IN -Terry and Darleen Anderson Murder, Mungo, 22 Oct 2005 - #1

[Dark Knight]

From the Kendallville News-Sun:

Police hope for break in murders: Officials pursuing leads, waiting for potential DNA evidence

By MATT GETTS

LAGRANGE Who killed Terry and Darlene Anderson?

That's the question that continues to gnaw at investigators more than two months after the couple were found murdered at their home in the 6200 block of East C.R. 250N near Mongo on Oct. 21.

No arrests have been made in the double homicide despite dozens of interviews and hundreds of man hours logged by multiple agencies, including the LaGrange County Sheriff's Department, the Indiana State Police and LaGrange County Coroner's Office.

LaGrange County Sheriff Greg Dhaene said Tuesday afternoon there were at least five "people of interest" who have not been excluded as potential suspects. But police were still looking for the "smoking gun" evidence or tip that will lead them to the killer.

Police are hopeful that potential DNA evidence gathered at the scene will eventually lead them to the murderer.

Dhaene confirmed Tuesday that "several pieces of evidence" were recovered, primarily in the outbuilding where Terry Anderson's body was discovered. Processing those materials for potential DNA evidence will take another four to six months at the backlogged Indiana State Police Crime Lab, he said.

http://media.fastclick.net/w/click.here?cid=57785&mid=115290&sid=26422&m=6&c=0 Dhaene declined to comment on the exact nature of the evidence.

"We are hopeful DNA evidence may be available," Dhaene said.

The body of Darlene Anderson, 57, was discovered by the couple's daughter, Amanda Anderson, when she arrived to pick up her father for work at about 7:21 a.m. on Oct. 21. The body of Terry Anderson, 59, was discovered later in an outbuilding after a search warrant had been obtained for the property.

Police have released few details in the case. LaGrange County Coroner Bruce Coney ruled Oct. 22 both victims died of "blunt force trauma." Police have not disclosed the weapon that was used to kill the Andersons, or whether the weapon has been recovered.

Dhaene expressed frustration that there had been no new significant leads in the case.

"You hate to see an investigation like this stall," Dhaene said Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, county and state law enforcement officers continue to work the case on a daily basis.

Sheriff's department Lt. Tad Oakley, the lead investigator in the case, said he has interviewed more than 50 people concerning the homicides.

"We're going back 15 to 20 years of Terry Anderson's life looking for potential suspects," Oakley said.

Oakley said law enforcement's frustration is shared by the family.

"The family understands what kind of investigation this is," Oakley said. "They know how frustrating it is when we're not getting new information in and we haven't found the (suspect)."

Dhaene said he is convinced the perpetrator or perpetrators will be apprehended.

"This is a solvable case," Dhaene said. "It's just going to take a lot of work and patience."

Several items were stolen from the Andersons' home, according to police. Stolen items include a Winchester .22 magnum lever action rifle with scope and sling; Horton CB 325 Legend Cross-bow; CVA .50 caliber muzzleloader with Simmons scope; Mossberg 20-gauge shotgun with rifled slug barrel and sling; and assorted collector coins.

Anyone with information regarding this case or the whereabouts of any of these items is asked to contact the LaGrange County Sheriff's Department at 463-7491, the Indiana State Police at 432-8661 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-342-7867.

LAGRANGE Who killed Terry and Darlene Anderson?

That's the question that continues to gnaw at investigators more than two months after the couple were found murdered at their home in the 6200 block of East C.R. 250N near Mongo on Oct. 21.

No arrests have been made in the double homicide despite dozens of interviews and hundreds of man hours logged by multiple agencies, including the LaGrange County Sheriff's Department, the Indiana State Police and LaGrange County Coroner's Office.

LaGrange County Sheriff Greg Dhaene said Tuesday afternoon there were at least five "people of interest" who have not been excluded as potential suspects. But police were still looking for the "smoking gun" evidence or tip that will lead them to the killer.

Police are hopeful that potential DNA evidence gathered at the scene will eventually lead them to the murderer.

Dhaene confirmed Tuesday that "several pieces of evidence" were recovered, primarily in the outbuilding where Terry Anderson's body was discovered. Processing those materials for potential DNA evidence will take another four to six months at the backlogged Indiana State Police Crime Lab, he said.

Dhaene declined to comment on the exact nature of the evidence.

