48 Hours: Police Phone Call
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.