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Kristi Cornwell's Disappearance
Posted August 23, 2009
On August 11, 2009, 38-year-old Kristi Cornwell went for an evening stroll near her home in Blairsville, GA. As Cornwell was walking down Jones Creek Rd. she was talking on her cell phone to her boyfriend Douglas Davis. According to Davis, Cornwell said that a car was approaching her. Davis then heard what he thought was a struggle and Cornwell yell, "Don't take me." Cornwell has not been seen since that night.
On August 20, 2009, Douglas Davis appeared on NBC's Today Show. He was interviewed by Ann Curry. Here is a transcript of that interview.
AC: Kristi Cornwell’s boyfriend Douglas Davis is now with us exclusively.
Douglas good morning.
DD: Good morning Ann.
AC: We’ve just heard that the ground search has been called off. Investigators
don’t know whether this was random or whether she was targeted. What are
they telling you? What do you think happened to your girlfriend?
DD: I don’t know. I know it was real. I know it’s a tragic thing. I, I,
I believe that the um the authorities are doing all they can do to find her
and I’m so grateful for the hundreds of people that have helped to search
for her. And I believe that if we could just step up this search, that is
those out there right now who knows the, the real truth of this story
who knows where she is that they, they pick up the phone make the call and,
and let us bring Kristi home.
Curry, like a lot of journalists, makes the mistake of asking Davis a compound question;
"What are they telling you? What do you think happened to your girlfriend?" Compound questions make is easy for the subject
to not answer one of the questions. Davis never answered the question, "What are they telling you?"
When Davis states, "I don't know" I am guessing he is answering the second question, "What do you think happened to your girlfriend?" Later in his interview he states, "I know for a fact this, this is an abduction." When Curry asked him, "What do you think happened to your girlfriend?" we would expect him to say, "I believe she was abducted."
Davis talks about those people "who knows the, the real truth of this story who knows where she is." I find this to be an odd statement. What does he mean by "the real truth?" The truth is the truth. If I was giving this statement, I would have said there are people out there "who know she was abducted and who know where she is."
AC: You use the words “a tragic thing.”
DD: Well it is tragedy. You know someone as precious as this woman you know Kristi
loved life, she loved to laugh, and she really deserves to
come home. She has an awesome family whom she loves dearly. She has a wonderful
son and (unintelligible) his mother. And I believe that this tragedy can come
to a happy ending. I believe she’s still alive.
Twice Davis talks about Cornwell using past tense language, "Kristi loved life, she loved to laugh." This is a strong indication that
he knows Cornwell is dead. Another possible explanation for his language is that despite his statement, "I believe she’s still alive"
he actually believes she is dead. His true feelings are revealed when he uses past tense language.
Davis states that Cornwell "really deserves to come home." People often use the word "really" to strengthen a statement but it actually weakens the statement. "She deserves to come home" is a much stronger statement.
AC: Why?
DD: Just in my heart. She’s a fighter. Um she has a faith in the Lord that is real.
She lives that faith. And I believe that faith will sustain her and has sustained
her up to this point.
AC: What did you hear on the phone? Describe why you knew, why you believe she
was abducted?
DD: Um, as you know the authorities, this is important to the case. What I like to
relay is strictly what I, the sense that I had for that evening. The details I
can’t talk about. However, I know her voice. I know it well and the tone that
it gave me the, the fullest confidence that she was being abducted. She was
afraid and I know for a fact this, this is an abduction.
AC: You said earlier this has been reported that there was a car a strange car in
the vicinity. And then she said according to your story that she said please
don’t take me. I’m, do you, I know you don’t want to give specifics of what was
said, but is it fair to say that there’s information from that you were able to
give investigators about that call that might have given them some clues?
Important clues that they are following now?
DD: Again because of the, the, the seriousness of the investigation details of that
matter should deferred to the GBI.
AC" You were questioned by investigators. You’ve been, not a considered a suspect.
DD: Right.
AC: Ah but I need to ask you do you know who would take Kristi?
DD: I have no idea.
AC: Or why?
DD: I have no idea. You know our relationship was just about us and we were looking
to a future together. And, and in all of our conversations, the many hours that we
talked and shared of our lives ah she never one time indicated that someone of her
past that could do such a thing.
When asked if he knew who would take Kristi or why someone would take her, Davis responded with, "I have no idea."
It is rare when a person can say, "I have no idea." Most people have a thought on just about everything.
I don't know Kristi Cornwell and yet I have an idea on who may have kidnapped her. Since she was a former probation officer,
perhaps one of the perps she supervised abducted her. Why doesn't he say that?
Again Davis uses past tense language to describe their relationship, "our relationship was" and their future, "we were looking to a future together." Is he no longer looking to a future with Cornwell?
AC: She was a probation officer once. No discussion about some fear that that
might come up to her?
