ICR # 16012559
Digital Statement

.l

CARVER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

CW:

Detective Chris Wagner, #875

KJ:

Kirk Anthony Johnson,

DM:

Sergeant Dewitt Meier, #813

UM:

Unidentified Male

CW: This is a taped statement, ICR 16-12559 a recorded statement given by Kirk Anthony
Johnson, date of birt~in response to questions from Detective Chris Wagner,
badge #875. The statement is being taken at 7801 Audubon Road in Chanhassen, MN on
April 21 '1, 2016 beginning at 1150 hours. Please state your name and date of birth for the
record.
KJ:

Kirk Anthony Johnson-

CW:

And what is your mailing address Kirk?

KJ:
CW:
KJ:

And what city is that?
.. . - .

CW:

and a cell phone for you?

KJ:
CW:

And do you have any other phone numbers?

KJ:

No.

CW: Okay um do you understand you are not under arrest and this is a voluntary
statement.
KJ:

Yes.

CW: Okay, I just want to let you know that because the doors are closed for our privacy
but what I understood is you are ah Prince's Head of Security?

)

KJ:

I call it kind of Liaison, Security, Estate Manager.

CW:

Yeah, ah a sister.

UM:

(inaudible).

!CR# 16012559
Statement Kirk Anthony Johnson, - 5/11/2016 Imm

 KJ:

Yeah.

UM:

Thank you.

CW:

Yep. Um do you understand this conversation is being tape recorded?

KJ:

Yes.

CW: Okay and are you under the influence of any alcohol, drugs or medications that
would alter what you are telling me?
KJ:

No.

CW:

So um we will just start at the very beginning um you have known Prince since ..

KJ:

Um 1984 is when I first met him during Purple Rain, as a dancer.

CW:

Okay and um through that you've, have you been here, worked here from that?

KJ:
I was just a band member from um 1989 to 1992 then I did the remixes and drum
programming from 1999.. 1992 to 1996 um from 1997 to 2000 I was his drummer um and
then I left after that just to you know, continue my own journey as a um health and fitness
instructor and then he .. in 2009 he asked me if I would come back to just manage the
property, so I've kind of managed the property um from 2009 to this point.
CW:
)

Okay and the property, is it just this property?

KJ:
No there's, he has um a couple of houses, a storage building in .. in Minneapolis, a
church there some of them are just um they're .. one's vac .. they're vacant.
CW:

Okay the houses are here in Chanhassen?

KJ:

There's three houses in Chanhassen.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

And then ah a office building in Chanhassen.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:
A storage building in Chanhassen and then just property and there's a couple houses
in Minneapolis, I think his sister lives in and um I'm not sure of the other one and there's a
vacant church in North Minneapolis.

)

CW:

Okay and so have you um been here then all the time for.. since 2009?

KJ:

Just in and I mean pretty much, pretty much here ..

CW:

Okay.

KJ:
.. um just kind of like just in different positons like I'll be building manager and then I
was later on um I was a drummer but pretty consistent but 1.. 1 would work here and then at
my other job so.
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2

 CW: Okay, but you've .. ! would assume that of everybody that we've talked to today
though you were the most connected.
KJ:

Probably well..

CW:

His, his music, he has a manager also that you said is out in California?

KJ:

Yeah Phaedra. She's going to be coming here.

CW:

And what is her name?

KJ:

Phaedra ... her last name.

CW:

Do you know how to spell her first name?

KJ:

I'll give that to you.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

First name P-H-A-E-D-R-A.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

And then last name L-E-L-L-1-S.

CW:

I'm sorry can you start over again.

KJ:

E-L-L-1-S ..

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

-L-A-N-K-1-N-S.

CW:

K-1, E-L-L-1-S-L-A-N-K ..

KJ:

L-A-M ..

CW:

M.

KJ:

K-1-N-S.

CW:

So Ellis-Lamkins.

KJ:

Yeah.

CW:
KJ:
CW:

-..

Okay and do you have her phone number?

Okay is that her cell I assume?

KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

And she's been out in California?

!CR# 16012559
Statement Kirk Anthony J o h n s o n 5/11/2016 Imm

3

 )

KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

Do you know for how long or does she usually live out there?

KJ:

She lives out there?

OM:
KJ:
DM:

...

