She looked up at the three of us, her chin shaking. The most peculiar look was in her eyes, as if she were meeting us for the first time and wondering who the hell we were to be staring at her like that.
A disbelief. A questioning gape.
Or maybe it was something else. Something else that simmered and shook. The beginnings of a rage.
CHAPTER 22
THE INTERVIEW
2021
[Studio]
MARLOW FIN: Is this the part where I tell you that, on the advice of my attorney, I can’t speak about that night?
JODI LEE: You could.
[Pause]
MARLOW FIN: Don’t worry, Jodi. I wouldn’t do that to you. [Winks] This is why we’re here, am I right?
JODI LEE: I believe this is what America and the world want to know. They want to hear what you have to say. Not the news headlines, tabloids, blogs, tweets. Cut through all the noise and let us hear your voice. They want to hear your story. Hear your words.
MARLOW FIN: My compelling, quotable, and headline-making words.
JODI LEE: A moment ago you stated that you have read the September 8, 2020, police report many times. How many times, would you say?
MARLOW FIN: Enough. Does it really need a number?
JODI LEE: The incident occurred at your family’s lakeside cabin in Grand Marais, Minnesota. This place has great significance, of course.
MARLOW FIN: Yes. It’s where I was found.
JODI LEE: The beginning of our story, you could say?
MARLOW FIN: Once upon a time.
JODI LEE: The police report was released to the public. Every detail has been out there for quite a while now. You can imagine how disturbing some of them were to many folks. An officer slipping in a pool of blood?
MARLOW FIN: I try not to think about it. You have to remember . . . I saw that blood. I lived it. There are some things you can’t unsee. This is one of them. But you failed to mention one thing.
JODI LEE: What did I fail to mention?
MARLOW FIN: The officer, yes, he slipped. Yes, his foot was in blood. However, the area was also wet. This is a shed my family used very close to the lake. We stored kayaks and fishing equipment in there, so it got wet sometimes.
JODI LEE: You’re saying he did not slip in blood?
MARLOW FIN: I’m saying he did not slip in only blood. There was water as well.
JODI LEE: Why is it that you feel this has to be pointed out?
MARLOW FIN: Because semantics matter. I’m here to tell the truth about what really happened. This is one of the facts of the case. I was there. There was not a pool of pure blood.
JODI LEE: You’re saying it was only some blood.
MARLOW FIN: Yes.
JODI LEE: Can you describe to me what you saw when you first walked into the shed that morning?
MARLOW FIN: From the entryway of the shed you can see the far left-hand corner. This corner is closest to the window. In that corner, on the floorboards, was blood. The area was wet, and the blood had mixed with the water. It was enough to catch your eye.
JODI LEE: Enough to call 911?
MARLOW FIN: Certainly.
JODI LEE: You were the one who came upon the scene. You were also the one who made the 911 phone call in the early morning hours of September 8, 2020?
MARLOW FIN: I did.
JODI LEE: Do you mind if I play it for you?
[Voice-over]
JODI LEE: It was at this point that Marlow got up to stop the interview. She consulted with her attorney and then agreed to sit down and listen to the 911 audio. However, she would only do this if the cameras stopped rolling. In order to continue with the interview, we complied with her request. Here is the actual 911 audio that was played.
[911 audio and transcript, Cook County Sheriff’s Department]
Dispatcher: 911, what is your emergency?
