Yvonne Boyd interview

Saturday, May 1, 2021 – 10:42 a.m.

Yvonne Boyd is the YCCC Events Manager and was on duty the night Barbara Dubois was killed.

Detectives Armstrong and Murphy spoke with him a short time later at the Yoknapatawpha County Conference Center.

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• Yvonne Boyd

Detective Murphy: Mrs. Boyd. Fancy meeting you here.

Yvonne Boyd: I work here, as you well know.

Detective Murphy: Yes. For the record, would you please state your name and address?

Yvonne Boyd: My name is Yvonne Boyd. My address is 1509 Smallwood Drive.

Detective Armstrong: Were you here last night?

Yvonne Boyd: Yes, I was working at the front desk. When there's something big happening at the conference center, I like to be available. I stayed here last night instead of going home.

Detective Murphy: Your husband didn't mind that?

Yvonne Boyd: Taylor's out of town.

Detective Murphy: I see. So you were at the front desk all last night?

Yvonne Boyd: I was got a little bit of sleep from about 2:00 until 6:00 a.m. Otherwise, I was at the front desk.

Detective Armstrong: Could you walk us through the schedule that evening?

Yvonne Boyd: Certainly. The finalists were announced at 4:00 p.m., and then dinner ran from 6:00 until about 10:30. The guests then dispersed, some going to the lounge, the rest I assume to their rooms or back home if they weren't staying here.

Detective Murphy: Were there any problems that evening?

Yvonne Boyd: There are always problems. I was short a banquet server, and someone accidentally unplugged the dessert freezer—normal things.

Detective Armstrong: Did you see Barbara Dubois after dinner?

Yvonne Boyd: Not that I remember.

Detective Murphy: Who did you see?

Yvonne Boyd: I saw Bill Lamar several times, Lucille Ruffin-Moore, Wendy Kullman. The last two had publicly opposed this pageant, and I was keeping an eye out for them, just in case.

Detective Murphy: Have you received any threatening mail or calls about the pageant?

Yvonne Boyd: A person who identified herself as Ms. Kullman did inquire as to our future conventions, and if those parties knew that the YCCC was hosting an event that in effect supported the torture of helpless animals. I told her that our list of clients is confidential.

Detective Murphy: What was her response?

Yvonne Boyd: She said not to worry, that everyone would soon know about YCCC. I replied that I hoped that was true. Publicity costs money. This was not what I had in mind, though.

Detective Murphy: You didn't consider her threatening?

Yvonne Boyd: Not at the time. Perhaps I should have been more suspicious.

Detective Armstrong: Did either of the women cause trouble?

Yvonne Boyd: Not that I saw. However, given the nature of the vandalism, it's pretty clear who's responsible.

Detective Murphy: What about Mr. Lamar?

Yvonne Boyd: Mr. Lamar called the front desk and demanded Barbara's room number. Then he came and asked in person. Can I check the log?

Detective Armstrong: Of course.

Yvonne Boyd: That was 11:13 p.m. He insisted that Allie Lamar, sponsor of the pageant and the person paying the conference center bill, needed Ms. Dubois's room number. I called Ms. Lamar's room to confirm, but she didn't answer. I gave Mr. Lamar the information.

Detective Murphy: You told him Ms. Dubois's room number?

Yvonne Boyd: Yes. Unwise perhaps, but I didn't want him causing a scene in the lobby. Dinner was over. People were drinking. This was a delicate time, and I didn't want to risk lighting a fuse.

Detective Armstrong: Did you see Bill Lamar again after that?

Yvonne Boyd: Around midnight. Actually, I saw all three of them. Ms. Ruffin-Moore left the conference center, Mr. Lamar went into the lounge, and then Ms. Kullman came out of the lounge, and she left the conference center too.

Detective Armstrong: Did you see Bill Lamar come out of the lounge?

Yvonne Boyd: Close to 1:00 a.m. He was a bit unsteady, but he was heading back towards the rooms.

Detective Armstrong: Did you see anything else noteworthy last night?

