Janet Hipps interview

Tuesday, February 13, 2001 – 10:40 a.m.

Janet Hipps, an employee of Airborne Express overnight delivery service, was identified by company records as the delivery person seen in the victim's neighborhood on the afternoon of Friday, January 26, 2001.

Detectives Armstrong and Murphy interviewed her at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

The interview was recorded with the witness's knowledge and consent.

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• Janet Hipps

Detective Murphy: Could you please tell us your name and address?

Janet Hipps: Janet Hipps. I live at 1648 Garfield.

Detective Murphy: Thank you for coming in to talk with us. We understand you were the Airborne Express driver seen on Sivley Street at approximately 4:30 on the afternoon of January 26th. Is that correct?

Janet Hipps: Yes, that was me.

Detective Murphy: What were you doing on Sivley Street that afternoon?

Janet Hipps: I was making a delivery.

Detective Murphy: Do you remember which house you were delivering to?

Janet Hipps: I made a note of it before I came over. Let me see… it was 223 Sivley. Etheridge was the name.

Detective Murphy: Did you make a note of the time you made the delivery?

Janet Hipps: Yes, let me find it… it was logged in at 4:33 p.m.

Detective Murphy: Do you remember what the package was? Who sent it or what size it was?

Janet Hipps: No, I'm sorry. I don't. I know it wasn't a real big box because I don't remember using the hand truck or anything.

Detective Murphy: OK. Could you tell us everything you remember that happened before, during, and after that delivery?

Janet Hipps: Sure. As I recall, I located the address and pulled in the driveway. I took the package to the door, rang the bell, got the recipient's signature, and then left. Pretty much what happens everywhere.

Detective Armstrong: Can you remember anything else? Anything more detailed?

Janet Hipps: I'm not sure… I think there was a dog.

Detective Armstrong: A dog? Where?

Janet Hipps: I think it was next door. I remember hearing it barking, and I immediately started looking around to see where it was. We gotta be careful of dogs, you know. You just never know how they're going to react to strangers. Some of the people I work with have been bit, and I don't want that to happen to me.

Detective Armstrong: I can understand that. So where was the dog?

Janet Hipps: It was at the house next door to the… left as I was standing at the front door. It was inside at the window, barking and hopping all around like they do.

Detective Armstrong: OK. Anything else?

Janet Hipps: Um… oh yeah. After I got back in the van, I was looking up the next delivery address, and that dog started barking again. I looked up to see where it was because sometimes the owners let 'em out when they start barking, or they have one of those doggie doors and the dogs come out on their own, so I wanted to see if it was coming near me.

Detective Armstrong: Was it?

Janet Hipps: No, it was still in the house at the window. It wasn't even barking at me that time.

Detective Armstrong: Who was it barking at then?

Janet Hipps: There was this guy walking to his car.

Detective Murphy: Where did he come from?

Janet Hipps: I don't know. Seems like he came from in between the two houses, but I don't really know. I didn't actually see him come from there. That was just the direction he was walking.

Detective Murphy: Did you notice what kind of car he had?

Janet Hipps: I don't really know much about cars. It was some kind of four-door, I think. I didn't really pay any attention.

Detective Murphy: Do you remember what color it was?

Janet Hipps: Not really. A dark color maybe?

Detective Murphy: How did you know it was a man you saw?

Janet Hipps: I guess it just looked like a man.

Detective Murphy: In what way?

Janet Hipps: I don't know. Maybe he walked like a man or was dressed like a man. I'm not sure.

Detective Murphy: What was he wearing? Do you remember?

Janet Hipps: I don't know. He had on a jacket. I do remember that because he had the hood up, which struck me as kind of weird because it wasn't that cold out.

Detective Murphy: What kind of jacket?

Janet Hipps: I don't remember. I wasn't paying that much attention to him, and I only saw him for a minute.

Detective Murphy: What color was the jacket?

Janet Hipps: I don't know. Dark? Maybe black? Maybe navy blue? I don't know. Like I said, I wasn't really paying that much attention to him. I was more worried about that dog.

Detective Murphy: Do you remember anything else about what he was wearing? What color pants he had on or anything like that?

Janet Hipps: No, sorry.

Detective Armstrong: Did you get a look at him? His face? His hair? Anything like that?

Janet Hipps: No. Actually, I think he heard that dog barking too because he looked over there at that house like he was looking for where it was.

Detective Murphy: Can you give us any kind of description of him? Was he tall or short? Thin or fat?

Janet Hipps: I don't know. He was just sort of regular.

Detective Murphy: Meaning?

Janet Hipps: I don't know. He just looked regular.

Detective Armstrong: What did you see him do exactly, if you can remember?

Janet Hipps: He was just hurrying to his car. He got in and drove away. That's all I remember.

Detective Armstrong: Was he carrying anything or anything like that?

Janet Hipps: I don't think so, but I don't really know.

Detective Murphy: OK, thanks for your time. If you remember anything else, please give us a call.

Janet Hipps: Will do.

End interview – 10:56 a.m.