Interview with Dr. Jeannie Decuypere

Date:May 16, 1996
Pages:19

Det. Sudler: Today's date is May 16, 1996. The time is now 9:57 a.m. This is gonna be a taped interview with Dr. Jeannie Decuypere concerning the Lisa McPherson investigation. Present during the interview is Attorney Bob Johnson, Det. Margaret Jewett, and myself (Det. Ronald Sudler).
Det. Sudler: Dr. Decuypere, as I've explained to you, we're conducting an investigation into the death of Lisa Mcpherson. And I understand that ... that you've known Lisa and' I'd like to ask you some questions about ... you know.. .how long you've known Lisa and your relationship to her in.. .you know ... in ... in the past. Umm ... just to start out with, when did you first meet Lisa McPherson?
Decuypere: Well, I don't have a specific date but it was in.. .let's see.. .this is 1996.. .probably 1994.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Umm ... was that a ... a doctor/patient relationship?
Decuypere: Yes.
Det. Sudler: It was ... okay. Okay.' Had you ever met her under any other circumstances.. .1 mean ... as a friend or ... you know ... associate ... any ... anything like that or just as a patient?
Decuypere: Just as a patient.
Det. Sudler: Okay ... alright. Umm ... as we discussed, we'd like you, to talk about ... as much as you can ... about Lisa ... about any health problems that you may have been aware of or ... or anything that ... that would be contributing factors ... you know.. . if she was on any ... you know ... unusual diets or anything like that or anything regarding her ... her physical health that.. .that you may be aware of that you could talk to us about. Umm ... did ... did she have any let's say unexplained weight loss or anything like that .that ... that you were aware of?
Decuypere: No.
Det. Sudler: In dealing with her?

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Decuypere: Uh Uh.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Her weight remained pretty much constant during that time?
Decuypere: Yes.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Umm ... when was the last time that you saw Lisa?
Decuypere: Well, I saw her in the hospital with this accident.
Det. Sudler: Okay.
Decuypere: And I don't know what the date was on that. But prior to that, it was in July.
Det. Sudler: In July?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Of 95?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Umm ... describe her mental health ... you know.. .at the time that you saw her. Did she appear to be under.. .you know ... any stress or having any problems or anything like that?
Decuypere: No. The.. .the last time that I saw her, I think that she was.. I can't remember if she had a new boyfriend or had gotten finished with an old boyfriend or what. But she seemed happy. We were just ... had discussed the fact that the temperature here was very very warm and she wasn't doing well with the heat. pet. Sudler: Okay. Umm ... she didn't relate any other problems or anything that she was having ... any unusual stress that she was going through or anything like that?
Decuypere: Uh Uh ... no.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Umm ... and that was sometime back in July?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Okay. And was that an office visit that you met her?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Here at 1250 Rogers Street?
Decuypere: Right.

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Det. Sudler: Okay. Umm ... 1 guess moving into other more recent times with regard to.her traffic accident...
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Can you tell me what your involvement was in that?
Decuypere: Umm. .1 was trying to think of what the.. .even the day that was. I know it was night time and I got a call from Benetta Slaughter, who is her employer. And she said that she'd been in an accident and could I go to the hospital. Because apparently Mrs. Slaughter was ... had been working all day. She had paint on her and ... and I know that Mrs. Slaughter does not like blood and that sort of thing. So she asked if I could go.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Had there been any concern about any injury that Lisa may have sustained in that accident?
Decuypere: I.. .1 don't think that Mrs. Slaughter was aware of what had occurred.
Det. Sudler: Okay.
Decuypere: And.. .because she didn't relay that to me. She just said that she was at Morton Plant and could I go over there.
Det. Sudler: Okay. And that was sometime in the evening?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Umm.. .was that call made here at your office or at.. .at...
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Here?
Decuypere: Yeah, it was here.
Det. Sudler: Umm. . I take it you went to the hospital?
Decuypere: Yeah.
Det. Sudler: Okay. What happened there?
Decuypere: Umm ... I'm trying to recall what did occur. I went in and asked if there was a Lisa McPherson. Oh, I do recall now.. . Mr. Slaughter ... David Slaughter was