Yvonne Boyd: Not really.

Detective Murphy: How about this morning then?

Yvonne Boyd: I received a call at 6:30 from Susan Dubois. Barbara, her daughter, wasn't answering the door or telephone. I met Susan at the room with the passkey.

Detective Murphy: And then what happened?

Yvonne Boyd: Barbara Dubois wasn't in the room. The bed was turned down but hadn't been slept in. There were some half-eaten chocolates in the bathroom. Since her mother said they were a gift from dinner, I assumed Ms. Dubois had come back to her room and then left.

Detective Armstrong: What did you do?

Yvonne Boyd: I started knocking on nearby doors, asking if anyone had heard or seen anything. Nobody had. I returned to the desk. That's when the first police officers arrived, around 7:00 a.m.

Detective Murphy: Were you there when they found the body?

Yvonne Boyd: No, and by the time I'd been informed, the area had been declared a crime scene. Then I heard about the pageant office being wrecked and the stage room being defaced, and then those areas were declared off-limits to me. I barely know what's occurred in my own conference center.

Detective Armstrong: We apologize for that, but it's standard procedure.

Detective Murphy: As I'm sure you know.

Yvonne Boyd: I do know. But then people ask me questions, and I don't know what to tell them.

Detective Murphy: Just tell them you're not free to discuss the matter. Did you happen to see Marty Rutgers last night?

Yvonne Boyd: Sorry, but I don't know the name.

Detective Murphy: Denny Buchanan?

Yvonne Boyd: Mr. Buchanan? Yes, we're well acquainted with Mr. Buchanan.

Detective Armstrong: How so?

Yvonne Boyd: Mr. Buchanan … let's say Mr. Buchanan desires things in his room just so and is not hesitant to inform us in very forceful terms when he is displeased. It's not unfair to say he's been harsh with my staff in the short time he's been here. I'm very glad he has exceptional financial resources. He'll need them.

Detective Armstrong: For?

Yvonne Boyd: For the damage he's caused to his room. Mr. Buchanan is welcome to have his temper, but when he breaks conference center furniture and fixtures, he'll see those on his bill. And we use only quality fixtures.

Detective Murphy: We visited Mr. Buchanan's room. I don't recall seeing any damage.

Yvonne Boyd: We repair damaged items promptly.

Detective Murphy: What kinds of things were damaged?

Yvonne Boyd: A shower door handle was ripped off, as were several drawer handles. A telephone book was pulverized—pounded and ripped with some kind of pointed object. A mirror was broken.

Detective Armstrong: Sounds violent.

Yvonne Boyd: It appears that way, yes.

Detective Murphy: Anyone hear this damage happening?

Yvonne Boyd: Mr. Buchanan's room is somewhat off by itself.

Detective Murphy: Where are the damaged items?

Yvonne Boyd: I instructed Maintenance to secure them for future reference. Insurance stuff, you know.

Detective Armstrong: Did you see Mr. Buchanan last night?

Yvonne Boyd: He spent some time off and on in the hotel lobby until about 11:15 p.m. or so, perhaps a little after. He was drinking quite heavily. I didn't see him after that.

Detective Murphy: What else do you remember about last night?

Yvonne Boyd: I do remember having to call Ms. Jones about her daughter. The young lady was out roaming the halls. She tried to hang out in the lobby area here and ambush contestants for autographs. I finally had to shoo her back to her room just before midnight.

Detective Murphy: And what else?

Yvonne Boyd: Ms. Ruffin-Moore, the retired professor from the college.

Detective Murphy: What about her?

Yvonne Boyd: She was kind of meandering about, mumbling to herself. Came out the lobby and took her shoes off, complained the heels were hurting her feet.

Detective Murphy: Anything else?

Yvonne Boyd: Not that I can recall.

Detective Armstrong: We'll need a list of employees as well as guests.

Yvonne Boyd: I'll see what I can do.

Detective Armstrong: That's it for now, Mrs. Boyd. Thanks for your help.

Interview ended – 11:18 a.m.