“His [De La Beckwith’s] wife was of pioneer stock, a descendant of Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island. She had been in the WAVES. They had been married twice and apparently fought all the time they were married. At the time he was arrested they were separated and she was in the hospital with a nervous condition.

“After De La’s second mistrial she called me very late one night from Arkansas, obviously drunk. She said she was ready to talk and that she had letters he had written while he was in prison in Jackson and wanted me to steer her to someone who was willing to pay her for her story. She said she was ready to tell all.

“I could have probably been paid a handsome sum by some news service for a tipoff on this, but I would not have dared touch that one. She must have changed her mind after she sobered up because her story never came out. I have always wondered what she was going to tell, but I think she was ready that night to tell the whole story of the Evers killing.”