The Gray House: A Hub of Activity
The Gray House appears to be a central location for various individuals throughout the evening of April 12, 1971. Michele K. Phelan states she was there around 6:00 PM, talking to friends in Tim Copeland’s and Terry Smith’s apartment. She indicates that Peter Kunkle arrived closer to 7:00 PM. Richard Finley was also present at the house around 7:00 PM.
A significant event at the Gray House was the breaking down of Preludin amphetamines in the kitchen. Michele Phelan claims she received these 30 pills from Dr. Parker on Spring Street for diet purposes. Mike Micheals was the primary person breaking down the pills, with Peter Kunkle assisting. The intent was for everyone to share and “shoot” the pills. Michele Phelan admits to shooting that night, possibly between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Peter Kunkle and Mike Micheals also shot, as did Terry Smith. Richard Finley was in the kitchen but Michele Phelan initially stated she hadn’t seen him shoot, though later she admits to seeing him take speed that night, but not on this particular occasion. Peter Kunkle is said to have taken at least one shot, possibly a second after 10:00 PM, though Michele Phelan is “not positive about any of it.”
Peter Kunkle’s statement corroborates his presence at the Gray House, stating he received a call from Mechelle Phelan (Michele K. Phelan) around 5:30 PM, who said she had Preludin and wanted him to come over to Tim Copeland’s room. He arrived at 6:00 PM. He then describes various individuals coming and going, including Jim Parker and Mike Miller. Kunkle also mentions the breaking down of 10 Preludin pills around 7:00 PM, with Mike Micheals taking the first shot, followed by Mechelle Phelan and then Kunkle himself. He states he took a second shot around 8:10 PM or 8:15 PM.
Dickson Street Encounters
The events on Dickson Street are a significant point of divergence and confusion in the statements.
Paula Smith’s Account:
Paula Smith, 20 years old, was working at the UARK Theater on Dickson Street. Around 6:00 PM on April 12, 1971, she met Steve Cooper on her way to work. He was near the Motor Lodge where she lived, appearing to be resting. He told her he was walking home from work, was dressed in blue jeans and a red and black striped t-shirt, and had no coat or backpack. They walked in the same direction, and he offered to walk her home in the dark. She “cut off” about 9:00 PM to go to the theater. At 9:10 PM, she got a call from Steve, who was in front of the Jet-Set, waiting for her. He was alone, dressed in blue jeans and a checked grey and blue shirt, with no coat or backpack. She later recounts watching part of the Carol Burnett Show and the weather with Steve, and mentions the weather before the news. They walked left across the bridge over the railroad tracks to a friend’s house named Kevin, who lived about four or five blocks after crossing the tracks. They stayed at Kevin’s for about 10 minutes, and then walked back to Kevin’s, whose roommate was not there. Steve walked Paula home between 12:30 AM and 1:00 AM, possibly as late as 1:30 AM or 2:00 AM. The next night, Paula saw Steve again around 6:00 PM, after getting off work from “Honaby House,” and he walked her home.
Michele K. Phelan’s Account:
Michele K. Phelan, Peter Kunkle, and Richard Finley left the Gray House before 9:20 PM. They went to the laundry to call Peter’s mother, then to the Jet Set to get something to drink. As they walked across Dickson Street, they met Steve Cooper. He was running from the corner of the Arkansas Book Store to the other side of Dickson Street. Steve asked them the time, stating a girl was supposed to meet him at 9:10 PM, and they told him it was 9:20 PM, making her 10 minutes late. Michele Phelan claims she had not seen Steve Cooper before that night and couldn’t remember how he was dressed, only that he had “something like a coat.”
Peter Kunkle’s Account:
Peter Kunkle states that after taking his second shot around 8:10 PM or 8:15 PM, he went to the laundry with Mechelle Phelan (Michele K. Phelan) around 9:15 PM to call his mother, as the line was busy, they used the outside phone. They then went to the Jet Set and got a coke. As they left the Jet Set, they met Steve Cooper between 8:20 PM and 8:25 PM. Kunkle notes Steve was “mad because he had been stood up.” Kunkle and Phelan then walked back to the Gray House. Around 9:30 PM to 9:35 PM, Kunkle borrowed Mike Mechelle’s motorcycle to take Richard Finley home.
Discrepancies and Inconsistencies:
The most striking discrepancies revolve around Steve Cooper’s appearance, his interactions on Dickson Street, and the timelines provided by Paula Smith and the group of Peter Kunkle, Michele K. Phelan, and Richard Finley.
Steve Cooper’s Attire: Paula Smith explicitly states Steve Cooper was dressed in blue jeans and a red and black striped t-shirt with no coat or backpack when she met him at 6:00 PM, and later at 9:10 PM, he was in blue jeans and a checked grey and blue shirt with no coat or backpack. Michele K. Phelan, however, states she couldn’t remember his exact attire but that he had “something like a coat” when they met him on Dickson Street.
Time of Encounter on Dickson Street: Paula Smith’s account places her interaction with Steve Cooper at 6:00 PM and then a phone call at 9:10 PM, implying he was around Dickson Street at those times. Michele K. Phelan and Peter Kunkle both state they met Steve Cooper on Dickson Street, but their reported times differ slightly. Michele Phelan says they told Steve it was 9:20 PM. Peter Kunkle states they met Steve Cooper between 8:20 PM and 8:25 PM. This creates a 55-minute to 1-hour discrepancy between Kunkle and Phelan regarding the exact time of the Jet Set encounter with Steve Cooper.
Steve Cooper’s Reason for Being There: Paula Smith’s statement suggests a casual encounter and then a planned meeting later in the evening with Steve Cooper. In contrast, both Michele K. Phelan and Peter Kunkle indicate that Steve Cooper was “mad because he had been stood up” and was waiting for a girl, implying a pre-arranged meeting that went awry.
Who Took Richard Finley Home: Michele K. Phelan states that Peter Kunkle was “getting ready to take Richard home on Mike Michael’s motorcycle” when they returned to the Gray House after the Jet Set. Peter Kunkle’s statement confirms that he borrowed Mike Mechelle’s (Micheals’) motorcycle to take Richard Finley home between 9:30 PM and 9:35 PM. This detail is consistent between their accounts.
Michele Phelan’s Phone Call: Michele Phelan states that immediately upon returning to the Gray House after the Jet Set, she went downstairs to use the phone to call a girlfriend, Jill Graves, for about ten minutes. She then came back upstairs and saw Peter Kunkel on the porch within a few minutes. This timeline, where she returns to the Gray House around 9:25 PM (based on the 9:20 PM Jet Set encounter plus a 3-4 minute walk), would place her phone call ending around 9:35 PM, and seeing Peter on the porch shortly after. This aligns with Peter Kunkle taking Richard Finley home around 9:30-9:35 PM, implying he was still there when she came back upstairs.
In conclusion, while the core events of drug use at the Gray House and the subsequent movements to Dickson Street are supported across the statements, the precise timings and certain descriptive details, particularly concerning Steve Cooper, remain elusive and contradictory, hinting at the fog of altered perception or perhaps a deliberate attempt to obscure the full picture of that night.
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