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there and said that Lisa was in the Emergency Room. So I asked if it was airight to go back there. We were in the receiving area. And they said yes. So I went back and she seemed.. . she was on a bed in a gown. ..a hospital gown. And she seemed fine to me. There was no blood on her or anything. And I at that point had.. .still didn't know what had happened.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Did you ever.. .you know ... during your time at the hospital ... find out either from Lisa or her friends or medical personnel what had transpired that evening?
Decuypere: Yes. I was told that she hit a car or ran into the back of something. And ... and then the next thing that was known is that she didn't have any clothes on. So I never quite got the sequence of events there but that's what I was told.
Det. Sudler: Was something that you would kinda characterize as not ... not normal behavior under the circumstances?
Decuypere: Well, I didn't know what the circumstances were.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Airight. Umm ... knowing Lisa ... I've never met her but.. .1 mean ... you had dealings with her. Urnm... at least we could say that, if she had a traffic accident. .. .that most people involved in traffic accidents don't disrobe..
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: From ... from my experience. Umm ... this accident occurred in November. Umm ... were you aware ... did she go through any breakups with ... you said she might have had a new boyfriend. Any emotional trauma or anything that having an accident might have just pushed her ... you know.. . a little bit over the edge or anything about her background?
Decuypere: I was not aware of that.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Umm ... so at.. .at the hospital.. .how did you

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find out about what she did at the scene? Did.. . did Lisa tell you?
Decuypere: No. There was another individual there.. .Mary somebody .and I... I understand she was Mrs. Slaughter's assistant. And I don't know how she got there but she Lisa's clothes. And it was just the two of them.. .Lisa and this Mary person.
Det. Sudler: Okay. So it was just.. .and this was at Morton Plant Hospital.. . right?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.. .right.
Det. Sudler: And there was this Mary individual?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Who's associated with Benetta?
Decuypere: Right.
Det. Sudler: And that was all?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: And just you?
Decuypere: Right.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Umm ... did you get to talk to Lisa?
Decuypere: I did.
Det. Sudler: Okay. And you said she seemed fine?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: What did she say happened? Did she give any explanation?
Decuypere: No, she didn't. She didn't give an explanation and all.. .all I said ... and perhaps I didn't really give her the opportunity to do that ... I just told her that she screwed up.
Det. Sudler: .Uh Huh. Was she afraid of anything?
Decuypere: Uh Uh. She didn't seem afraid at all.
Det. Sudler: Did she think that she was gonna get arrested or anything?
Decuypere: No...it never.. .it never...

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Det. Sudler: That never came up?
Decuypere: Uh Uh.
Det. Sudler: Umm ... what was I guess the basis of her conversation? Did.. . did she try to offer any explanation of why she did that? Did she say she was having problems?
Decuypere: No, she never said that. And there was such a lot of activity there.. .you know ... people.. .doctors coming and going. And it was quite a wild area at that time. There was a child that was very sick and had like a whooping cough and there was lots of noise and lots of activity. And she.. .we didn't get into the conversation.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Did you.. .did you know why she was transported to the hospital?
Decuypere: No.
Det. Sudler: Did you.. .was there any physical injuries that she told you about or...?
Decuypere: No. I. .1 know that the doctor at one point came back in and examined her eyes just to see if she'd hit her head and that sort of thing. But there wasn't any lacerations of any sort on her body.
Det. Sudler: No visible injuries?
Decuypere: Uh Uh.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Umm ... when you talked to her. . I mean.. .how .what period of time are we talking about. ..you know ... that you spent with her?
Decuypere: Well, I was there.. I don't really have a concept of, it. It seemed like a couple of hours but I'm sure it wasn't that. I was there from the time that I arrived whatever time that was. That's pretty ambiguous I know, but until we left together. And I don't know if you've ever spent any time in an Emergency Room. It's more of a hand holding kind of a thing as opposed to let's get

