JOSH PEYTON WITNESS STATEMENT: BRITTANY LYNN
A document from an interactive, solvable fictional cold case told through official records.
Case Name: Brittany Lynn
Case Number: RH–1993–731
Document Type: Interview Transcript
Date Recorded: 09/06/1993
Location: Ricochet Hollow Sheriff’s Office
Interviewed By: Deputy Earl Pritchard
Interviewee: Josh Peyton
Age: 33
Occupation: Truck Driver
Recording Medium: Cassette (Audio)
PRITCHARD: For the record, please state your full name and current address.
MR. PEYTON: Joshua Daniel Peyton. I live at 1126 Poplar Glenn Road, Clavin, Kentucky.
PRITCHARD: And your relationship to Brittany Lynn?
MR. PEYTON: She’s… she was my daughter. She was my little girl.
PRITCHARD: Mr. Peyton, I know this is difficult, but I need you to answer clearly. Where were you on the afternoon of September 3rd between approximately 2:30 and 4:00 p.m.?
MR. PEYTON: I was driving. Southbound. I was coming back from Columbus, Ohio with a load of appliance parts. I left Clavin around 6:00 that morning. You can check my driver logs. They’re all stamped.
PRITCHARD: We will be reviewing those logs. Were you alone in the vehicle?
MR. PEYTON: Yes, sir. I always run solo.
PRITCHARD: Did you stop anywhere between noon and 4:00 p.m.?
MR. PEYTON: Just a fuel stop outside Lexington. That would’ve been early afternoon. There’s receipts for that.
PRITCHARD: Did you speak to Brittany on September 3rd at any point?
MR. PEYTON: No. I talked to her the night before. Around 7:30. Crystal put her on the phone. She was talking about her spelling test. She said she knew all the words. She wanted me to test her. She spelled “because” three times to make sure she got it right. She was proud of that.
PRITCHARD: Did she mention anything unusual? Anyone bothering her? Anything that concerned you?
MR. PEYTON: No. Nothing like that. She sounded normal. Happy.
PRITCHARD: Were there any custody disputes between you and Ms. Lynn?
MR. PEYTON: No. We didn’t go to court. We worked it out ourselves.
PRITCHARD: Any disagreements recently? Financial disputes? Arguments about visitation?
MR. PEYTON: No. We argued like anyone does. But nothing that’d make somebody take a child. That’s not how we are.
PRITCHARD: Mr. Peyton, I have to ask directly: did you at any point consider taking Brittany without informing Ms. Lynn?
MR. PEYTON: No. I would never.
PRITCHARD: I’m required to ask. Thank you for answering.
MR. PEYTON: I would never scare her like that. Never.
PRITCHARD: Is there anyone in Ricochet Hollow you’ve had conflicts with that might involve Brittany?
MR. PEYTON: I don’t trust Caleb Rourke.
PRITCHARD: Why?
MR. PEYTON: He’s got a temper. Always has. Gets into fights. I’ve heard things over the years. He drinks. He’s unpredictable.
PRITCHARD: Has he ever threatened you directly?
MR. PEYTON: Not me. We’ve had words before. Nothing serious. But I don’t like the way he looks at people. Especially when he’s been drinking.
PRITCHARD: Anyone else?
MR. PEYTON: It’s a small town. Everybody knows everybody. That’s what makes this worse. If somebody took her, it’s somebody we know.
PRITCHARD: Did Brittany ever express fear of anyone?
MR. PEYTON: No. She felt safe there. Too safe, maybe.
PRITCHARD: What do you mean by that?
MR. PEYTON: She trusted everybody. She’d stop and talk to anyone she recognized. She didn’t think people could be bad.
PRITCHARD: Mr. Peyton, is there anything you haven’t told us? Even something that seems small?
MR. PEYTON:
I should’ve moved her closer to me. I thought there was time. I thought I’d get a better route, be home more. I wasn’t here when she needed me.
PRITCHARD: This investigation is ongoing. If you remember anything else, no matter how minor, you contact us immediately.
END OF RECORDING
Interview concluded at approximately 1456 hours.
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