DD: Nothing other than when her son got of age, got a little older she felt like
that was too strenuous of a job ah to raise a son in that world so she was
changing her career and moving on with a new life. As you know she was going to
college again to get a second degree and a I I just don’t know of anything of
that past. It was never discussed.
More past tense language, "she was changing her career" and "she was going to college."
The first reference may be justified if she changed her career years ago. However,
the second reference, "she was going to college again" seems out of place because I believe
she is currently taking college classes.
AC: You’re remarkably composed yet your eyes are wet. You are obviously struggling
against your inner emotions in partially you’re holding you’ve been reading this
book while waiting for this interview for a reason.
DD: Just a few days ago I went to get my mail after being after being away through
this ordeal, Kristi sent a gift to me ah “My Utmost For His Highest” by
Oswald Chambers. She said in her note to me I hope these devotions will be a
blessing to you as they have been to me. Ah, with all my love Kristi. Forever yours.
Earlier Davis referred to Cornwell's abduction as a "tragedy" or "tragic." Now he calls it an "ordeal."
Truthful people usually will not use synonyms. If they view something as a tragedy, they
will always call it a tragedy.
If they change their language, there has to be a justification for the change or else we can
conclude it is a deceptive story. Sometimes you can see the justification for the change and sometimes
you cannot see it.
AC: She wrote that in the book?
DD: Well it was in a note that was attached, yes. And, I just sat and wept.
I was, and I do that so many times. Because when you meet someone this
precious, it may only come once in a lifetime. And to see this tragedy
occurs, it it takes, it’s like someone took my heart and ripped it out.
And I, I, I just had to rely on my faith as she has had to do. You know
Kristi and I talked so much about a ministry. I’ve been in ministry now
most of my adult life and in that ministry we hurt help hurting people.
And that’s what I do. I talk to people that are hurting that are needing
salvation. That are needing to know who Christ is. Needing the Lord and
Kristi had the same goal that same passion. And for me uh to be
faced with this it was as if out of nowhere it’s tested my faith to the
core. But I know God is real and I know He has protected her through all
of this and is still doing so.
"Kristi had the same goal." Again talking about her in the past tense.
AC: So what would be your words to Kristi if she could hear you now, as she
is going through something now, that is a test of her own faith? What do
you say to minister to her now?
DD: Sweetheart hang onto your faith. You know the Lord loves you with all His
heart. He died for you. And He is willing to save you through this. We don’t
know how we come through these fires but He takes us through them. That much
I know for a fact. And all my experience in ministry, when we’re when we’re
in a fire like this we want to get out. You know we want to run find the door.
But my heavenly Father is there is see us through that fire. And that’s what
I know she knows that and she’s coming through that fire right now. It, He is
her strength. The Scriptures says in Psalms 27:1 that He is the light and her
salvation. Whom shall she fear? He is her strength. Whom shall she be afraid?
And that is her faith. That is what is sustaining her right now. I want to
tell whoever is out there that knows anything, you’re standing back, you just
don’t want to participate because it’s scary and it is scary to step up and
say you know I’ve seen something the night of this tra event. Please, please
do the right thing. Make that phone call. The greatest thing that we can do
in life is to show mercy. It is the greatest power humanity has is to show
mercy. Please release her. Let he go home to be with her family.
Davis now gives what sounds like a sermon. Is he speaking to Cornwell or to everyone else watching the Today Show?
In fairness, he was asked what he would say to her in regards to her faith being tested. He was also asked
what he would say to "minister" to her.
Davis talks about "my heavenly Father is there is see us through that fire." Since he uses the plural pronoun "us," one would think he would refer to God as "our" heavenly Father.
In talking to those who may have witnessed Cornwell's abduction, Davis refers to that night as "the night of this tra event." It appears he was about to say "the night of this tragedy" or "the night of this tragic event." Earlier, several times he referred to her abduction as a tragedy so why not say it here? He now changes his language from "tragedy" to "ordeal" to "event." If Davis knows that Cornwell faked her abduction, then her disappearance would not be a tragedy but it would be an event.
AC: So let us tell people, Douglas Davis thank you so much, we want to tell people
if you have any information you should call the Union County Sheriff’s tip line
at 706 835-2902 or you can also log onto our website Todayshow.com and we’ll
also guide you as to how you can help.
DD: And Ann there is a website KristiCornwell.com and there’s been a reward fund set
up. If you would like to contribute go to the website and it will tell you how to
do just that and all this money will go help go to maybe somebody out there who
will turn it in and use that for that purpose.
AC: All right Douglas Davis thank you so much.
Although he would not discuss it in this interview, it has been reported that Davis told the police that he heard Cornwell say on the phone at the time of her abduction, "Don't take me." Most people would not describe what was going on. They would just yell or say "No." Perhaps she was providing clues and gave a few more that have not been released.
Based on Davis's language, especially his use of past tense language, I would be re-interviewing him.