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down and have a serious discussion.
Det. Sudler: Yeah, they can be quite chaotic places.
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Especially Morton Plant.. .you know.. .a metropolitan area like this ... you know. They keep ... they get about ten deep in the waiting room. Was she crying or upset or irrational?
Decuypere: No. She didn't seem irrational to me. She ... she cried one time and I'm not sure if ... if that was in the presence of one of the doctors there or ... but she I . I don't know if it came from just the experience but she cried for a minute. And then she stopped.
Det. Sudler: Okay. And you were there?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Umm. .was her attitude ... was she joking about this or...
Decuypere: No.
Det. Sudler: Or concerned or serious or...?
Decuypere: No. It's.. .1. I .she didn't joke and to me it was more like somebody who is in a bit of shock from an accident where they basically.. .you know... withdraw a little bit more. They ... they're not effusive with their conversation and she was not.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Was.. .was Lisa normally ... when you talked to her, was she very talkative and open?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: So while she was at the hospital she was somewhat withdrawn?
Decuypere: Yeah. She was not ... not talkative. I can say that.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Umm ... doyou know what the doctors.. .did they prescribe anything for her or ... you know. .was there any concern about her previous back injury or anything like that? Were you concerned?

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Decuypere: No. The back injury didn't come up. I was ... I was not really consulted by the Emergency Room doctors except for one situation where if I knew why she might have' not been doing well. And all I was aware of is that, in July, there was this physical situation of her being able to keep her metabolism with her salt and potassium. She was having a bit of a problem with that because of the heat.
Det. Sudler: Uh Huh.
Decuypere: So that's what I shared with them...that's what I knew of from July. But I hadn't seen her since July.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Umm ... concerning that ... was she taking any... any drugs or was she prescribed anything or...?
Decuypere: Uh Uh.
Det. Sudler: . Any over the counter medications ... vitamins ... anything like that to...
Decuypere: Not that I know of.
Det. Sudler: Oh.. .okay.
Decuypere: In July I think she was, taking just ... you know... B's an C's and that sort of thing. .normal natural vitamins. But she was trying to regulate this inability to handle the salt and potassium.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Umm ... did she see a,, doctor about that ... do you know?
Decuypere: No, I don't know.
Det. Sudler: Okay. You don't know if she had a personal physician here?
Decuypere: No, I don't know that.
Det. Sudler: Okay. How did she.. .do you know ... have any idea how she became aware that she was.. .you know... losing I guess the ... you know ... the potassium and everything from her system?
Decuypere: No. She just had ... she said she was just really

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very uncomfortable and she couldn't stand to be out in the heat sort of thing.
Det. Sudler: Airight. She didn't elaborate on any..you know... if she did diet or anything or ... or dietary supplements or anything?
Decuypere: No.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Umm.. .at the hospital, what did.. I guess .1 assume Lisa was released that night. Can you tell me what happened ... 1 mean ... did ... did they complete all their X-Rays or did they take X-Rays or anything like that or...?
Decuypere: Umm. . I have the idea that they didn't take X-Rays because. . I have an idea that I was there relatively early on ... you know ... the scene because Mary had been with her up to that point. And during the course of that time while I was there they didn't take her for X-Rays. And the.. .the doctor just examined her and and did reflex testing and tested her eyes and found nothing going on.
Det. Sudler: What did Lisa say? Did she say that.. .you know... she wanted to be.. .you know.. . checked into the hospital ... that she wanted to go home? Did she say anything like that?
Decuypere: No, I didn't hear her say anything one way or the other about' it.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Alright. Did any doctors approach you and... you know ... to ask ... you know ... if you ... you know... since you were there.. .what ... you know ... what your relationship was to her?
Decuypere: No, no one asked me my. relationship to her.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Did.. .was.. .well, when.. .obviously Lisa was in the Emergency Room. What precipitated her being released? . Was there any conversations with the