"We are hopeful DNA evidence may be available," Dhaene said.

The body of Darlene Anderson, 57, was discovered by the couple's daughter, Amanda Anderson, when she arrived to pick up her father for work at about 7:21 a.m. on Oct. 21. The body of Terry Anderson, 59, was discovered later in an outbuilding after a search warrant had been obtained for the property.

Police have released few details in the case. LaGrange County Coroner Bruce Coney ruled Oct. 22 both victims died of "blunt force trauma." Police have not disclosed the weapon that was used to kill the Andersons, or whether the weapon has been recovered.

Dhaene expressed frustration that there had been no new significant leads in the case.

"You hate to see an investigation like this stall," Dhaene said Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, county and state law enforcement officers continue to work the case on a daily basis.

Sheriff's department Lt. Tad Oakley, the lead investigator in the case, said he has interviewed more than 50 people concerning the homicides.

"We're going back 15 to 20 years of Terry Anderson's life looking for potential suspects," Oakley said.

Oakley said law enforcement's frustration is shared by the family.

"The family understands what kind of investigation this is," Oakley said. "They know how frustrating it is when we're not getting new information in and we haven't found the (suspect)."

Dhaene said he is convinced the perpetrator or perpetrators will be apprehended.

"This is a solvable case," Dhaene said. "It's just going to take a lot of work and patience."

Several items were stolen from the Andersons' home, according to police. Stolen items include a Winchester .22 magnum lever action rifle with scope and sling; Horton CB 325 Legend Cross-bow; CVA .50 caliber muzzleloader with Simmons scope; Mossberg 20-gauge shotgun with rifled slug barrel and sling; and assorted collector coins.

Anyone with information regarding this case or the whereabouts of any of these items is asked to contact the LaGrange County Sheriff's Department at 463-7491, the Indiana State Police at 432-8661 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-342-7867.

 

[Dark Knight]

Here are some links to the original newspaper reports at the time of the murder, in decending chronological order (more recent at top)

http://www.fwdailynews.com/articles/2005/10/27/the_news-sun/news-99051.txt

http://www.fwdailynews.com/articles/2005/10/23/the_news-sun/news-98808.txt

http://www.fwdailynews.com/articles/2005/12/28/the_news-sun/news-102563.txt

http://www.fwdailynews.com/articles/2005/10/22/herald-republican/news-98731.txthttp://www.fwdailynews.com/articles/2005/10/22/herald-republican/news-98731.txthttp://www.fwdailynews.com/articles/2005/10/22/herald-republican/news-98731.txthttp://www.fwdailynews.com/articles/2005/10/22/herald-republican/news-98731.txt

From the Kendallville News-Sun:
Deaths result of beatings; ‘Items of value’ missing

By Bill Gisel

http://media.fastclick.net/w/click.here?cid=56892&mid=112438&sid=26422&m=6&c=0 MONGO Blunt force trauma has been listed as the cause of death of Terry and Darlene Anderson, whose bodies were found Friday at their home in the 6200 block of East C.R. 250N near Mongo.

A joint news release issued Saturday by the LaGrange County Sheriff, Indiana State Police and Coroner Bruce Coney said their deaths are being investigated as homicides.

Police confirmed they have identified several "persons of interest" for questioning, and "items of value" are missing from the property, according to Sheriff Greg Dhaene.

Funeral arrangements for Terry, 59, and Darlene, 57, are pending at the Carney-Frost Funeral Home in LaGrange.

Mrs. Anderson's body was discovered by the couple's daughter, Amanda Anderson, when she arrived to pick up her father for work at about 7:21 a.m. Friday. Both reportedly worked for Asplundh Tree Expert Co.

Terry Anderson's body was discovered later in an outbuilding, after police obtained a search warrant for the property.

According to the news release, the time of death of the Andersons is between 8 p.m. Thursday and 7:21 a.m. Friday, when the first body was discovered.

Autopsies were conducted Friday afternoon to determine the cause of their deaths.

Anyone with information about the murders is asked to call the LaGrange County Sheriff's Department at 463-7491, the Indiana State Police at 432-8661, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-342-7867.

‘A real nice lady'

A former co-worker of Darlene Anderson at Kraft Foods in Kendallville described her as "a real nice lady."

Deanna Magnuson of Albion said she worked with "Dar" for many years. Magnuson has since retired.

