Trish Lee interview #2

Sunday, August 4, 2024 – 1:18 p.m.

Trish Lee is another of the women in Kelly Moran's circle of friends.

Detectives Armstrong and Murphy spoke with her again at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• Trish Lee

Detective Murphy: Thanks for coming down again. Would you please state your name and address for the record?

Trish Lee: I'm Trish Lee, Patricia to my mom, and I live at 2 Argyle Lane, here in Oxford.

Detective Armstrong: Do you know why we asked you to come back?

Trish Lee: I do not. I asked if you were close to an arrest. Are you?

Detective Armstrong: The investigation is still ongoing, which is why we asked you back.

Detective Murphy: You mentioned a man parked in a car down the street from Kelly.

Trish Lee: Yes. Was that her killer?

Detective Murphy: Would it surprise you to hear we think it was a known drug dealer?

Trish Lee: Well, that's odd.

Detective Armstrong: It is, considering that Mrs. Moran had a prescription for the painkillers she required.

Trish Lee: Probably just a coincidence. Maybe he's the one who broke into her house to rob the place.

Detective Armstrong: Drug dealers aren't usually the ones who need money. That's the users, and this guy doesn't use.

Detective Murphy: But maybe—just maybe—Kelly Moran needed more pills than she was prescribed. That could happen if, for example, she wanted to help her friends reach a state where they weren't feeling any pain.

Detective Armstrong: You can't really blame Kelly for wanting to help out her friends.

Detective Murphy: She was just trying to share. Isn't that right?

Trish Lee: I don't know what you're talking about.

Detective Armstrong: When we spoke to another member of your little group, we were surprised to find her less than totally coherent.

Detective Murphy: Based on my experience of such matters, I would say she was under the influence of a controlled substance.

Detective Armstrong: I mean, it's one thing when you all party together, but if she's using when she's alone, that could be dangerous.

Trish Lee: Is she in trouble?

Detective Murphy: What we're trying to determine is who might have wanted Kelly Moran dead. If she's in charge of gathering party favors, that might come into play.

Detective Armstrong: How often did you all get together to get high?

Trish Lee: It wasn't like we were shooting up.

Detective Murphy: Of course not. A glass of wine, a pill or two, maybe some cheese and crackers. Just a bunch of grownup friends having some fun, shaking off a day's stress. Even cops let their hair down—those who still have some.

Detective Armstrong: You've never seen me tear up the dance floor.

Detective Murphy: Thank goodness.

Detective Armstrong: So, did Kelly host many of these parties? Is that why you were all going to Charleston? Party all weekend long?

Trish Lee: I'm not sure if I want to answer that.

Detective Murphy: How did she cover her costs? Did everybody chip in?

Trish Lee: More or less. I often brought the wine. Nicolette would sometimes arrange a fondue: either chocolate and strawberries or French bread and cheese.

Detective Murphy: My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail. I love chocolate-dipped strawberries.

Detective Armstrong: So, did Kelly have a bowl she passed around until it was empty, or could people get them to go, or what? When we talked with your friend who was under the influence, she hadn't just left one of these get-togethers.

Trish Lee: I'm sure Kelly would have made them available if people were interested.

Detective Armstrong: She was the kind of person who liked to make her friends happy.

Trish Lee: Exactly. That was her.

Detective Armstrong: Did you ever ask for a brown bag on your way out?

Trish Lee: Never.

Detective Murphy: How about for the leftover strawberries?

Trish Lee: Are you kidding? There were never leftover strawberries.

Detective Armstrong: Were you concerned your husband might notice changes in your behavior?

Trish Lee: He didn't. Enough said.

Detective Armstrong: Did you ever consider including your husband in these parties?

Trish Lee: It was just for us girls. Kelly was very clear about that.

Detective Murphy: Did anybody outside your circle know about these little parties?

Trish Lee: Not that I'm aware.

Detective Murphy: So it was just the four of you.

Trish Lee: We didn't want things to get out of control. Besides, people outside the group might not have understood.

Detective Armstrong: So you decided to keep it small—just you, Kelly, Karen, and Nicolette.

Trish Lee: That's right.

Detective Armstrong: That's all I've got for the moment. Detective Murphy?

Detective Murphy: Remember that thing that person said to us about that situation?

Detective Armstrong: Right. Mrs. Lee, you told us before that you thought Kelly's husband had been unfaithful with someone who used to work for you.

Trish Lee: Yes.

Detective Armstrong: Did Kelly believe that he'd cheated?

Trish Lee: She never said so.

Detective Armstrong: So it was just your assumption?

Trish Lee: I know what I saw!

Detective Armstrong: Oh, really? Well, do tell.

Trish Lee: Whispered conversations, secret phone calls, stolen glances, his hand on her shoulder. It wasn't hard to figure out what was going on.

Detective Murphy: But Kelly never talked to you about Marea Soakes specifically or gave you the impression she thought Russell was cheating on her?

Trish Lee: She asked me about Marea a few times, but once I got that little piece of … fluff out of town, Kelly never mentioned her again. What does that tell you?

Detective Murphy: Okay, then. Thanks so much for coming down today. You've given us some food for thought. Not chocolate-covered strawberries, alas, but still, you've been very helpful.

Interview ended – 1:43 p.m.