Chris I'm sorry to interrupt you, what's his date of birth?

Thank you.

CW:
KJ:

Well he's 57 years old so what is that ..

CW:

Dewitt ..

OM:

'57, 57?

CW:

Well he's 57 years old so we aren't sure ..

I

I

I

DM: - i s his date of b i r t h ? - KJ:

Yep.

CW:

And he's 57. Yeah so he was born in 1958.

KJ:

Okay.

I
I
I
I

CW: Um so you had said um other than you um anyone else that's frequently here at the
building?
KJ:

Other than the cook, Ray and Meron is his recent assistant.

CW:

And Meron was she the one in the white sweatshirt?

KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

Okay so um assistant is Meron. How do you spell her name?

KJ:

M-E-R-0-N.

CW:

Okay and she's at the hall right now.

KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

And then he has a cook that's here also?

KJ:

That comes in just to cook and he's out, that's ah Ray.

CW:

Do you have his last name?

)

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Statement Kirk Anthony Johnson,
5/11/2016 hmn

4

 KJ:

If I could get to my phone, it's just.for some reason I just don't think I have it.

CW: A phone number even, we would just want to follow up with him, would he have
come here for breakfast this morning?
KJ:

No.

CW:

No?

KJ:
He didn't come, he didn't do dinner last ah no um maybe he did do dinner last night,
he wasn't here this morning though.

)

CW:

Ol<ay.

KJ:

Ray Roberts,,I• • •

CW:

Okay and so other than the cook are there any cleaning people that would come?

KJ:

Yeah but they usually come when Meron is here.

CW:

Okay so Meron would be the person to talk to about anybody that's here or not..

KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

.. she's kind of planned and scheduled everything?

KJ:

Yeah.

CW: Okay um and you had said um, I guess we can .. we can back up and um I know that
you've kind of given a health, health history to Dr. Quinn, could you kind of just give me a
brief health ...
KJ:
Um I don't know his total health, I mean I just figured out after we was flying back
from Atlanta that he passed out, unconscious and it scared me so ..
CW:

When was this?

KJ:

.. this was last Thursday.

CW: Okay so that would have been April um, we'll figure that out later, okay so last
Thursday, April, you're flying back from Atlanta and he has a, he has his own plane? Was
he ..

)

KJ:

Yeah we had a jet, myself, him and Judith Hill was on that flight.

CW:

And who is Judith Hill?

KJ:

She's a singer.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

A

CW:

Okay.

artist.

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 KJ:
But I was sleeping, she came to me and said something's wrong with Prince, I went
back there, he was unconscious and I was trying to you know, wake him up, he wouldn't
land the plane and then we went to the hospital ..
wake up, I told him
CW:

Okay.

KJ:
.. and um they, I think they gave him something to bring him out of the co .. or whatever
he was, this unconsciousness and they said they, I think he was .. he might have been on
some kind of pain pill because they had to take him out of it, and when they was asking
questions, he said that he only took one or two you know, he admitted that he had took
something but it was like one or two, two pills and so when I looked and tried to find the pills,
I looked in his bag and I think it was a, I found a Ny .. Nyoxen? No, I don't know the name of
it, but it would be on the record at the hospital.
CW:

And what hospital was that?

KJ:

II was in Moline, Illinois. I can't remember the name of the hospital.

CW:

Okay, I heard you giving that to the Medical Examiner, okay.

KJ:

Yeah.

CW:
just..

But he had Nyoxen or something like that in his, was ii a prescription to him or was

KJ:

That's what I don't know.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

Um anything else that you know of with him with prescription medications?

KJ:

No.

CW:
guy?

Okay, so he had a doctor that was here this morning in the blue coat, who was that

I

"

KJ:
That's doctor, that's my doctor, Schulenberg that I had him see because I was
concerned about his health.
CW:

After this incident with him ..

KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

.. being unconscious ..

KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

Okay.

)
KJ:
So I was like you need to see a doctor to see what's going on with you because he
kept saying he was dehydrated, tingling in his arms and you know, I'm just like well let's you
!CR# 16012559
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Statement Kirk Anthony J o h n s o n . - 5/11/2016 Imm

 know, go to my doctor to check and see what's going on with you. So he agreed to that
which I was like okay cool.
CW:

And what is your doctors' name?