"We worked together for quite a few years, and she trained me on one machine," Magnuson recalled. "We played cards together." She guessed Mrs. Anderson had worked at Kraft Foods about 30 years.

She said Mrs. Anderson was "pretty laid back" but a hard worker who did her job. She said that at the time she worked with Mrs. Anderson, Anderson took care of her mother in addition to working.

"She was pretty surprised when she learned she was going to have a baby," Magnuson said. She said her friend had always been told she couldn't have a child, and when she did, it "came pretty late in her life.

"But she never missed work, all the time she was pregnant," Magnuson said.

‘He looked like Santa'

Terry Anderson had white hair and a full white beard, and looked like Santa Claus, said John Burrell of Angola, a good friend who had also worked with Anderson at Asplundh Tree Expert.

"He was very hard working and honest, and he didn't drink or do drugs," Burrell said. Anderson had a passion for muskie fishing, and often served as a guide, taking people out in his boat on area lakes.

Burrell said that during the years he worked with Anderson, "Everywhere we went, he knew somebody." He said it didn't matter if it was in Angola, LaGrange, Rome City or Michigan.

According to Burrell, Amanda Anderson had been asked by her father to fill in for his usual partner on Friday. She often filled in when someone was needed, Burrell said.

"I have been to his home many times, and he had a lot of guns and a lot of fishing equipment," Burrell said. Anderson had a habit of loaning money to people, he added, and speculated that the killer probably knew Anderson.

"I think it was someone who knew him, but that's just my personal opinion," he said.MONGO Blunt force trauma has been listed as the cause of death of Terry and Darlene Anderson, whose bodies were found Friday at their home in the 6200 block of East C.R. 250N near Mongo.

A joint news release issued Saturday by the LaGrange County Sheriff, Indiana State Police and Coroner Bruce Coney said their deaths are being investigated as homicides.

Police confirmed they have identified several "persons of interest" for questioning, and "items of value" are missing from the property, according to Sheriff Greg Dhaene.

Funeral arrangements for Terry, 59, and Darlene, 57, are pending at the Carney-Frost Funeral Home in LaGrange.

Mrs. Anderson's body was discovered by the couple's daughter, Amanda Anderson, when she arrived to pick up her father for work at about 7:21 a.m. Friday. Both reportedly worked for Asplundh Tree Expert Co.

Terry Anderson's body was discovered later in an outbuilding, after police obtained a search warrant for the property.

According to the news release, the time of death of the Andersons is between 8 p.m. Thursday and 7:21 a.m. Friday, when the first body was discovered.

Autopsies were conducted Friday afternoon to determine the cause of their deaths.

Anyone with information about the murders is asked to call the LaGrange County Sheriff's Department at 463-7491, the Indiana State Police at 432-8661, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-342-7867.

‘A real nice lady'

A former co-worker of Darlene Anderson at Kraft Foods in Kendallville described her as "a real nice lady."

Deanna Magnuson of Albion said she worked with "Dar" for many years. Magnuson has since retired.

"We worked together for quite a few years, and she trained me on one machine," Magnuson recalled. "We played cards together." She guessed Mrs. Anderson had worked at Kraft Foods about 30 years.

She said Mrs. Anderson was "pretty laid back" but a hard worker who did her job. She said that at the time she worked with Mrs. Anderson, Anderson took care of her mother in addition to working.

"She was pretty surprised when she learned she was going to have a baby," Magnuson said. She said her friend had always been told she couldn't have a child, and when she did, it "came pretty late in her life.

"But she never missed work, all the time she was pregnant," Magnuson said.

‘He looked like Santa'

Terry Anderson had white hair and a full white beard, and looked like Santa Claus, said John Burrell of Angola, a good friend who had also worked with Anderson at Asplundh Tree Expert.

"He was very hard working and honest, and he didn't drink or do drugs," Burrell said. Anderson had a passion for muskie fishing, and often served as a guide, taking people out in his boat on area lakes.

Burrell said that during the years he worked with Anderson, "Everywhere we went, he knew somebody." He said it didn't matter if it was in Angola, LaGrange, Rome City or Michigan.

According to Burrell, Amanda Anderson had been asked by her father to fill in for his usual partner on Friday. She often filled in when someone was needed, Burrell said.

"I have been to his home many times, and he had a lot of guns and a lot of fishing equipment," Burrell said. Anderson had a habit of loaning money to people, he added, and speculated that the killer probably knew Anderson.

