When did you last see Rachelle?
I said goodnight to her in her room at 10:45. She was already in her pajamas. She said the food didn't sit right in her stomach.
Where on the ship were you when Rachelle was killed?
I went right to bed after I said goodnight to Rachelle. We had made plans to go to breakfast at 7:30 and when I went to wake her up, there was no answer. We checked the ship and after about an hour of looking, I went and asked the Captain to open her room. He did, and because it looked like there had been a little bit of a struggle in her room, my husband and I called the police right away to report her missing.
Did you see anything suspicious last night?
No. We had a great dinner and party. Rachelle was acting a little preoccupied--she kept saying she had some big surprise planned for tomorrow night--but we had fun. I thought the food was great but I guess Rachelle was being kind of picky.
How was your relationship with Rachelle?
She was my baby. She always wanted to be more independent than she should have been. She probably hated me for telling her how to live her life, but that's a parent's job, right? I always wanted her to make the right decisions.
Why did you want Rachelle to live at home?
When you have a daughter like Rachelle, you never want to let go. I wanted to keep her close so I could protect her.
How was your relationship after she won the lottery?
The same. I kept telling her that she was dating the wrong men and that she should come home and live with her parents like a respectable young lady and she kept telling me to mind my own business. All my kids told me that, but I think it's my job to speak my mind.
Did you fight over things besides how she lived her life?
You mean like besides where she lived, who she dated, what she did with her money and what she did for a job? No, those are the things I let her know my opinion about.
Was your fight on the night of Rachelle's murder resolved, or did it result in a conflict?
Oh, we never stay mad at each other, we just speak our minds sometimes.
Was there any reason for you to benefit from Rachelle's murder?
How could a mother ever benefit from the death of a child?
Did you notice any other conflicts that Rachelle was involved in on the night of her murder?
She had close friends but she had to keep her family at a distance sometimes. I don't know about any specific fight though.
How did you react when you noticed Rachelle was missing?
I was crushed.
When and where were you when you noticed?
We had plans to meet her for breakfast and when she didn't show up, we checked her room. There was no answer. We first searched the ship but when she didn't turn up, we had the Captain open her door.
Why didn't you like Mark Kotter?
He's a loser. He's too old for her. He is a bartender. I think he even dated one of Rachelle's friends before her. I just didn't trust him and I certainly wouldn't have given my consent to marry him!
Did you kill her?
You must be joking. Does a mother cut her heart out? I loved my daughter, and if you knew Rachelle, you would know that a mother could never do such a thing.
Did your daughter have a will?
Don't ask me, ask Brittany. Her company handled all of Rachelle's finances and things. How would you react if Rachelle gave her money away?My husband told me what she was planning and I guess I was okay with it. I wanted her to keep something since she wasn't married yet.