KJ:

Doctor Mike Schulenberg.

CW:

Schulenberg?

KJ:

Yeah, I'm not sure exactly how to spell it.

CW:

Is he one of the guys that went up to the Chan office then to get interviewed?

KJ:

Yeah he might have, might have went up there. S-C-H-U-L-E-N-B-E-R-G.

CW:

Do you have his phone number?

KJ:

If I could get to my phone

CW: - o k a y so after you guys came back um this was the first time you've ever
noticed anything with him? Okay.

)

KJ:
I mean the only time was just, he said he was just dehydrated so I took him to the
emergency room, this was like a year, no, the week before, he said he was dehydrated so I
took him to my .. my doctor again and we just got fluids and then he said he was fine but um I
think it was a year before there was the same thing and he said he was really dehydrated
um so I didn't even think nothing about.. of it, took him to the, I took him to the emergency
room at 212 and they you know, gave him fluids and then you know he said he was fine, I
just bring him back, I drop him off.
CW:

Um is .. you're in to health and fitness I mean, and you've known him for a long time ..

JK:

Uh-huh.

CW:

.. has he um deteriorated as far as ..

KJ:

He had, he had been looking just a little frail, but I just you know ..

CW:

Okay.

KJ:
.. he just always kind of goes up and down so I didn't you know, but he ate pretty
healthy.
CW:

Okay that was my next question.

KJ:
Yeah, he ate pretty healthy, he's a vegetarian, the only thing he would eat sometimes
fish, sometimes eggs.
CW:

Does he drink a lot of water?

KJ:
He drinks a lot of water. Every once in a while he'd have some alcohol, you know,
some wine or .. but I've just never known him to be like crazy over drinker, it's all about you
know, it's all about work.
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 CW:

Okay.

KJ:
He's really, he's always been private so I mean even from me he would keep me at a
distance so I was you know, respected that, respected his privacy.
CW:

Okay um so he would .. does he typically eat three meals a day or ..

KJ:

Usually his assistant would bring him lunch and then he would eat dinner..

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

.. as far as I know.

CW: So it's not um uncommon for I mean, if there's no cook here, he wouldn't typically eat
breakfast, nobody would have come in here this morning.

)

KJ:

No.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

Never, usually never.

CW:

Okay, not a breakfast eater.

KJ:

No.

CW: Okay um and has he, you said that he had um been dehydrated, tingling in his arms,
anything else you can remember him complaining of? Any problems sleeping or anything?
KJ:

He's just always been a night guy ..

CW:

Yeah.

KJ:
.. so I, I didn't really pay attention to it, when I get you know, texts or emails at two or
three in the morning, he's always been that way, I mean even you know, after party we'd
stay up all night, he'd sleep during the day and his day starts at two, three o'clock you know ..
CW:

Yep.

KJ:

.. so that was just kind of normal.

CW:

Right, um okay so you had um, last Thursday ..

KJ:

Uh-huh.

CW: .. so today is Thursday, so a week ago was when you had the plane um where you
had the emergency landing ..

)

KJ:

Emergency landing, yep.

CW:

.. how long did he stay in the hospital for?

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 KJ:
He stayed there until eight or nine o'clock because we had to .. we couldn't get
another jet, so about nine, nine o'clock we left out of there to catch, catch a jet home and
then they left, I didn't see him um they left in one car and I went in another car ..
CW:

Okay.

KJ:

.. because he was just going straight home.

CW:

Okay is Judith a girlfriend or..

KJ:

No she's just an artist of his.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

A singer.

CW:

Okay um and so you guys kind of parted that night..

KJ:

Yep.

CW:

.. and then Friday, did you .. do you see him every day usually?

KJ:

No ..

CW:

Okay.

KJ:
.. it's only if there's something that needs to be done, you know I just.only if I needed
to see him for something. But Friday we ended up having .. no, was it Friday or Saturday? It
was Saturday. I seen him again Saturday because we had a party here, a dance party
because he wanted to let everybody know that he was okay.

)

CW:

Okay so how many people were here then?

KJ:

I think it was about 250, 300 people.

CW:

Okay ah and so was he okay that night?

KJ:

Yeah he seemed fine to me.

CW:

Okay and socializing and doing everything that he typically does?