"I think it was someone who knew him, but that's just my personal opinion," he said.

 

[Dark Knight]

Article by the Kendallville News-Sun:

Treasured memories
​

By Megan Hockley
​

​

LAGRANGE Two closed caskets were covered in flowers at LaGrange's Carney-Frost Funeral Home Wednesday as the family and friends of homicide victims Terry and Darleen Anderson gathered to bid them goodbye.

Funeral services are today for the Mongo couple who were found dead on their property Friday. Police still have no suspects in the case.

Terry and Darleen Anderson are gone, but their spirits were very much present at Wednesday's calling, where treasured memories were shared aloud, hugs were plentiful, tears were wiped away, laughter occasionally bubbled up and, most importantly, love lived on.

"We're going to make their dreams our dreams," said the couple's daughter, Amanda, affirming that the family would be keeping the home where her parents died. "Dad wanted a full wrap-around porch, to tear down the barn, new siding. There's electrical work to do. Mom wanted new curtains, new furniture.

"We just need a security system."

Twenty-year-old Amanda Anderson sat on a sofa near her parents' caskets Wednesday, surrounded by close friends and family members. The dark shadows under her eyes testifying to how little sleep she's had in the past few days, Amanda Anderson was still in shock but she spoke bravely about her parents.


​

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Topwater Terry

Terry Anderson had a tattoo of a muskie on his arm and a love for hunting in his heart. Many of the memories people shared about him Wednesday involved animals, both pets and prey. He was nicknamed Topwater Terry in connection with his passion for muskie fishing.

"Dad loved the outdoors, hunting and fishing," Amanda Anderson said. "He was a muskie guy, and he would ice fish constantly in the winter.

"He was proud of his boat, and

his truck was his pride and joy. He loved his children and his grandchildren. He was a hard worker."

When asked if she used to go fishing with her dad, Amanda was quick to smile. "Not very much because he would scream and yell, but if anybody ever needed anything, he would make sure you had it. If you needed money for lunch or if you needed advice ... he would give it."

Terry and his friends called themselves The Brothers of the Woods, and Terry also went by the nickname The Norwegian Monkey Man from Mongo, said his best friend, Bill Gage.

"Terry's most famous in Mongo for his iron skillet. It's never been washed! He made the best deer meat in the whole state, maybe the whole country in that," Gage said. "We lived on hazelnuts or filberts and deer meat all winter."

Gage also shared a memory of Terry that involved his old pet pig, Oink Johnson, which he said grew into the biggest pig he'd ever seen.

"He'd try to ride Oink Johnson," Gage said, laughing. "When the pig got hungry, it would get noisy, and Terry would say, ‘Shut up, Oink Johnson! I'll feed you when I'm ready.' That pig was as big as a cow. Its pork chops looked like T-bone steaks."

Terry was also a famous turkey hunter, Gage said. "He would get his turkey in 10 minutes. Everybody in town was jealous of that. I would hunt all day without getting one."

Terry's barn was bigger than his house and included a large storage area, a tool shed and workroom and his hunting cabin. "Every time he got an extra $500, $600, he'd call the Amish men. ‘I want to build on. Frame it up,'" Gage said.

Rick and Misty Jo Kwiek of California, Terry's oldest son and his wife, said Terry taught his grandsons how to fish and used to secretly slip them gold dollars when their parents weren't looking. Terry often took Rick out fishing when he visited Indiana.

"I remember going to Cree Lake," Kwiek said. "He got in the boat, and he wanted me to back up the boat. Well, I'm from Chicago. I'm lucky if I can drive my own car. He was yelling, ‘No, not that way! More right, more left!' Normally, he was mellow, but ..."

Terry was a tree trimmer for Asplundh. His co-worker, and Amanda Anderson's boyfriend, Quae Proctor, has many fond memories of him, including watching Terry ride around his yard on a lawnmower, poking at pesky moles with a pitchfork.

Another time, the two men worked together to cut off the top 8 feet of a tree that was full of honey bees.

"The boss wanted the bees dropped in the driveway to get it down quick, but Terry wouldn't do it. He screened up the holes so the bees couldn't get out, and he insisted on having those honey bees relocated to some other area," Proctor said. "There was 50-60 pounds of honey in the log. There was so much, it was seeping out the pores of the wood."

