Local 4 Defenders interview Bob Bashara: Part 1

Bashara answers questions about late wife Jane for more than an hour

DETROIT – Local 4 Defender Marc Santia sat down with Bob Bashara for a Q&A focused on his wife, her death and their relationship.

For more than one hour Bashara answered every question Marc had for him. His mother, Nancy Bashara, and his sister, Laura Mauer, sat by his side during the entire interview.

Marc Santia: Bob, did you kill your wife Jane?

Bob Bashara: Absolutely not. I had nothing to do with it.

MS: Did you hire someone to kill your wife Jane?

BB: No. No I did not.

MS: Talk to me about your marriage. How was your marriage with Jane?

BB: We had great years together. We were a team. We worked on community services together in Rotary. I'm big in Rotary. We worked together in the schools. Like any marriage you have your ups and downs. You have your rough patches that you come across. About a year ago we went to a marriage counselor to sort through some things and we ... we ... we loved each other. We cared for each other and we were there for the kids.

MS: Was there talk of a divorce? Were you separated?

BB: No. Not at all.

MS: Were you having an affair?

BB: No. I was not. I loved my wife and I love my children and I would do nothing to hurt them. She meant everything to me.

MS: So the reports, and the other woman by the name of Rachel, you would characterize that as?

BB: She was a good friend, that's it.

MS: Were you involved in S&M?

SLIDESHOW: Inside the Bob Bashara Interview

BB: No. And I don't want to get into that because I have my children to worry about. There are so many peripheral issues that have been brought up. So many of them that I can't comment on that or say anything because of my children.

MS: Because of these other reports, what have you said to your children? Your son and your daughter? I mean, because of talks of extra marital affairs and S&M, what have you said to your son and daughter?

BB: Don't believe what you hear. This has been sensationalized. Things have been brought up that aren't true. Just focus, and the focus needs to be on finding Jane's killer.

Laura Mauer: I've been with my brother and we've been going through this terrible tragedy and yes, we've looked each other in the eyes. I've watched him. I've been with him every second and no way would my brother ever do anything like this. Never. He's such a good man. He cares about people. He's wonderful. No, he would never do this.

MS: Do you believe your son had anything to do with Jane's murder?

Nancy Bashara: Absolutely not. I don't believe (Bob) would hurt (Jane) in any way, shape or form.

Watch Local 4 News at 11 p.m. Sunday for the rest of Marc Santia's interview with Bob Bashara. He asks Bashara about who he thinks killed his wife, about his first polygraph test administered by police, the man named Joe and his emotion during this past week's news conference in front of his Grosse Pointe Park home.