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Prosecution Plays Tapes of KSP Interview with Jerry Wayne Walker Jr. at Trial in Benton

Prosecutors in the Jerry Wayne Walker Jr. trial played tapes yesterday of Walker’s interview with Kentucky State Police investigators in November 1998. Walker faces charges stemming from the 1998 Murray State University Hester Hall dorm fire that killed student Michael Minger. The West Kentucky Star reports the tapes include questions about the handwriting on an anonymous note Walker claimed he found on his car. The note suggested student John Evlund should be looked at as a suspect. During the interview with KSP investigators, Walker admitted he had written the note, but maintained he had no idea who started the fire. Walker is charged with first-degree arson, second-degree manslaughter, first-degree assault and 14 counts of wanton endangerment. His first trial on other charges associated with the incident ended in a hung jury in 2001.

Shelly Baskin works in MSU's Office of Regional Outreach and is a graduate student in Occupational Safety and Health. A roustabout from Memphis, Tennessee, Shelly first found his way into WKMS through the newsroom back in 2011 through luck, charm and force of will. Though he left news for another position, he still enjoys working on independent radio projects and volunteering for the station. He’s an avid disc golfer and occasional real golfer and is terrible at both. A lover of all things musical, Shelly is always ready to hear something new and unique.
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