"He drove those bees from Syracuse all the way to Mongo," Amanda Anderson said, adding that Terry gave the log to a beekeeper friend of his.

Shop ‘til you drop Darleen

Darleen Anderson's proclivity for shopping was one of her defining characteristics, according to friends and family."Mom loved garage sale-ing," Amanda Anderson said fondly. "She used to bring home a lot of junk."

"She could outshop us all, and Terry could outfish all us guys," Proctor said.

"Every time we came from California, she would take us to Shipshewana, and we were at the flea markets and garage sales," Misty Jo Kwiek said. "We wouldn't get home until after dark because she wouldn't quit. It was always, ‘Just one more garage sale!'

"She'd know we were coming, and she'd start hitting the garage sales for toys for the grandkids ... The boys loved their grandma."

Darleen also passed down her skill at playing the piano to her daughter, and she collected rocks of all kinds. She bought from dealers and often reminded Proctor and her husband to keep their eyes open for interesting rocks in the cornfields. "We always brought something back for her," Proctor said.

With her collections and her shopping habit, Darleen's house is packed to the rafters with stuff, according to her daughter-in-law.

"She was a pack rat. The house was hers to fill up, and the shop was his, and oh my gosh is it full!" Misty Jo Kwiek said. "It will have to be sorted out, and I started looking at it, but I just couldn't do anything yet. I felt like I was invading their privacy."

Terry was a bit of a shopper too, and Darleen used to scold him for his extravagant purchases unless he brought her something too, Amanda Anderson said.

"He'd always buy things and hide them from her. Then she'd find them," Amanda said. "The day we got a new four-wheeler and a new dirt bike and pulled in the driveway with them, she was so mad."

"I remember when he bought something really expensive (for himself), and he went out and bought her all new furniture so it would be OK," Gage said.LAGRANGE Two closed caskets were covered in flowers at LaGrange's Carney-Frost Funeral Home Wednesday as the family and friends of homicide victims Terry and Darleen Anderson gathered to bid them goodbye.

Funeral services are today for the Mongo couple who were found dead on their property Friday. Police still have no suspects in the case.

Terry and Darleen Anderson are gone, but their spirits were very much present at Wednesday's calling, where treasured memories were shared aloud, hugs were plentiful, tears were wiped away, laughter occasionally bubbled up and, most importantly, love lived on.

"We're going to make their dreams our dreams," said the couple's daughter, Amanda, affirming that the family would be keeping the home where her parents died. "Dad wanted a full wrap-around porch, to tear down the barn, new siding. There's electrical work to do. Mom wanted new curtains, new furniture.

"We just need a security system."

Twenty-year-old Amanda Anderson sat on a sofa near her parents' caskets Wednesday, surrounded by close friends and family members. The dark shadows under her eyes testifying to how little sleep she's had in the past few days, Amanda Anderson was still in shock but she spoke bravely about her parents.

Topwater Terry

Terry Anderson had a tattoo of a muskie on his arm and a love for hunting in his heart. Many of the memories people shared about him Wednesday involved animals, both pets and prey. He was nicknamed Topwater Terry in connection with his passion for muskie fishing.

"Dad loved the outdoors, hunting and fishing," Amanda Anderson said. "He was a muskie guy, and he would ice fish constantly in the winter.

"He was proud of his boat, and

his truck was his pride and joy. He loved his children and his grandchildren. He was a hard worker."

When asked if she used to go fishing with her dad, Amanda was quick to smile. "Not very much because he would scream and yell, but if anybody ever needed anything, he would make sure you had it. If you needed money for lunch or if you needed advice ... he would give it."

Terry and his friends called themselves The Brothers of the Woods, and Terry also went by the nickname The Norwegian Monkey Man from Mongo, said his best friend, Bill Gage.

"Terry's most famous in Mongo for his iron skillet. It's never been washed! He made the best deer meat in the whole state, maybe the whole country in that," Gage said. "We lived on hazelnuts or filberts and deer meat all winter."

Gage also shared a memory of Terry that involved his old pet pig, Oink Johnson, which he said grew into the biggest pig he'd ever seen.

"He'd try to ride Oink Johnson," Gage said, laughing. "When the pig got hungry, it would get noisy, and Terry would say, ‘Shut up, Oink Johnson! I'll feed you when I'm ready.' That pig was as big as a cow. Its pork chops looked like T-bone steaks."