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doctors and her? You know.. .did she.. .did she sign herself out or...?
Decuypere: She did.
Det. Sudler: You know...
Decuypere: She signed and I signed.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Oh, so you signed too. Okay. As a witness?
Decuypere: As a witness.
Det. Sudler: Oh, okay. Were there any instructions to watch her or anything like that or.. .you know ... did they feel that she was okay and just.. .you know.. .I mean it's kind of unusual just to.. . to go through an accident and to do that ... I mean ... I guess they were confident or did she convince them that she was okay is what I'm trying to get at.
Decuypere: I know ... but they had a psychiatric nurse come down and apparently that is part of their routine. . And they asked her questions to see if she was rational and could answer them and ... I remember one of the questions they asked ... he said it was the 64 million dollar question and what did this mean to her. And the question was.. .I'm trying to think back.. ."People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones". That's what one of the questions was.. .the 64 million dollar question. And she answered that and she answered all of their ... all of their questions.
Det. Sudler: Okay.
Decuypere: Until they said.. .then...then the medical doctor came in and said.. . admonished her for ... for this nakedness and tried to tell her that this would be a hard thing to explain to his son if ... if his son happened to see a naked lady running down the street... trying to get her to understand that that was not a normal thing.

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Det. Sudler: Could have caused more accidents too.
Decuypere: And he said his concern was that she didn't herself and didn't hurt others. So he ... he admonished her and then said "I will get the release here".
Det. Sudler: Okay. And then she signed it and you signed it?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Where did Lisa go after that?
Decuypere: She went to the Ft. Harrison.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Do you know why?
Decuypere: Well, her minister came during the course of this time.
Det. Sudler: Okay. And who would that be?
Decuypere: I don't know what his first name is. His last name is Kardizinski.
Det. Sudler: Okay. So he showed up at the hospital?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Before her ... before her release?
Decuypere: Uh Huh. And at that time she ... he went to her side and ... and I. think also at that time the medical doctor was there. And I was standing out in the hail watching them. And I do remember hearing the doctor ask Kardizinski what his relationship was to her ... so...
Det. Sudler: Okay. And then how did ... was ... did ... did Mr. Kardizinski take her to there ... to 210 or did she ride with you or Benétta?
Decuypere: Benetta never showed up ... she was...
Det. Sudler: Oh, she never showed up?
Decuypere: She, was never there.
Det. Sudler: Okay. So it was just you,and Mary then at the hospital?
Decuypere: No. Mary left at some point. I don't know when she did leave, but after the first maybe twenty

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minutes or so she was gone and I never saw her again after that.
Det. Sudler: Okay. So at the time of release, it was just Mr. Kardizinski and yourself?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Okay.
Decuypere: After the doctor established who Kardizinski was.. .and I don't even know how.. .what that conversation was all about.. .Kardizinski left the actual Emergency Room. And then I stayed the rest of the time with ... with Lisa ... and... just waiting until they had all the tests done that they needed to have done. And then the docto'r came in and said that he was releasing her and then told her she shouldn't run in the street naked. And ... and he looked at me like "Look, you have to.. . I'm.. . I'm letting her go but you should take care of her". So he.. .he signed the forms and we signed the forms and .and then she.. .we walked out together. , And as we walked out, then I saw Kardizinski and there was another gentleman.. .1 don't know who he was. And I'm not sure if Mr. Slaughter was still out there. But she and I walked out together and I put her in Kardizinski's car and then I followed over with them ... with my car.
Det. Sudler: , Okay. Urnm...Mr. Slaughter was outside of the hospital?
Decuypere: He was when I first got there ... the very very first time I arrived. But I don't know if he was there afterwards.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Was Benetta with him?
Decuypere: No. I never saw Benetta the whole time, nor did