KJ:

Uh-hum.

CW:

Okay and then Sunday ..

KJ:

I don't usually see him on Sunday's.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

Um ..

CW:

Monday, do you remember?

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 KJ:
Monday, don't remember seeing him. I think the next time I seen him was
Wed .. what's today?
CW:

Today's Thursday, yesterday was ..

KJ:

Tuesday.

CW:

Okay, Tuesday you saw him.

KJ:
Yeah cause he wanted lo talk to .. he wanted to have ah just a little meeting with Larry
Graham. So me, Larry Graham and Meron came here and he was just talking about you
know, how he had to cancel these next few shows cause we had talked about him taking a
rest you know, you need to rest because after that episode last week, why don't you take
some time off.
CW:

Did he perform on Saturday night?

KJ:

No.

CW:

Is that unusual for him?

KJ:

No.

CW:

No?

KJ:

It was just a dance party, it wasn't ..

CW:

Oh, okay.

KJ:

.. yeah. Everybody and their mama's just like blowing me up.

CW:

Do they, everybody knows about it already?

KJ:

I think so.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

I don't know how.

CW:

Well we are doing everything we can to keep this as private as possible.

KJ:

How would, who would say something?

CW: Um it unfortunately any .. you know it can be one person and .. I don't know. Um I'm not
sure but..
KJ:

Right.

CW: .. um okay so Tuesday you saw him, you had a meeting here with Larry Graham and
his assistant.
KJ:

Yep.

CW:

And he wanted to cancel some shows.

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 )

KJ:

He had canceled some shows.

CW:

Or he had canceled them.

KJ:

Because he was going to have a show Monday, Wednesday and Friday ..

CW:

Next week?

KJ:

.. and this week.

CW:

Oh.

KJ:

But he had decided to cancel them because of you know, what happened in Atlanta ..

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

.. he needed to take a break.

CW:

Okay so he was just here by himself recuperating.

KJ:

Uh-huh.

CW:

Okay did he have, have a regular doctor?

KJ:

Not that I know of.

CW:

All right but he was addicted to pain medications?

KJ:

He never told me that but that's what I'm finding out.

CW:

Something's going on that you don't know.

KJ:
Yeah, he's, he never admitted, I mean and I just figured that kind of out after that
Friday or that time we had to land the plane that this is what.it started to all making sense
though just his behavior sometimes and change of mood and I'm like oh this is what, I think
this is what's going on, that's why I took the initiative and said let's go to my doctor because
you haven't been to the doctor, let's check ii all out.
CW:

Okay who is Andrew and how does Andrew come into this.

KJ:
Andrew was from the company that we had called to um come out here and try to
help him get you know, possibly you know, talk to him to see if he can get off of any of these
pain pills.
CW:

Okay so you guys, was this during the meeting with Larry ..

KJ:
No this was like just yesterday we were just trying to reach out because Prince said
he wanted to talk to somebody, so just yesterday we just reached out to .. I think the name is,
this guy in San Francisco, How .. Howard, I'm trying to find out..
CW:

He's the doctor in San Francisco?

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 KJ:
Yeah that we were just reaching out to. And so he sent his son who's Andrew cause
he couldn't make it, Andrew Kornfeld, F-E-L-D, Recovery Without Walls is the name of the
company.
CW:

I'm sorry, I.. what's his last name?

KJ:

Kornfeld, K-0-R-N-F-E-L-D.

CW:

And he, and it's from Recovery ..

KJ:

Without Walls.

CW:

.. Without Walls.

KJ:

So.

CW:

Okay so you guys Tuesday had a meeting, and who is Larry?

KJ:

Larry Graham is just another artist..

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

.. bass player.

CW:

Artist, bass player ..

KJ:

.. friend, yeah.

CW: So the three of them had a meeting but you weren't there or you were there on
Tuesday?
KJ:

Yes.

CW:

The four of you?

KJ:

Yep.

CW:

Prince, you, Larry Graham ..

KJ:

And Meron.

CW: And Meron. Um what's Meron's last name? That's okay, you know what, I'll get it
later from my partner.
KJ:

Yeah it's just like ..

CW:

Don't worry about it. So um the four of you kind of confronted Prince and ..

KJ:

No we didn't confront him at all ..

CW:

Oh.

