Affidavits, Declarations and Statements


June 22, 1984

State of North Carolina
County of Chatham

Declaration of Kenneth Edwards

DECLARATION OF KENNETH EDWARDS


State of North Carolina

County of Chatham


I, Kenneth Edwards, declare as follows:

(1) I reside in Siler City, North Carolina, where my wife and I operate a religious retreat called Beulah.  I was formerly a Chaplain in the United States Army with the rank of a Major.  I am an ordained Minister of the American Baptist Church U.S.A.

(2) In February of 1970 I was stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina.  My wife and I lived two apartments away from Dr. MacDonald and his family in the same building on Castle Drive.

(3) Sometime in the early morning of February 17, 1970, I believe around 2:00 am or so my wife and I were awakened by sirens and the flashing of red lights.  We looked out of our window and observed Military Police (MP) vehicles clustered around the MacDonald apartment and people going in and out of the apartment.

(4) Since I was a Chaplain I decided I would go and see if I could find out what was wrong or to see if I could perhaps help in any way.  As I was wearing pajamas at the time I donned a robe and proceeded downstairs.

(5) As there was clearly something wrong I knew that if I wanted to offer any assistance I would need identification.  I returned upstairs and got my ID card and then proceeded outside and over to the MacDonald residence. 

(6) As I made my way to the MacDonald home I observed MP's standing in the lawn area along the sidewalk in front of the MacDonald apartment, MP's near their vehicles parked out on Castle Drive and MP's standing on the porch of the MacDonald home.

(7) I approached the house and walked to the front door, where two MP's were standing.  I identified myself as Chaplain Edwards and asked what had happened.  I was not asked to produce an ID.

(8) When I asked what had happened one of the MP's responded by saying, "This man killed his wife and children and he's also hurt."  As he said this, he pointed inside the apartment to Jeff MacDonald, who was seated in the living room.  I asked the MP if I could go over to him and was given an affirmative response.

(9) I walked into the living room and put my arms around Jeff.  He was sitting on what seemed to be a stool.  I assume this because whatever it was had no back.  He was seated with back to the living room couch.

(10) I knelt down beside him Jeff and started trying to console him, but as I did so he interrupted me, uttering, "They're dead, they're dead, they came and killed them, they're dead, they're dead."  I said, "Jeff, it's going to be alright, Jeff it's going to be alright."  He was sobbing and had his head in his hands, mumbling over and over, "they're dead, they're dead, they're dead."

(11) I waited with him for a moment, and then I got up and walked towards the back of the apartment.  At some point before I reached the back rooms I encountered another MP and a man I presumed to be a medic.

(12) I asked the man I thought was a medic, "Where did it happen?"  He indicated to me that it had happened in the back rooms.  I asked if I could look and was given permission.  I proceeded unchallenged toward the back rooms.

(13) I went into what I assumed to be the master bedroom.  The bed was messed up, with a blanket hanging off the side of the bed.  There were streaks of blood on the wall to the left as one enters the room, which looked as if they had been made by a person's hand that had scraped the wall.

(14) On the floor was what I presumed to be the body of Colette MacDonald.  It was covered from head to toe in a large white cloth, which seemed to be a white bed sheet.  It appeared that the bed had been ripped up to obtain the sheet, which someone had then placed over Colette's body.  There was no way of identifying the body by looking at it.

(15) I left shortly after that.  I don't recall whether I had further conversation or encounters with the various MP's.  I exited the apartment and returned to my home.  At no time was my presence in the MacDonald home ever challenged in any way.

(16) I was questioned by an investigator concerning the events of that night when I was living in Brooklyn, New York.  The interview took place in 1974 after my wife and I had returned from a trip to Europe.  I believe the investigator was either from the FBI or USACID, although I cannot recall specifically.  I cannot recall the particular information I provided him.

(17) One of my clearest memories of the events of that night is that I was not the only person to walk into the MacDonald apartment unchallenged and without being asked to produce identification.

I declare under the penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.

Executed this    22    day of June 1984 at Siler City, North Carolina


/Kenneth Edwards/
KENNETH EDWARDS


On June 22, 1984, before me, a Notary Public in and for the said County and State, personally appeared Kenneth Edwards, personally know to me or proved to me to be the person whose name is subscribed to the within instrument and acknowledged that he executed the same.

Witness my hand and official seal.

/[illegible]/
Notary Public

My Commission Expires Dec 14, 1987