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I expect to see her knowing her aversion.
Det. Sudler: And you don't know if he was there when you left?
Decuypere: No.
Det. Sudler: Okay. You didn't see him inside the hospital?
Decuypere: No.
Det. Sudler: Okay. So just at the hospital was initially Mary,...
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: At first. And then she left shortly after. You said she brought clothes for... .
Decuypere: I don't know that she brought them. I know there was some clothes there.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Alright. And you don't know who Mary is?
Decuypere: Was her assistant I.. .I've been told her name before but I don't...
Det. Sudler: From work?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Okay. And ... and Mr. Slaughter was there when you arrived?
Decuypere: Right.. .initially.
Det. Sudler: And then you didn't see him in the parking lot?
Decuypere: No, I didn't see him in the parking lot. He may have been someplace in the hospital.. I don't know.
Det. Sudler: But you didn't see him in the hospital?
Decuypere: No.
Det. Sudler: Okay. And then Mr. Kardizinski took Lisa to the 210 building?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Did he say anything to you?
Decuypere: No. .
Det. Sudler: Okay. Was that Lisa's request or.. .you know?
Decuypere: I didn't hear any ofthat conversation.
Det. Sudler: You didn't.. .okay ... alright. During your conversation

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with Lisa ... did she ... again did she talk about anything .you know ... leading up to the accident?
Decuypere: No.
Det. Sudler: Anything that she.. I I know that she had traveled to a' seminar or something that week before and ... you know.. I don't know if she was perhaps just run down or...?
Decuypere: Well, she didn't mention that but someone else mentioned that to me that she didn't sleep well that weekend ... that those like seminars or conventions... they go late and she wasn't sleeping well. And I don't know if she was still suffering from the salt deficient thing.. I don't...
Det. Sudler: But she didn't specifically say that to you?
Decuypere: No ... Uh Uh.
Det. Sudler: Umm...do you recall who told you about that?
Decuypere: I knew that they were going to.'. . to the seminar because I have other patients from Benetta. So I knew that they were going. tJmm ... 1 don't know who mentioned that to me.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Her place of employment is AMC Publishing?
Decuypere: Right.
Det. Sudler: Okay. And I take it this seminar was related to her work?
Decuypere: Right.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Did that pretty much..'.you know...did you have any further dealings that night with...?
Decuypere: , No.
Det. Sudler: Did you receive any phone calls from Lisa or anything like that?
Decuypere: No.. .Uh Uh.
Det. Sudler: Okay. When I guess did you hear of her death?
Decuypere: Umm. . I don't know when it was. I remember I had

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been over at the 210 building and I.. I don't... I was wondering what, the date was myself. But Benetta came up to me and she said "Did you hear?" And I said "What?" and then she told me that she'd died.
Det. Sudler: Okay. So you heard that from Benetta?
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Umm ... did you attend any services or anything like that for her?
Decuypere: I didn't.
Det. Sudler: You didn't ... okay. Umm ... umm ... did Benetta tell you what happened or...?
Decuypere: Well, she said that she didn't ... they didn't know what happened.. .that ... that there was ... and I don't even know if they had an autopsy or what they did to find out. But apparently it was some kind of a virus,. That's the last I heard. I have no no facts what finally came of that.
Det. Sudler: Umm ... so ... so from what I understand, Lisa went there for obviously rest and relaxation. And what we're trying to. ..to find out is. ..you, know.. .while she was there, if.. .you know ... if she made any phone calls to anybody ... if she was feeling any better... you know.. .mentally or ... you know.. .physically or anything like that.. .you know ... if this could've stemmed from some type of injury in the accident or something like that.
Decuypere: I.. .I haven't a clue. I had no contact with them. don't know what' happened.
Det. Sudler: Did anybody update you on her condition and say how... that she was doing any better after she was released from the hospital or. ..?
Decuypere: No. One time I saw Kardizinski and he said that she