)
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 KJ:
.. he was just it was just a talk, he was just talking about how he you know um, he
was telling Larry how we didn't want him to do these shows this week because he was not
feeling well ..
CW:

Right.

KJ:
.. so that was just you know, the conversation and um it was really short and then I
left, I think Meron left, Larry left and 1.. 1 scheduled for him to go to the doctor the next day,
that was Thursday.
CW:

So today is Thursday.

KJ:

Or Wednesday, yes.

CW:

Wednesday okay um so you had scheduled him with your doctor?

KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

Okay so did he go yesterday?

KJ:

Yeah.

CW: Okay so Wednesday, how did the day turn out or, or how did the day start? What
time did you have contact with him ..
KJ:

Um ..

CW:

.. wait, wait let's back up, I'm sorry, Tuesday ..

KJ:

Yep.

CW:

.. so you guys had a meeting here about what time?

KJ:

Ah eight, eight thirty.

CW:

At night?

KJ:

Yeah.

CW: Okay and then you left and um when was the next time that you saw him, was
Wednesday then?

)

KJ:

Yep.

CW:

The plan was Wednesday ..

KJ:

Go to the doctor.

CW:

.. go to the doctor.

KJ:
Five o'clock, so we left here about a quarter to five, just me and him, drove him over
to see my doctor um they took blood, checked all his vitals.
CW:

Where is that clinic at?

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 KJ:

North Memorial on Hwy 7.

CW:

Okay, the flashing the light there .. your phone.

KJ:

There's no flash.

CW:

Oh, I thought that ii was .. the light was ..

KJ:

The light's probably going out.

CW:

.. the light bulb there is .. okay, um so he agreed to go to the doctor ..

KJ:

Yep.

CW:

.. they took blood ..

KJ:

Uh-hum.

CW:

.. um did they find anything or anything going ..

KJ:
I think that the doctor just, we hadn't got the results back, he was just bringing them
back to me today.
CW:

Okay.

KJ:

And then he agreed to pee in a cup ..

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

.. so I think the doctor said that there was evidence that he was on something, so ..

CW:

The doctor told you that there was evidence ..

KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

.. that he was on something?

KJ:

Yep.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:
And he, he had said, he had told the doctor that he was on Tylenol and he didn't
want to say what it was, the doctor was like what kind, he's like I'm not sure, and so the
doctor knew, at.at that point we knew ii was something and then you know, he had asked
the doctor can we you know, can we take blood and can we do pee in a cup and he's like
yep, did that and ..
CW:

Okay, so yesterday um you didn't see him until about a quarter to five ..

KJ:

Uh-hum.

.CW:

.. you came here and picked him up, you both drove down to North Memorial ..

)
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 KJ:

Uh-hum.

CW:

.. and you went and saw your doctor..

KJ:

Uh-hum.

CW:

.. um and then you dropped him off?

KJ:
Yeah we went, first we went to Walgreens to grab some um prescribed ah medicine
to try and help him come .. cause he was having the jitters and he's like he needed something
to help him come down off the, off the ah the Tylenol or whatever.
CW:

Okay so you went to Walgreens before you went to North Memorial?

KJ:

No after, this was after.

CW:

Okay, okay so the doctor, your doctor gave him a prescription.

KJ:

Uh-huh.

CW:

Do you remember what that was for?

KJ:

To help him calm his nerves, his jitters and whatever.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

I don't remember the name of it. We picked that up, came and then he took one.

CW:

Where did you go to Walgreens?

KJ:

The one on Hwy 101 and 7.

CW:

Do you remember what time that was about?

KJ:

It had to have been seven or seven fifteen.

CW:

What time was your appointment with your doctor at?

KJ:

Five.

)

CW: Okay so, so the doctor um at the clinic um had taken his blood and a urine and
anything else that happened at that time?
KJ:

Nope.

CW: Tried to just explain how he wasn't feeling good, he was dehydrated, stuff like that,
so they just took a couple of those ..
KJ:

)

Uh-huh.

CW: .. he, the doctor gave him a prescription for something just to calm him down for his
jitters, you guys left the hospital, you stopped at the Walgreens at 101 and 7 and picked up
the prescription and he .. and Prince took one pill?
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 )

'

KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

Okay and ..

KJ:

He just like, he's just.this is not helping ..

