters. Or at least, he wouldn't tell me. Taylor Boyd might know. Or Kelly.

Detective Murphy: Do you think any of those people were angry enough with Mr. Plunk to kill him?

Max Snyder: Oh, I have no idea. I just know he made a lot of enemies, and I thought you should know who some of them are.

Detective Parker: Thank you, Mr. Snyder. You've been very helpful. You be sure to call us if you think of anything else.

Max Snyder: I'll do that. I'm thinking clearer every day. Thank you for seeing me. Good day.

Interview ended – 12:31 p.m.