You are listening to the mens rea podcast and this is part one of the story of Ron Williamson. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh. In December of 1982, De Sue Carter was 21 years old.

She was an independent fun-loving girl from Ada, Oklahoma and lived on her own in an apartment. She had moved out of her mother's house

when they argued about her lifestyle. Debbie had been brought up in the church by

her mom, but as she grew, she found that she liked going out late and dancing and flirting with the boys, living her life.

And she worked hard for her independence too. She had three part-time jobs, one being at a local bar on the outskirts of the town, called a coachlight.

On the 7th of December, Debbie was at work, but it was quiet.

She asked her boss if she could knock off early and hang out with her friends, and he said that

that was just fine. So she moved from behind the bar to a table and sat down

with some friends from high school and her close friend Gina Vietti, who she also knew

through school. At one point, a guy that they'd all gone to school with,

Glen Gore passed the table and hunkered down next to Debbie and asked her to dance.

The two headed to the dance floor, but halfway through the song, Debbie marched away from him, looking angry.

Later, when the girls were in the bathroom, Debbie told her friends that she'd feel safer if someone were to stay with her that night,

but she didn't tell them why. The coachlight began closing up at 1230 and Gina invited the group back to her place to have another drink.

Debbie though said that she was hungry and tired and that she was going to head back to her own place.

As everyone left the bar and headed to their cars, a number of people spotted Glen Gore again,

this time near Debbie's car.

Tommy Glover, who worked with Debbie at a glass company, saw Debbie pull open her car door as Glenn appeared next to her.

He also knew Glenn from around town. The two talked for a few seconds and then Tommy saw Debbie push

Glenn away. A couple who both worked in the coachlight, Mike and Terry Carpenter,

saw Glenn standing next to Debbie's driver's side door as she sat in the car.

They waved to her good night as they walked to their own car.

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