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was doing better.. . that she'd been sleeping and eating and...
Det. Sudler: And getting rest.
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: Umm...
Decuypere: I'm sorry I'm not much help. I don't have much information.
Det. Sudler: Well, that's okay. We're just ... you know ... trying to ... you know ... find out as much as. .as we can... you know.
Decuypere: Uh Huh.
Det. Sudler: You know ... like we said ... obviously. .you know... it's ... you know ... unusual she was healthy and... you know.. .just the circumstances that night... taking off her clothes and...
Decuypere: Uh Huh. Det. Sudier: The ... the death of her ... you know.. .just recently after that...we're just trying to find out...you know ... if there was something. Would ... would Lisa be the type of person that, if she ... you know... you know ... needed ... you know.. .medical attention or .or like.. .you know ... she had a health problem that she would see a doctor for that or...?
Decuypere: Umm ... yeah...
Det. Sudler: Do you know if she was ever referred to any physicians or...
Decuypere: I don't ,know, that.
Det. Sudler: You don't know anything about that., Do you know anybody thát..that ... that might know? I mean... I guess her family didn't have.. .you know.. .she didn't talk to her mom. ..you know.. .but periodically. And ... and would there be anybody that she would be really close with here that would know more about

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her medical history.. .you'know ... if she did anything .you know ... or was.. .you know ... around anything or or had taken anything. You know.. . some type of unusual diets.. . like bulimics do terrible things to their bodies. And we're just trying to find out if she had any of these' things. That's usually associated with some type of.. .you know ... mental.. .you know... disorders or problems. And ... you know.. . if you were aware of anything like that as far as Lisa...
Decuypere: No, I'mnot. I ... my only association with her really was that she worked ... had been with the Slaughters for sometime and she seemed ... you know ... vivacious to me and very.. . really quite analytical about what she was doing. She had a good job. She,was making good money. And she did have some problems with boyfriends but... and I don't even know.. .recall right now hold she was. But what I had mentioned at the hospital to the doctors is that, what I knew about the salt situation and since I hadn't seen her since July, I didn't know if that had been resolved yet. But when you have a salt and potassium problem. .you know ... sometimes it can create some physiological problems. And also she had ... just in hearsay.. . quite a history with her family. I think both her brother and her father committed suicide. And that's basically all I knew about Lisa'.
Det. Sudler: Okay. Do you recall who the doctor was, that you talked to that night?
Decuypere: Lovett.
Det. Sudler: Dr. Lovett.
Decuypere: And what was the cause of death anyway?
Det. Sudler: It's still undecided at this point.
Decuypere: Oh, I see.

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Det. Sudler: You know.. .that's ... that's what they're looking at here. There.. .there were a lot of factors and they're trying to piece it all together ... you know. I ... I'm not really ... because it's still open and not public record right now ... at liberty to say .you know.. .what their findings were. But that's why ... you know ... we're just looking at that period of time between ... you know ... her traffic accident and ... and her death to try to find out if there .you know ... there was anything that she did... you know ... with regard to the salt or ... you know... that we can find out today or anything that may have been a contributing factor to that. I don't have any further questions. Det. Jewett, you have any questions?
Det. Jewett: No.
Det. Sudler: Mr. Johnson?
Johnson: No, that's fine.
Det. Sudler: Okay. For the record I'd just like to say that this interview took place at Dr. Decuypere's office at X. And this is gonna conclude the interview. And the time is now 1025 hours.

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REPORTING: Det. Ron Sudlerlelg ID NO:_608 DATE: 5/16/96 ~ STATUS: Active EXCEPTION TYPE: _______ DATE CLEARED:____________ ~.RANCE TYPE 1'. Extradition Declined ~rrest , 2. AR of Prim. Offense, Secondary Offense. w/o Pros Adult _____Juv ____ 3. Death of Offender 5. Prosecution Deci xceptional 4. V/W Refused to Cooperate 6. Juv./No Custody Jnfounded . REVIEWING:____________________ DATE:__________ SA INFO: _____________