THIS IS DET. B. RIDGE OF THE WEST MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT. CURRENTLY IN THE WEST MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT, CID OFFICE. TODAY'S DATE IS 9/22/93. THE TIME IS 2:46 P.M. IN THE OFFICE WITH ME IS CARL RICHARD APPLING. JR., AND HIS MOTHER CYNTHIA L. APPLING. OKAY, CARL, THE REASON YOUR HERE. IS THAT A KNIFE WAS DISCOVERED AT MARION JR. HIGH SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY AFTER SCHOOL LET OUT LAST FALL. OR EXCUSE ME . LAST SPRING. TELL ME ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED UP TO YOU PLACING THAT KNIFE BEHIND THE CABINET.

CARL- ALRIGHT. THE DAY BEFORE I TOOK THE KNIFE TO SCHOOL, I FOUND OUT THAT I WAS GOING TO WIND UP BEING JUMPED BY 6 OR 7 BLACK BOYS, AND FROM WHAT I WAS ALSO TOLD, I WAS GOING TO GET STABBED WHILE THEY WERE JUMPING ME. SO, I CARRIED THE KNIFE TO SCHOOL BECAUSE I FELT LIKE IF THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING TO GET ME WITH, I OUGHT TO HAVE SOMETHING TO FIGHT BACK WITH. SO, I CARRIED THE KNIFE TO SCHOOL. THE BOYS FOUND OUT THAT I HAD THE KNIFE, AND WERE GOING TO REPORT ME TO THE OFFICE. AND I GAVE THE KNIFE TO JASON CROSBY FOR HIM TO HOLD IT, UNTIL CO. WHEN WE GOT BACK FROM CO, WE WENT BACK TO THE BACK OF THE CLASSROOM AND WE PLACED THE KNIFE BEHIND THE CABINET, SO THAT NOBODY...

RIDGE- ALRIGHT, WHAT IS C.O.?

CARL- CAREER ORIENTATION.

RIDGE- OKAY, AND ABOUT HOW LONG BEFORE SCHOOL LET OUT DID THIS OCCUR?

CARL- IT WAS ABOUT THE LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

RIDGE- ALRIGHT. DESCRIBE THIS KNIFE FOR ME.

CARL- IT WAS A WOOD HANDLE BOOT KNIFE, THAT. THEY'RE USUALLY USED FOR THROWING, AND IT HAD A BRASS PIECE AT THE TOP OF IT THAT WAS BENT A LITTLE BIT. THE BLADE ON IT WAS STAINLESS STEEL, AND IT HAD RUST ON IT. THE TIP OF THE BLADE WAS BENT A LITTLE BIT FROM WHERE I HAD BEEN THROWING IT. AND A LEATHER SHEATH WITH IT WITH A METAL CLIP ON THE BACK OF THE SHEATH. AND IT HAD TWO LITTLE METAL PIECES STUCK OUT AT THE END OF THE HANDLE BEFORE YOU GOT TO THE BLADE.

RIDGE- TO KEEP YOUR HAND FROM SLIDING OFF THE HANDLE ONTO THE BLADE. IS THAT RIGHT?

CARL- YES SIR.

RIDGE- OKAY. HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD THAT KNIFE.

CARL- ABOUT 2 OR 3 YEARS.

RIDGE- OKAY, AND WHERE DID YOU GET IT?

CARL- FROM MY GRANDPARENTS. FOR CHRISTMAS.

RIDGE- OKAY. AND, DURING THE PERIOD OF TIME YOU HAD THAT KNIFE, DID YOU LOAN IT TO ANYBODY.

CARL- NO SIR. THAT KNIFE STAYED IN MY BEDROOM UNLESS I WAS GOING HUNTING OR FISHING.

RIDGE- ALRIGHT, AND HOW DID YOU FIND OUT THAT WE HAD THE KNIFE.

CARL- FROM JASON CROSBY.

RIDGE- OKAY, AND JASON CROSBY TOLD YOU THAT WE HAD BEEN ASKING ABOUT THE KNIFE.

