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48 Hours: Police Phone Call

Extra: Police call Marjorie Orbin 05:00

On Sept. 28, 2004, Phoenix Police Det. Jan Butcher left at least three messages before Marjorie Orbin called back. The detective recorded their conversation. Below are excerpts of the call.

DET. JAN BUTCHER: Hey Marjorie, it's Detective Butcher. It's about 10 to 6 Tuesday evening. I was just calling to see if maybe you were available. I need to speak with you regarding Jay and the disappearance.

MARJORIE ORBIN: Hello, this is Marjorie Orbin. I saw that you had just called.

DET. BUTCHER: Yeah, thanks for callin' back, Marjorie.

MARJORIE ORBIN: Hey.

DET. BUTCHER I was wonderin', do you have some time we can sit down and talk about the investigation and where to go with it.

MARJORIE ORBIN: Sure. I mean, I thought that's what we were doin' tomorrow.

DET. BUTCHER: Well, are - what time are you available? Are you available any earlier than 10:00?

MARJORIE ORBIN: I have a child I have to take to school at 9:00. I'm - do you want to talk - you mean on the phone or in person or what?

DET. BUTCHER: In person.

DET. BUTCHER: I just kind of get the feeling that you're really not available and willing to to help us out. Try to locate where…

MARJORIE ORBIN: You get that feeling. Huh. No - mostly… That's… surprised to hear you say that.

DET. BUTCHER: I had called you earlier this afternoon to -

MARJORIE ORBIN: Yeah, I saw - saw that. And I just got home.

DET. BUTCHER: Oh, OK.

MARJORIE ORBIN: You know what? I'm already feeling like I am having to defend myself here.

DET. BUTCHER: OK. Well, I don't mean to make you feel on the defensive or anything like that.

MARJORIE ORBIN: I'm very concerned about Jay. I speak more matter-of-factly. That does not mean that I do not care.

MARJORIE ORBIN: But just because I'm not running around crying and - and in hysteria, does not mean that I am not concerned and not doing anything.

DET. BUTCHER: Right. Right. And I'm not saying that. I'm just -

MARJORIE ORBIN: I have been rooting through paperwork and trying to decrypt crap on the computer.

DET. BUTCHER: What do you think has happened to him? I mean, where do you explain Jay to be for the last what? Week and a half or so?

MARJORIE ORBIN: Since I don't know where he has been for the last week and a half or so I can't explain it.

MARJORIE ORBIN: My problem is I - I am not going to be mulled - mowed over.

DET. BUTCHER: Marjorie, I'm trying not to mull you over.

MARJORIE ORBIN: I know you have a job, but now you're...

DET. BUTCHER: I'm trying to get to the bottom...

MARJORIE ORBIN: ...you're having a problem because...

DET. BUTCHER: ...of the investigation.

MARJORIE ORBIN: ...I couldn't be somewhere at the drop of a hat on - in one particular instance? One particular instance?

MARJORIE ORBIN: Now, I'm a bad guy.

DET. BUTCHER: No, I'm not saying you're a bad guy. During the course of missing persons investigations, we run polygraphs on all the parties involved.

MARJORIE ORBIN: I understand that.

DET. BUTCHER: We were - start with, you know, the person closest to that missing person, and that would be you.

MARJORIE ORBIN: OK.

DET. BUTCHER: Being Jay's wife. Can we schedule you for a polygraph.

MARJORIE ORBIN: You know what?

DET. BUTCHER: Tomorrow?

MARJORIE ORBIN: I think I'm going to call an attorney, because I don't like the tone of a lot of this.

DET. BUTCHER: Ma'am, I'm not getting a tone with you.

MARJORIE ORBIN: No. I'm going to call an attorney.

MARJORIE ORBIN: She wants me to take a polygraph tomorrow.

MALE VOICE: You tell her to go f--- herself.

MARJORIE ORBIN: Stop. Stop.

DET. BUTCHER: Who was that?

