RIDGE: This is Det. Bryn Ridge of the West Memphis Police Department, currently in the West Memphis Police Department. Todays date Wednesday, 01/12/94, the time is 11:29AM. In the office with me is Donald Dewitt and Rose Dewitt. Uh, Donald, remembering back to May of this year, excuse me, last year now, 93, you said that you received a gold card?

DONALD: Right

RIDGE: Okay, what were the circumstances surrounding you receiving that gold card?

DONALD: I hit a jackpot and they voluntarily gave me a gold card.

RIDGE: Okay, you filled out some type of application while you were down there, some kind of information

DONALD: They took information from me and I received the gold card in the mail.

RIDGE: Uh, you had another card that you used before that, it was just a regular Splash card, I understand

DONALD: Right

RIDGE: Uh, it was in your name, the number is 61356

DONALD: Yeah, that’s right

RIDGE: That’s right, and your gold card number is 1566?

DONALD: That’s right

RIDGE: Okay, uh, you remember going to Splash Casino with Susan Sanders and her husband?

DONALD: Right

RIDGE: Okay, in front of us, we have four log in sheets, one dated 04/29/93, one dated 05/05/93, one dated 05/09/93 and one dated 05/14/93, that’s about a two and a half week period of time there, that’s four times that you would have gone down to Splash Casino, during that period, is that about normal?

DONALD: It was just about right, that’s about how many times we were going down there at that time

RIDGE: Pretty often, uh on 04/29/93 right at the bottom of the sheet, it has Donald Dewitt and Rose Dewitt, did you sign both of these names there?

DONALD: Ugh, ugh

RIDGE: Okay, and used the card number 61356?

DONALD: Right

RIDGE: Okay, on 05/05/93 uh, number 10, shows Donald Dewitt, then there is a 2, with an X over the top of it and a 1 beside it, okay when you first got your gold card, you probably or you think you put a 2 down, because it was you and Rose

DONALD: Right

RIDGE: Okay, and do you know who put this X on here and the 1

DONALD: I’m positive that the lady down there X-ed that out and said, you only have one guest and put a 1 in it.

RIDGE: Okay, the next date we have is 05/09/93, and lets go down to line number 12, and beside the line there under the guest list, you have a 3, do you remember that as being when the Sanders would have gone with you?

DONALD: According to these sheets laying here, this would have probably be the time that they went with me, they did go with me, but I can’t say positive that this was the day they went with me, but according to these sheets, this should be the date that they went with me.

RIDGE: Okay, this is of the four sheets, now we go to 05/14/93, this has Donald Dewitt on line 11, and you have 2 guest, uh anytime you would have taken one more person beside you and Rose, that was not the Sanders?

DONALD: No, it would not have been the Sanders

RIDGE: Because if it was anybody, it would have probably been your son out there, Ronnie?

DONALD: Ugh, ugh

RIDGE: So, of these four sheets, and of course, I went through from the uh, 27th of October all through the 17th of May and these are the only four times that you name appeared on the sheets. Uh, you’re certain that every time you went down there, you signed in on the sheet?

DONALD: During the time they had these sheets,

RIDGE: Yes

DONALD: I signed in every time

RIDGE: Okay, that’s what I need to know and uh, so, to the best of our knowledge,when you have these three guests on 05/09/93, that’s when you, Rose, and the Sanders, Susan Sanders, what’s her husband’s name?

DONALD: Randy

RIDGE: Randy Sanders, that’s when they went with you?

DONALD: Yeah, according to these papers, that’s when it would have to be.

RIDGE: Okay, alright. During that particular time, were there any other couples that went with you, down there, that you can remember?

DONALD: Uh, we have taken people down there, but I can’t remember the dates, but during that week there, I don’t think there were no other couples that went with us.

RIDGE: Okay, that’s what I needed to know

DONALD: And, anytime that any of them that went with us, it was usually on a weekend.

RIDGE: Okay

DONALD: We very seldom went, you know, I mean, during that time, I mean, we just happened to go that one night, because they were wanting to go.

RIDGE: Okay

DONALD: They had mentioned going to Splash and I said, well, we’ll go.

RIDGE: Okay, they approached you wanting to go to the Splash, or have you all been just like friends for a while?

DONALD: Well, we had the Bargain Center down here, and they came in, and uh, Randy didn’t care nothing about going, but his wife loved to go, said, she would love to go. Well, I said, we can go down there, if we don’t even play, we can go and eat a meal and have fun, you know, but

RIDGE: Do you know if they had ever been before?

DONALD: I don’t think that they had ever been before

RIDGE: Okay, how about since then, have they been with you

DONALD: Now, that, naw, uh, uh, just that one time is all that uh,

RIDGE: Did anything in particular happen when they were there with you, uh loosing a bunch of money, or winning a bunch of money, anything like that?

DONALD: I think neither one of us see either won or lost a bunch, because we didn’t take much with us

RIDGE: Sorta broke even?

DONALD: Yeah

RIDGE: You mean, you and the Sanders, or you and Rose?

DONALD: Well, me and Rose, I mean, we always lost a little you know, but that particular night we did loose, and I don’t they took but $30.00 or $40.00 bucks with them, so I’m sure they lost all of theirs too.

RIDGE: Okay, alright. Is there anything else that you can think of that, you know, is there any reason that would make you, okay, that’s what I wanted to ask you, did you write a check for any cash money before you went down to Splash that night, or

DONALD: I don’t think we did

RIDGE: Okay. So, there wouldn’t be any receipts anywhere that we would know about?

DONALD: No

RIDGE: Okay. Uh,

DONALD: I didn’t draw no money out of the bank, on the card

RIDGE: Okay, alright, I’ll go ahead and conclude the interview. That’s all I really needed, the time now is 11:35AM. This is Det. Ridge again, the time is 11:37AM. In talking with the Sanders, 05/09/93, now that was a Sunday

DONALD: Talking with the Dewitts

RIDGE: Excuse me, the Dewitts, talking with the Dewitts, now the night that you went down to Splash Casino, with the Sanders, it was after you had closed the restaurant that night, that evening?

DONALD: The Bargain Center

RIDGE: The Bargain Center, now that’s the one right here?

DONALD: Yeah, yeah, right

RIDGE: At Rhodes and Broadway?

DONALD: Yeah

RIDGE: And, you closed it about 5?

DONALD: Uh, uh

RIDGE: And, about what time did you all leave from here actually going to Splash?

DONALD: Probably 5:30, 5:45 at the latest

RIDGE: Okay, uh on Wednesday, what time would you have closed, if it had been on a Wednesday?

ROSE: We always close about 5 or 6 at the latest.

RIDGE: During the week, even on the weekend, 5 o’clock was the closing time?

ROSE: Yeah, yeah

RIDGE: Okay, that’s what I needed to know. Alright, I’ll conclude the interview again, the time is 11:38.