Jennifer-
Katie Lee: Who was Jennifer Thompson prior to the
events of July 28, 1984.

Jennifer: I was a college student going into my senior
year. I studied very hard and was going to graduate with
a 4.0 GPA. I was dating a man at UNC-Chapel Hill and
we were talking about marriage. I worked two jobs and
loved living by myself. Life was great and I knew where
I was going.

KL: Could you tell us about the events that took
place that night?

Jennifer: I had gone to bed early on July 28th and some-
time around 3 a.m. on July 29th I heard and felt a presence
in my bedroom. I looked to the left side of my bed and saw
someone's head at the side of my mattress. I screamed
and a man jumped on the bed, straddled me, put a knife
to my throat and a gloved hand over my mouth and told
me to shut up or he would kill me. I told him he could have
my car, my money, and anything I owned, just please don't
hurt me and I promised I would not call the police. He told
me that he did not want my money and at that moment,
I knew what was going to happen. I did not know if he
would stab me,cut me, beat me, but I knew that if there
was a way to survive I would find it. I made myself stay
very present so that I could attempt to remember his
face so that later if I got away, I could make sure he
went to prison forever.

KL: How did you finally get away?

Jennifer: I told him that I was afraid of the knife and
if he would take it out the door and drop it on my car
hood he could then come back in. This was my attempt to
get him off me hoping that he would do as I asked and
I could then lock the doors and call the police. He did not
leave the apartment, but pretended to drop the knive out
the door. When he grabbed my arm, I asked if I could
use the bathroom to give me time to think. I remembered
then, that he told me that he had come through the back
door so I figured that I needed to get to the kitchen. When
I came out of the bathroom, I told him that I needed a
drink of water and he told me to make him a Seagrams.
I then went to the kitchen, turned the light on and began
to make noise with water, ice cubes, the cabinet doors
and drawers, knowing that it would create distance and
space--and then I opened the door and ran.

Ronald,
KL: How did you learn about the crimes that took
place on the night of July 28, 1984.

Ronald: I learned about the crimes from the local news-
paper following the rapes in the community.

KL: Why did you, as a 21 year old African American,
with a prior juvenile record immediately rush to the
police station that night?

Ronald: I was trying to clear things up knowing that I
was innocent of the crimes.

KL: Walk us though the steps of interrogation
by the detectives at the police station. Did you think
that it was just a misunderstanding and that you
would go home that night?

Ronald: The detectives asked me of my whereabouts
the night of July 29th and I accidentally got my nights
confused and told them where I was on the 27th. They
told me that they knew I was the man and that I thought
I was Mr. Big stuff going around screwing white women.
They took turns asking me over and over about my
whereabouts, and I kept telling them that I did not know
what they were talking about. They had the wrong man.
I thought they would realize that it was a misunderstanding
but I also knew that if the police wanted you, they
would get you.

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