said, “Nobody knew we were going to be there. Alan did say he saw a teenager going through the parking lot. He thought it might have been a random-type deal.”
Jarrell queried, “Did they have to take the cap off of the gas tank?”
Miriam answered, “Um, there was a big restaurant-style skewer that was wrapped with like gauze or something. And then they stuck it down in the gas tank and lit it. But because the gas tank was full, it didn’t do anything except catch the rubber on the outside of the trunk on fire.”
Jarrell replied again, “Wow! That’s significant!”
Miriam said, “Alan called the Delta PD a couple of times, but they never called us back.”
“Huh.” Jarrell turned to Detective Norris, who had returned to the interview room, and said, “We have to follow up on this.”
Detective Jarrell was exasperated that all of this was coming up so late in the interview. She said, “What did Alan think about that situation?”
Miriam replied, “Oh, he talked about it. And at first it was scary. Because if I had not gone into the bathroom when I did, we would have driven down the road and things would have been a lot worse. After a while, Alan said he couldn’t think of anything. It had to be random because—”
Before she finished, Jarrell asked, “How much damage was done?”
Miriam said, “It wasn’t too much.”
“You said you were the only ones who knew you were going there. Did anyone in his family know you were going there?”
“I don’t know.”
Detective Norris took down Miriam’s date of birth, January 26, 1957, and he looked at her hands again. Jarrell asked, “Any other suspicious incidents?” Miriam said no. When asked about Alan’s will, Miriam answered that she didn’t know all the details about it, and would have to contact Alan’s lawyer. Then Miriam added, “Where things stand today, I don’t have enough money to make the next house payment.”
Jarrell wanted to know how much that was, and Miriam said that it was $3,200 per month. Jarrell replied, “Wow, that’s a pretty substantial house payment.” Then she paused and wanted to know, “Who do you think has the most to gain from all of this?”
Miriam thought for a while and then said, “Probably Alan Jr.” And then Miriam dropped another bombshell late in the proceedings. She said about daughter Wendy’s ex-husband, “He (Alan) threatened to kill him one time.”
Jarrell was flabbergasted that this was only being revealed now. The list of possible suspects seemed to keep growing and growing. Miriam added, “Wendy was at a Red Lobster restaurant and saw her husband there with his girlfriend. She threw a big scene. At least that’s what Alan told me. Wendy came to live with Alan for a while. And the Grand Junction police had her stay away from her ex-husband. Alan told them she could go wherever she wanted to go. Then he said, ‘If her ex-husband ever turns up dead, you can come looking for me!’”
Jarrell’s head must have been spinning at this point. But obviously the car fire incident in Delta had grabbed most of her attention. She asked, “Had you ever seen that skewer before, or the gauze, or whatever?”
Miriam replied, “No. It looked like something that might have come out of a hurricane lamp.”
“The wick?”
“Yes.”
Finally, after two hours and forty-five minutes, the interview was over. Detectives Jarrell and Norris exited the room, and a female employee entered with a bag of clothing for Miriam to put on once she gave up her own clothing. This woman asked Miriam, “You okay?”
Miriam replied, “I’m getting there. What time is it?”
The woman answered that it was 4:20 P.M. To this, Miriam said, “Oh, I have to feed the horses sometime tonight. Could you call them?” (She was referring to the officers who were still at the Helmick residence in Whitewater.)
The woman said that she would, and then asked where Miriam intended to stay the night. Miriam replied that she
Jarrell queried, “Did they have to take the cap off of the gas tank?”
Miriam answered, “Um, there was a big restaurant-style skewer that was wrapped with like gauze or something. And then they stuck it down in the gas tank and lit it. But because the gas tank was full, it didn’t do anything except catch the rubber on the outside of the trunk on fire.”
Jarrell replied again, “Wow! That’s significant!”
Miriam said, “Alan called the Delta PD a couple of times, but they never called us back.”
“Huh.” Jarrell turned to Detective Norris, who had returned to the interview room, and said, “We have to follow up on this.”
Detective Jarrell was exasperated that all of this was coming up so late in the interview. She said, “What did Alan think about that situation?”
Miriam replied, “Oh, he talked about it. And at first it was scary. Because if I had not gone into the bathroom when I did, we would have driven down the road and things would have been a lot worse. After a while, Alan said he couldn’t think of anything. It had to be random because—”
Before she finished, Jarrell asked, “How much damage was done?”
Miriam said, “It wasn’t too much.”
“You said you were the only ones who knew you were going there. Did anyone in his family know you were going there?”
“I don’t know.”
Detective Norris took down Miriam’s date of birth, January 26, 1957, and he looked at her hands again. Jarrell asked, “Any other suspicious incidents?” Miriam said no. When asked about Alan’s will, Miriam answered that she didn’t know all the details about it, and would have to contact Alan’s lawyer. Then Miriam added, “Where things stand today, I don’t have enough money to make the next house payment.”
Jarrell wanted to know how much that was, and Miriam said that it was $3,200 per month. Jarrell replied, “Wow, that’s a pretty substantial house payment.” Then she paused and wanted to know, “Who do you think has the most to gain from all of this?”
Miriam thought for a while and then said, “Probably Alan Jr.” And then Miriam dropped another bombshell late in the proceedings. She said about daughter Wendy’s ex-husband, “He (Alan) threatened to kill him one time.”
Jarrell was flabbergasted that this was only being revealed now. The list of possible suspects seemed to keep growing and growing. Miriam added, “Wendy was at a Red Lobster restaurant and saw her husband there with his girlfriend. She threw a big scene. At least that’s what Alan told me. Wendy came to live with Alan for a while. And the Grand Junction police had her stay away from her ex-husband. Alan told them she could go wherever she wanted to go. Then he said, ‘If her ex-husband ever turns up dead, you can come looking for me!’”
Jarrell’s head must have been spinning at this point. But obviously the car fire incident in Delta had grabbed most of her attention. She asked, “Had you ever seen that skewer before, or the gauze, or whatever?”
Miriam replied, “No. It looked like something that might have come out of a hurricane lamp.”
“The wick?”
“Yes.”
Finally, after two hours and forty-five minutes, the interview was over. Detectives Jarrell and Norris exited the room, and a female employee entered with a bag of clothing for Miriam to put on once she gave up her own clothing. This woman asked Miriam, “You okay?”
Miriam replied, “I’m getting there. What time is it?”
The woman answered that it was 4:20 P.M. To this, Miriam said, “Oh, I have to feed the horses sometime tonight. Could you call them?” (She was referring to the officers who were still at the Helmick residence in Whitewater.)
The woman said that she would, and then asked where Miriam intended to stay the night. Miriam replied that she
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