STAN BURCH: This is detective Stan Burch. I’m at the Mount Zion Cemetery. I’m talking to a Mr…

GUTHRIE: Lance

STAN BURCH: Lance

GUTHRIE: E. Guthrie

STAN BURCH: E. Guthrie. Uh…Mr. Guthrie. I’ve read your statement here and I’d like to ask you some other questions concerning this young man that you observed out on the cemetery grounds at approximately 21 May. Are you sure of the date?

GUTHRIE: Yes, I’m positive that was the date because I was weed eating around the headstones.

STAN BURCH: Alright. And about uh…you state in your statement here that the youth was somewhere between 13 and 14 years old?

GUTHRIE: About that age.

STAN BURCH: How was he – how was he dressed?

GUTHRIE: He had blue jeans and a checkedy shirt on and tennis shoes. And blond hair.

STAN BURCH: O.k. I am going to show you a picture, and could you possibly relate whether or not this is the youth you seen or not?

GUTHRIE: No that ain’t him – nuh, uh, his hair wasn’t long.

STAN BURCH: O.k. You say his hair was shorter than this?

GUTHRIE: Yeah, it was shorter.

STAN BURCH: O.k. About how short, what would you say?

GUTHRIE: It was up above the collar length, you know.

STAN BURCH: O.k. Uh, he asked you about the Steve Branch gravesite. What did you tell him?

GUTHRIE: I told him where Steve Branch was buried at. I asked him was he any kin to him, he said yeah, I’m a cousin. And I said well, he’s buried up there by that oak tree close to Jessie Scott. And then he told me he’s kin to Bob Taylor, and was lookin’ around. I looked at his headstone and the date showed that he died way back there. I felt something funny about it but I didn’t say nothin’. I told him well if you wanna find the little Branch boy he’s buried up there. And he went up there.

STAN BURCH: O.k. Did you observe anything that he did up there at the gravesite?

GUTHRIE: Nah, I went back to weed eating.

STAN BURCH: O.k. Did you see him again after that?

GUTHRIE: I seen him walk out of the graveyard but I didn’t see which way he went.

STAN BURCH: O.k., which direction was he headed when you seen him walk-

GUTHRIE: Towards the interstate.

STAN BURCH: Towards the interstate? Which would be…southeast-

GUTHRIE: Southeast.

STAN BURCH: Of here? O.k. Is there anything else that you’d like to add to this statement?

GUTHRIE: Nothing I can think of – after I talked to old D about it. Mr. Dempsey here told me that he kneeled down by the grave and prayed, but I ain’t doubting his word because he’s always been truthful to me.

STAN BURCH: O.k.

GUTHRIE: But I didn’t see which way the boy went. I went back doing my weed eating job.

STAN BURCH: O.k. Thank you sir. This concludes the statement at this time. The time is 11:10 on the 10th of June.