MARJORIE ORBIN: None of your f---ing business.

DET. BUTCHER: OK.

MARJORIE ORBIN: It's a friend of mine.

DET. BUTCHER: OK.

MARJORIE ORBIN: Is this conversation being recorded?

DET BUTCHER: Yes, it is.

MARJORIE ORBIN: It is? OK. I would like a copy of that.

DET. BUTCHER: OK.

MARJORIE ORBIN: I was under the understanding you would like to have a conversation and...

DET. BUTCHER: Yes.

MARJORIE ORBIN: ...and get some information, rather than throw around accusations that are being...

DET. BUTCHER: Ma'am, I'm not making any accusations. I -

MARJORIE ORBIN: Oh, you did make accusations, I think, if you play this tape back.

DET. BUTCHER: OK.

MARJORIE ORBIN: You, you said...

DET. BUTCHER: I - I...

MARJORIE ORBIN: ...that I seemed to be less than cooperative.

DET. BUTCHER: With all the - the investigations that I've done with all the missing persons cases I've been involved in, it's kind of unusual thatyou're not as cooperative as most of the other...

MARJORIE ORBIN: In what way am I not being cooperative? You asked for the house. I'm - I'm absolutely happy to do so. It would be more productive if I have enough time to straighten some of the crap out so that you can make heads of tails of it.

DET. BUTCHER: The paperwork doesn't have to be.

MARJORIE ORBIN: What is it that you want to see here at the house?

DET. BUTCHER: That's what we can go through when we get there. You don't have to straighten out the paperwork. That's what we can do.

DET. BUTCHER: You explained to me that you and Jay were simply a mutual friendship, respect for one another.

MARJORIE ORBIN: And friends. And I have an - over the years - I have a great deal of love and respect for the man.

DET. BUTCHER: So, are you dating somebody then?

MARJORIE ORBIN: I - we - Jay and I are not married.

DET. BUTCHER: You're not married now?

MARJORIE ORBIN: No.

DET. BUTCHER: OK.

MARJORIE ORBIN: We have been divorced for a number of years.

DET. BUTCHER: For years.

MARJORIE ORBIN: And we remained together, living together. For reasons that were between us.

DET. BUTCHER: OK.

MARJORIE ORBIN: And if you think that that's something sneaky and need to - and think...

DET. BUTCHER: No.

MARJORIE ORBIN: ...you need to know about something from five, six years ago, perhaps we'll get into that if you feel at some point you need to know.

DET. BUTCHER: OK. So, you were divorced five or six years ago?

MARJORIE ORBIN: Yes.

DET. BUTCHER: The two of you? OK.

MARJORIE ORBIN: And we - and between us having an agreement to continue living together as husband and wife, I have his will. And I have his power of attorney. And all...

DET. BUTCHER: How come you didn't tell me that when...

MARJORIE ORBIN: How do I know what I need to tell you? I've never been in a circumstance like this. I haven't done anything wrong. I don't know. Do I need to tell you the color of my toenail polish?

DET. BUTCHER: Ma'am, I don't care...

MARJORIE ORBIN: I know that.

DET. BUTCHER: ...what color your toenail (laugh) polish is.

MARJORIE ORBIN: But you know what I'm saying? How much of my personal life should I divulge? How much shouldn't I...

DET. BUTCHER: Well, I - I would like you to be...

MARJORIE ORBIN: I don't know that.

DET. BUTCHER: ...completely honest with me during the...

MARJORIE ORBIN: Completely honest about...

DET. BUTCHER: ...investigation.

MARJORIE ORBIN: ...everything in the entire world?

DET. BUTCHER: As it relates to the investigation.

MARJORIE ORBIN: I - OK.

DET. BUTCHER: The fact that you weren't very...

MARJORIE ORBIN: Does this relate to the investigation?

DET. BUTCHER: Yes, ma'am, it does.

MARJORIE ORBIN: Okay. I didn't think it did.

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