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

.. and he, he didn't take them.

CW:

Okay where do you think those pills would be now?

KJ:
I think I might have threw them away, cause I was like if he aint going to take them,
I'm throwing them away. I'll check and see.
CW:

Okay.

KJ:

I might even just have them at home, I'm not sure.

CW:

Okay so um but you don't remember what they were?

KJ:

No.

CW:

It was only one prescription?

KJ:
No there was .. there was three of them, cause I went there to get one, he didn't.that
didn't feel like it was working and he gave us two more to try for him and he took one, and he
said this is not working, it's not helping me.
CW:

And do you remember, you don't remember what those were?

KJ:

No the doctor would have those.

CW: Okay um and you think those might be at your house? We would have to go get
them if you think that they're there.
KJ:

Yeah I think I kept them.

CW:

Okay um all right, so then after Walgreens, then where did you guys go?

KJ:

Brung him here and dropped him off.

CW:

Okay so then you guys got here, I think you said you dropped him off at what time?

KJ:

It was like eight o'clock, a quarter to, something like that.

CW: Okay, okay and he just wanted to be alone and that was the last of it? Okay, did you
see what he was wearing when, do you remember what he was wearing?

)

KJ:

He just had black on, black pants, same thing he has on now, black shirt.

CW:

So what he's wearing now is what he was wearing yesterday?

KJ:
Yeah.
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16

 /

CW:

And then you said ..

KJ:

His jacket was upstairs.

CW: .. the jacket and the gloves that were up in the hallway, okay. And is it typical for him
to use the elevator rather than the stairs?
KJ:

Yeah, I think because of his hip being bad, he had surgery on it years ago.

CW:

On .. surgery on?

KJ:

His left hip I think it was. Let me answer this call.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:
Yes ma'am. Keep it together, yep, yeah I know, me too, this is ridiculous right now, I
know, yeah, keep it together, I don't know, I don't know what to do either, it's just crazy now,
we got to keep it together somehow. I don't, I don't know. Yeah I'm talking to a Detective
right now, she's just asking me questions. Just about you know, what .. where .. where we
were, when the last time I seen him, taking him to the doctor and stuff like that. Yeah, 1.. 1
think she's at city hall or something they got her..just her and Josh and Hannah, they just
wanted to get people out of the building. Okay bye.
CW:

His sister?

KJ:

That was Phaedra.

CW:

Oh okay.

KJ:

She's going to try and come here sometime tonight.

CW: Okay, um so ah I just want to recap um everything had seemed to be fine um you
said about a week ago um he was complaining about being dehydrated, you took him to 212
Medical Center to the ER, they gave him fluids.,
KJ:

That was, that was over a year ago.

CW:

Oh a year ago.

KJ:
I did that one, but I took him to the North Memorial, I had my doctor come here,
checked him out and you know he said he wanted to get some fluids so we drove over to
North Memorial and gave him fluids.

)

CW:

So the doctor came here yesterday first?

KJ:

No that was um a week before.

CW:

Okay, I'm sorry, I missed this part about this.

KJ:

Sorry.

CW:

Okay so a week ago, a year ago you brought him to 212.

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 KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

I think it was even over a year but..

CW: Okay and then last week you contacted your doctor, was this before or after the
plane?
KJ:

This is before.

CW: Okay um do you remember what day that was at all? He left on Thursday or no, you
were coming back from Atlanta on Thursday.
KJ:

He was, I can't remember the date.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:
Meron was with us, we went to take him to get fluids and I, I left to go teach class, I
left, left him there. What's that?
CW:

It's my (inaudible)

KJ:

Oh _ _ _ _ it's an alarm going off.

CW: Um, okay so last week one day um before you guys went to Atlanta, when did you go
to Atlanta if you came back Thursday?
KJ:

We went on Thursday as well.

CW:

Oh it was just a day trip?

KJ:

Day trip.

CW:

For music or ..

KJ:

For a concert.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

He stated it was the best concert he ever did, it was just the best.

CW: So I'm probably wrong on my um, when you're saying he left at..so last Thursday he
had a concert ..

)

KJ:

In Atlanta.

CW:

.. a concert in Atlanta, it didn't get over I'm assuming until late then?

KJ:

It got over at eleven thirty or so, we flew back about one, one AM.

