Chapter 51 Section 12

Just as Irri Unrus had promised Robin, Betty Pitts took the witness stand on Wednesday afternoon.After being seated, Betty smiled shyly at Iree Unrus in her usual manner, and nodded to the jury. Yi Rui took care of Betty and said, "Please speak louder so that everyone can hear you." "Okay." Betty said softly. "Have you ever broken a law before?" "never." "I'm afraid you should tell a little bit about the case that was withdrawn, about one of your husbands." Yi Rui reminded. "Okay. My second husband is Billy York Long. He told the judge himself that it was his fault that I wounded him with a gun, so the court sentenced me to 'misconduct' and fined me $100 , plus a $50 processing fee.”

Iri leads Betty to repeat what happened after they went to Virginia and back. Yi Rui asked, "If I say that Jimmy Petz disappeared in Cedar Lake, is this sentence right or wrong?" "Incorrect." "why?" Betty described in detail Jimmy's whereabouts on the night of August 5, 1983, where he went, who he talked to, and so on. "We took the boat to the gas station. Jimmy told me he's been keeping this motorboat in really good shape and now Robin is messing it up. Then we go home and watch TV and get ready for bed." "Are you two sleeping in the same bedroom?"

"Yes. But we didn't sleep that night." "why?" "After Jimmy lay down, I went out and took the dog back to the kitchen. I do that every night before bed. By the time I got back to the living room, Robin came back from riding his bike." "You mean your eldest son?" "Yes. Jimmy heard him come back. Jimmy had been drinking all day, and he was very drunk and angry." "What did Jimmy do after Robin came in?" "Jimmy got up and went into the living room and said Robin, did you quit your job. Robin said yes. Jimmy started blaming Robin for driving his motorboat and wrecking his motorcycle and me All four tires are flat and there is mud all over the car. The house is also a mess. Jimmy’s collection of coins is thrown everywhere. I advise Jimmy to be quiet and talk about it tomorrow. Jimmy returns to the bedroom , Robin went to the bathroom. When Robin came out, I heard them fighting. I was terrified and didn't know what was going on."

"They were fighting in the bedroom, very loudly." Yi Rui repeated loudly so that everyone could hear. "They were yelling at each other. I was about to go to the bedroom when I heard a gunshot." Betty began to wipe her tears, blowing her nose loudly, clutching a tissue tightly in her hand. "Did you hear one or several shots?" "I just remember hearing it." "and after?" "When I got to the bedroom, I saw Jimmy lying on the ground and Robin standing at the door. I immediately fell to my knees beside Jimmy." "Does Robin have a gun?"

"No, but then I found one." "Is it like this?" Yi Rui picked up the photo of the .38 caliber automatic revolver on the evidence table. "Have you two pistols like this?" "We have three in total." "In what position is Jimmy lying on the ground? Face down, for example?" "He was lying on his side, bleeding from his head, and there was a lot of blood coming out of his mouth. I grabbed a sheet, I don't really remember what the sleeping bag was, just a sheet. I sat on Jimmy on the ground next to him. Robin said: 'Mom, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.' He asked me to help him."

"Did you say anything to Jimmy?" "I put my arms around Jimmy and told him what I was going to do and why I did it. I'm sure if Jimmy was here now, if Jimmy could see me now, he would say he understands that I have no other choice , can only help Robin." "Why don't you have any other choice?" "I always felt I owed Robin. I remember when Robin was eight years old, I sent him to his father and stepmother's house. He looked at me and asked when he could go home. I said soon. Actually, I know That was impossible. He didn't come back to me until he was 18."

Betty's following testimony is much the same as that provided by other family members - she asked Robin to go out to find Poppy, called Shirley, etc.Betty just deftly rearranges the details to fit her story. Irene said, "We haven't finished talking about the bedroom. You put the sheet over Mr. Pitts?" "I put the sheet over Jimmy. When I turned him over, I found the gun. I picked it up and put it in the nightstand." "When Robin came back, where was Jimmy's body?" "Still in the bedroom." Next, Yi Rui made an unforgivable mistake, he asked: "Did Robin see Jimmy's body?" If Robin killed Jimmy, he must have seen Jimmy's body. 〓

What's even more amazing is Betty's answer, she actually said: "No." Betty accused Robin of murder, and said that Robin had never seen the victim's body. Could such a contradiction be slapping her own mouth? Betty says she helped Robin, not Robin, to bury Jimmy.She also didn't admit that she had prepared peat bog begonias and other things in advance, but said that she bought them the next morning. "Is the check dated August 6th when you bought the peat bog?" Yi Rui asked. Betty said yes, but the check was nowhere to be found. "Do you know the amount of Jimmy's life insurance?"

"have no idea." "What about the pension?" "I didn't know anything about superannuation at the time." "You heard that JC Penney lady testify the other day that you signed Jimmy's name on the life insurance application?" "Yes. Jimmy never objected to my signing his name. I signed the paper for the sale of the motorboat." "Jimmy's body is buried in your yard, how do you feel?" "I always feel uneasy, especially at night, I dare not leave the living room, and I dare not go into the garden."