CARL- YES SIR. HE SAID THAT YA'LL ASKED HIM HOW HE GOT THE KNIFE, AND WHO HE GOT IT FROM, AND WHY HE HAD IT AT SCHOOL.

RIDGE- OKAY. DO YOU KNOW JASON BALDWIN.

CARL- I MET HIM ONE TIME.

RIDGE- OKAY, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN AROUND JASON, OR WITH JASON WITH THIS KNIFE.

CARL- NO SIR.

RIDGE- OKAY. AND HAS JASON EVER BORROWED THE KNIFE.

CARL- NO SIR.

RIDGE- JASON BALDWIN.

CARL- NO SIR.

RIDGE- SO THE ONE TIME YOU HAD THE KNIFE AT SCHOOL WAS FOR SELF PROTECTION BECAUSE YOU WERE GOING TO BE BEAT UP ON AND YOU HAD RUMOR THAT SOMEBODY WAS GOING TO TRY TO STAB YOU.

CARL- YES SIR.

RIDGE- YOU BECAME SCARED BECAUSE SOMEBODY FOUND OUT YOU HAD THE KNIFE, AND THAT THEY WERE GOING TO TELL THE TEACHERS THAT YOU HAD THE KNIFE AND IT WAS GOING TO GET YOU IN TROUBLE.

CARL -YES SIR.

RIDGE- SO WHEN YOU GET TO C.O. CLASS. WHICH IS CAREER ORIENTATION, YOU GET SCARED AND YOU PUT THAT KNIFE BEHIND THE CABINET. WHERE IS THAT CABINET?

CARL- IT'S IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM. AND IT'S ON THE FLOOR IN THE VERY BACK, AND IT STRETCHES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE AIR CONDITIONER VENT...

RIDGE- RIGHT.

CARL- ...AND THE CLOSET. AND THERE'S ABOUT A 2 FOOT SPACE AT THE OTHER END.

RIDGE- SO YOU JUST THREW IT BACK THERE.

CARL- YES SIR. WE THREW IT ABOUT, BECAUSE WE WENT BACK AFTER SCHOOL TO TRY AND GET THE KNIFE BACK OUT, BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO TAKE IT BACK HOME, BUT WE COULDN'T REACH THE KNIFE BECAUSE IT WAS ABOUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CABINET.

RIDGE- OKAY. HOW DID YOU GET BACK INTO SCHOOL?

CARL- WE WENT BACK IN.... WE NEVER LEFT OUT OF THE BUILDING. IT WAS LIKE RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL, THE BELL RANG, AND NO TEACHER WAS IN THE CLASSROOM.

RIDGE- THE DOORS WERE STILL OPEN?

CARL- YES SIR.

RIDGE- OKAY. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU THINK WE MIGHT NEED TO KNOW ABOUT? HAVE YOU HEARD ANY RUMORS, OR HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THIS HOMICIDE WITH THE THREE BOYS BACK LAST MAY?

CARL- NO SIR.

RIDGE- OKAY, DO YOU KNOW JESSIE MISSKELLEY?

CARL- WELL, I KNOW HIM, BUT I'M NOT CONSIDERED AN ACQUAINTANCE BECAUSE I'D SAY HI TO HIM IF HE WAS WALKING DOWN THE STREET OR SOMETHING, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WE NEVER....

RIDGE- HOW ABOUT DAMION ECHOLS, DID YOU KNOW HIM?

CARL- I MET HIM ONE TIME.

RIDGE- WHERE DID YOU MEET HIM?

CARL- AT THE MARION GOOD NEIGHBOR CENTER.

RIDGE- OKAY, WHAT WAS THE EXTENT OF YOU KNOWING HIM. I MEAN...

CARL- JUST, MY MOM WAS UP THERE WITH US, AND SHE TOLD ME WHO HE WAS, AND I MEAN...

RIDGE- OKAY. ALLRIGHT. I'LL GO AHEAD AND CONCLUDE THE INTERVIEW. THE TIME IS 2:51 P.M.