Tania Hotchkiss interview
Friday, January 31, 2014 - 1:00 p.m.
Tania Hotchkiss
Participants:
- Detective T. Armstrong
- Detective S. Murphy
- Tania Hotchkiss
Detective Armstrong: Thank you for coming in, Ms. Hotchkiss. Would you please state your name and address for the record?
Tania Hotchkiss: I'm Tania Hotchkiss. I live at 594 Hathorn Road. Could you just call me Tania? You're freaking me out.
Detective Armstrong: Well, I don't want to do that. We–
Tania Hotchkiss: And I'm already freaked out enough, you know.
Detective Murphy: Why is that?
Tania Hotchkiss: I'm in a police station. Hello?
Detective Murphy: Oh. Of course.
Tania Hotchkiss: Did something happen? Something happened, didn't it? Why did you want me to come here?
Detective Armstrong: We just want to talk to you for a few minutes about Caitlin and Cameron Maxwell.
Tania Hotchkiss: Oh.
Detective Armstrong: Were you expecting it to be about something else?
Tania Hotchkiss: I just– never mind. What about Cameron and Caitlin?
Detective Armstrong: Did you know them?
Tania Hotchkiss: Everybody knows them.
Detective Armstrong: I meant did you know them personally.
Tania Hotchkiss: Not Caitlin, but I knew Cameron sort of.
Detective Armstrong: How did you know him?
Tania Hotchkiss: I'm friends with one of his friends.
Detective Armstrong: Oh, really? Which one?
Tania Hotchkiss: Are you sure nothing happened?
Detective Murphy: I saw you were quoted in the newspaper from the memorial service. That's pretty cool, huh?
Tania Hotchkiss: I guess. Somebody just asked me if I could say something about Cameron or Caitlin, so I did.
Detective Murphy: It sounded like you knew Cameron pretty well.
Tania Hotchkiss: I don't know. I guess I did in a way. It's not like I talked to him all the time or anything, but I heard about him a lot.
Detective Murphy: From whom?
Tania Hotchkiss: My friend, Ryan. He's Cameron's best friend.
Detective Murphy: So you went to the memorial with Ryan?
Tania Hotchkiss: No, I went by myself. I thought I would see him there, but I couldn't find him. There were so many people. It was crazy. If I knew so many people were going to go, maybe I would've stayed home. It's not like I knew Cameron that well.
Detective Murphy: So why did you go?
Tania Hotchkiss: I– I wanted to be there for Ryan.
Detective Murphy: But you couldn't find him.
Tania Hotchkiss: Yeah.
Detective Murphy: Were you surprised you didn't see him there?
Tania Hotchkiss: I– I don't know. You know, there were a lot of people there.
Detective Armstrong: We know he and Cameron were close. How is he doing with everything that's happened?
Tania Hotchkiss: He– I don't– are you sure nothing happened?
Detective Armstrong: Are you worried that something's happened?
Tania Hotchkiss: I don't know. Maybe? I don't know.
Detective Armstrong: What makes you think so?
Tania Hotchkiss: I'm not– I don't– I can't find Ryan, OK?
Detective Armstrong: What do you mean you can't find him?
Tania Hotchkiss: I mean I haven't seen him. I haven't heard from him. He isn't texting me back. He won't answer the door when I go over there.
Detective Armstrong: Is that unusual for Ryan?
Tania Hotchkiss: Yeah. I usually talk to him every day or every other day. At first, I just thought he was taking some time because of what happened to Cameron, but– I don't know.
Detective Armstrong: How long has it been?
Tania Hotchkiss: I don't know. Like two weeks or something.
Detective Armstrong: Maybe he went out of town.
Tania Hotchkiss: He would've told me.
Detective Armstrong: Do you think he might have done something to himself?
Tania Hotchkiss: No way. Ryan wouldn't do something like that.
Detective Armstrong: So what do you think is going on with him?
Tania Hotchkiss: I don't know. That's the whole point.
Detective Murphy: Tell us more about how Ryan's been dealing with what happened to Cameron.
Tania Hotchkiss: He was really upset. Obviously.
Detective Murphy: Upset how? Angry? Sad? Scared?
Tania Hotchkiss: I don't know. He was all like– I don't know. Like he couldn't sit still, I guess?
Detective Murphy: Is that normal for him?
Tania Hotchkiss: No.
Detective Murphy: Do you know what was bothering him?
Tania Hotchkiss: Yeah. His best friend was missing. Hello?
Detective Murphy: So this was before we found out Cameron was dead?
Tania Hotchkiss: Yeah, I guess. What difference does it make? The point is something's wrong. Maybe the person who killed Cameron got Ryan too.
Detective Murphy: Can you be more specific about the last time you saw him or talked to him?
Tania Hotchkiss: I don't know. Wait. Yes. Let me look at my phone. Look. He hasn't texted me since the 13th. The 13th? Oh my god. You have to do something.
Detective Armstrong: How would you characterize your relationship with Ryan? Are the two of you dating? Hooking up?
Tania Hotchkiss: Seriously?
Detective Armstrong: Yeah.
Tania Hotchkiss: Seriously?
Detective Armstrong: Yes, seriously.
Tania Hotchkiss: Um, no, we're just friends.
Detective Murphy: Did you see Cameron Maxwell when he was in town this last time?
Tania Hotchkiss: No.
Detective Murphy: Did Ryan?
Tania Hotchkiss: Yeah, of course.
Detective Murphy: Did they have an argument or disagreement about anything?
Tania Hotchkiss: No. No way. They never fight.
Detective Murphy: Never?
Tania Hotchkiss: Not that I ever heard about, and Ryan definitely would've told me if that happened. Are you going to do something? Find Ryan? Make sure he's OK?
Detective Armstrong: We'll look into it.
Tania Hotchkiss: That's it?
Detective Armstrong: We'll do what we can, but Ryan is an adult. He's allowed to disappear if he wants to.
Tania Hotchkiss: But what if the killer got him too?
Detective Murphy: Tania, I can see how worried you are, but try not to assume the worst. We'll see what we can find out, OK?
Tania Hotchkiss: OK. I guess.
Detective Murphy: And if you hear from Ryan, you let us know, OK?
Tania Hotchkiss: Yeah, OK.
Detective Murphy: Do you want us to get someone to drive you home?
Tania Hotchkiss: No, I'm OK. I didn't mean to get so upset. I'm sorry. I'm just really scared.
Detective Murphy: Maybe Ryan's just taking some time, like you said.
Tania Hotchkiss: I hope so.
Interview ends: 1:32 p.m.