CW: Okay so I'm confused, so when you say he got out at nine, it's nine the next
morning ..
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 KJ:

Yes.

CW:

.. Friday.

KJ:

Yes.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

Yes, yeah sorry.

CW:

I was confused with that

okay.

KJ:
Hello. Hi. Talk to who? I'm talking to the Detective. Just telling the events, just
going ... that's all. Yeah, I don't know just tell them what.tell them what it is you need to tell
them, tell the truth. Yeah she's going to be .. Phaedra's going to be coming here at some
point. Yeah. Nah I don't what.what do they, what's the .. yeah cause that's what we figured
out when he um come on the plane when he you know, took the pills and I had to take him
out, that's all we know is was he was taking something, so you know, it could have been .. I
don't know how long it could have been he's been taking them you know. That's why we
called Andrew and those guys to see if he would you know, he said he wanted to talk to
somebody so that's why we bring them guys here Andrew, and talk to his dad Howard, that's
why we brung him here this morning in hope that he would you know, that they can help him.
Yeah, yeah absolutely. Yeah for sure. Yep. Yeah I'm not sure what we do. I'll talk to the
Detective once we're done and see what's next. Okay 1'11 .. l'll .. let me finish with her and then
I'll call you back.
CW:

Everyone wants to talk to you.

KJ:

I don't know.

CW:

Um okay so ah yesterday you guys ..

KJ:

Uh-huh.

CW: .. was Wednesday um Prince admitted to you that he had a problem, that he wanted
to try to reach out and get some help.
KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

Okay, any idea how long this has been going on? No idea?

KJ:

No.

CW:

Okay.

KJ:
I mean that.that's why I was trying to reach back to people when no one was just
you know, everyone's scared to say something I guess, I don't know.

____

)

CW:

All right.

KJ:

That's what pisses me off cause it's like man, how did he hide this so well?

CW:

He's very private you said?

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 KJ:

)

Very private.

CW: Okay, well !..I've never ah met him or been here I guess but I've heard that from my
other partners with just dealing with security and stuff here so um would he have kept
anything up in his room? Like which room would he have kept his things in?
KJ:

That's what I don't know.

CW: Okay so none of you guys, he doesn't ask for you guys to get him anything or fill
prescriptions or go and get anything, he doesn't have a doctor so any prescription he's
getting is from somewhere else?
KJ:

Yeah he's never asked me.

CW:

Okay so he, has he um okay, I'll get to that question in a second then so ..

KJ:

Yeah.

CW: .. um all right so my timeline here is Thursday was the Atlanta concert um you guys
ah got here, flew back here about nine ah Friday morning ..
KJ:

Yep.

CW:
.. okay um and then you had a meeting on Tuesday with Larry and you guys about
that there's something going on, he needs to cancel these concerts that he had Monday,
Wednesday and Friday this week, Saturday he had a dance party, everything was fine, he
didn't perform but he was complaining about being dehydrated ..
KJ:

Uh-hum.

CW: .. and then um during that meeting with Larry and his assistant and you, was that
when you guys decided to reach out to California?
KJ:

No, it was just to get him, have him to go to the doctor and just do a physical.

CW: That was what you guys wanted, to get a physical done, was what you kind of had
met with him.
KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

Um and do you have Larry's information?

KJ:

Larry Graham?

CW:

Yeah.

KJ:
CW:
KJ:

)
CW:

-Okay.

And does Larry, has he been notified?

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 KJ:

\

Yeah.

CW: Okay so he would maybe expect a call from us in the future if we had any questions.
When you say he was a musician, bass player ..
KJ:

Bass player yep.

CW:

.. but they were kind of tight then?

KJ:

Yeah they were both Jehovah Witness so ..

CW:

Okay.

KJ:

.. church together, he would come and do concerts here sometime.

CW: Okay. So who would you say would be Prince's maybe um group, the closest people
that would know him other than you and his assistant?
KJ:

Meron and Phaedra, his sister, Larry um that's pretty much it in his circle lately.

CW: Okay so the five of you are pretty much the circle of everybody that would know
what's going on with him? Okay um and so you guys reached out to Andrew and his dad to
come here and when did Andrew fly in?

-----,

KJ:

This morning.

CW:

So did you go get him at the airport or ..

KJ:

No he .. we met him at the hotel.

CW:

Okay so he hadn't even, Andrew had never even met Prince yet? Okay and had he

KJ:

No.

ever been here before?

CW: This was a first meeting then. Okay, and um the other person that was with Meron,
there was another man that was here um you guys were talking when we were on the stairs.
KJ:

That was Josh and Hannah, they had just came in.

CW:

Josh?

KJ:

Yep.

CW:

And who is Josh?

KJ:
Josh is a producer, he was in um the band for
and Hannah is a drummer,
she was in the band. They would be, well I guess they would be other ones that would kind
of be in the circle as well.

)

CW:

Okay and they're up in Chan so ..

KJ:

They live here in Chan as well.

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21

 CW:

Okay I'm assuming though they're all .. my partners are all talking to them then ..

KJ:

Yeah.

CW: .. so, so you dropped him off at a quarter to eight um he wasn't feeling good, the pills
that.that your doctor gave him, nothing worked ..
KJ:

Uh-huh.

CW:

.. said good night, nothing unusual about that?

KJ:

Yep.

UM:

(Inaudible).

CW:

Um I can try to wrap it up here, okay.

KJ:

Yeah.

CW: We might have to talk to you again obviously Kirk, um dropped him off here and then
this morning when did you try and get a hold of him? Or you .. you met with Andrew or what
was the plan for today?
KJ:
Yeah we was just meeting with Andrew just you know, to see what you know, what
they could talk to him about and then give him a how they can .. cause he wanted someone to
come to the studio, he didn't want to go outside the studio just for privacy reasons, Andrew
was going to come in the place of his dad, his dad was going to come tomorrow..
·
CW:

Okay.

KJ:
.. and just talk to him and ask him how he can help and you know the process of what
we can use to you know, bring him down off the opiates I guess they're called, um in the
hope that you know, Prince would allow it to happen cause he said he wanted .. he wanted
something so.
CW:

Okay so um you couldn't get a hold of him this morning?

KJ:

I tried to call and it was just something didn't feel right ..

CW:

Okay.

KJ:
.. so I tried to call his room, nothing, called the kitchen, nothing, those are the only two
numbers you .. you usually can get him, he don't have no cell phone or nothing or on the
computer.
CW:

He talks to you on the computer ..

KJ:

Yes.

CW:

.. like texting?

KJ:

Like email.

CW:

An email?

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22

 KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

Okay and how is the security here? You run that security system?

KJ:
It's pre .. there's no security system, it's just doors are locked or unlocked, that's all.
There's no cameras or no alarms on.
CW:

There's no cameras here?

KJ:
He's very self-conscious of that for whatever reason. I know at one point there was,
but there is none.
CW:

Okay and no alarm system?

KJ:

Turned that off too.

CW:

And so what.so the gate is the only way to control people coming in and out?

KJ:

The gate and the doors being locked.

CW: Is there a way to track if there's anybody coming in and out of the gate? No way to
track that system? Okay so it's just a remote ..
KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

.. kind of like a garage door opener?

KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

That's ii? Okay so when did he take out his surveillance and everything?

KJ:

I don't know, I wasn't here when it happened.

CW:

So it was before 2oog?

KJ:

Yeah.

CW:

Or whatever, I think that's what you said it was.

KJ:

Yep.

CW: Okay um is there anything ..1..1 know that they're wanting to maybe talk and speed
this up so I probably will have to talk to you again Kirk.
KJ:

Okay.

CW: Um is there anything that I didn't ask you that you think that we should know right
away pertaining to everything?
KJ:

Not that I can think of.

CW:

Okay. Um is everything you've told me a true statement?

)
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23

 )

(

KJ:

Yes.

CW:

Have I made any threats or promises for you to talk to me?

KJ:

No.

CW:

I have to ask that so ..

KJ:

Okay.

CW:

Um okay we will end this statement then at 1236 on 4/21/2016.

INADVERTENT ERRORS AND/OR OMISSIONS MAY HAVE OCCURRED DURING THE
TRANSCRIBING OF THIS CONVERSATION. PLEASE REFER TO TAPE FOR PRECISE
DIALOGUE.

)
.'

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Statement Kirk Anthony J o h n s o n , - 5/11/2016 lmm

24