Terry was also a famous turkey hunter, Gage said. "He would get his turkey in 10 minutes. Everybody in town was jealous of that. I would hunt all day without getting one."

Terry's barn was bigger than his house and included a large storage area, a tool shed and workroom and his hunting cabin. "Every time he got an extra $500, $600, he'd call the Amish men. ‘I want to build on. Frame it up,'" Gage said.

Rick and Misty Jo Kwiek of California, Terry's oldest son and his wife, said Terry taught his grandsons how to fish and used to secretly slip them gold dollars when their parents weren't looking. Terry often took Rick out fishing when he visited Indiana.

"I remember going to Cree Lake," Kwiek said. "He got in the boat, and he wanted me to back up the boat. Well, I'm from Chicago. I'm lucky if I can drive my own car. He was yelling, ‘No, not that way! More right, more left!' Normally, he was mellow, but ..."

Terry was a tree trimmer for Asplundh. His co-worker, and Amanda Anderson's boyfriend, Quae Proctor, has many fond memories of him, including watching Terry ride around his yard on a lawnmower, poking at pesky moles with a pitchfork.

Another time, the two men worked together to cut off the top 8 feet of a tree that was full of honey bees.

"The boss wanted the bees dropped in the driveway to get it down quick, but Terry wouldn't do it. He screened up the holes so the bees couldn't get out, and he insisted on having those honey bees relocated to some other area," Proctor said. "There was 50-60 pounds of honey in the log. There was so much, it was seeping out the pores of the wood."

"He drove those bees from Syracuse all the way to Mongo," Amanda Anderson said, adding that Terry gave the log to a beekeeper friend of his.

Shop ‘til you drop Darleen

Darleen Anderson's proclivity for shopping was one of her defining characteristics, according to friends and family."Mom loved garage sale-ing," Amanda Anderson said fondly. "She used to bring home a lot of junk."

"She could outshop us all, and Terry could outfish all us guys," Proctor said.

"Every time we came from California, she would take us to Shipshewana, and we were at the flea markets and garage sales," Misty Jo Kwiek said. "We wouldn't get home until after dark because she wouldn't quit. It was always, ‘Just one more garage sale!'

"She'd know we were coming, and she'd start hitting the garage sales for toys for the grandkids ... The boys loved their grandma."

Darleen also passed down her skill at playing the piano to her daughter, and she collected rocks of all kinds. She bought from dealers and often reminded Proctor and her husband to keep their eyes open for interesting rocks in the cornfields. "We always brought something back for her," Proctor said.

With her collections and her shopping habit, Darleen's house is packed to the rafters with stuff, according to her daughter-in-law.

"She was a pack rat. The house was hers to fill up, and the shop was his, and oh my gosh is it full!" Misty Jo Kwiek said. "It will have to be sorted out, and I started looking at it, but I just couldn't do anything yet. I felt like I was invading their privacy."

Terry was a bit of a shopper too, and Darleen used to scold him for his extravagant purchases unless he brought her something too, Amanda Anderson said.

"He'd always buy things and hide them from her. Then she'd find them," Amanda said. "The day we got a new four-wheeler and a new dirt bike and pulled in the driveway with them, she was so mad."

"I remember when he bought something really expensive (for himself), and he went out and bought her all new furniture so it would be OK," Gage said.
​

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[Dark Knight]

The archived articles are posted above. Thanks to the Herald Republican and KPC Publishing for permission to reprint them!

 

[Rosco]

Yes, we can only guess at what our own reactions would be but I get a cold sick feeling in the pit of my stomach even thinking about that happening to my parents. I don't think I'd be able to stay in the house where it happened either.

How did A stay in the house with such an obvious and bloody reminder of the crime? Even after three weeks the sights and smells might remain so I wonder at the kind of person who'd want to rent a room in that house.

blaize

I get/GOT the same feeling when I was at my dad's place after the murders took place. The LE allowed the property to be exposed to all less then 48hrs after the murders took place. We/family used the home as a meeting place - for all family to come and say peace.. Just FYI... When people were coming to the home that weekend after the murders, they were coming to the house for ONE REASON... and quess who was never there to greet their visits? A... I always had to track her down somewhere - OR she was not there at all. Her boyfriend(X) at the time was never to be seen...or if he was he was burning up the back yard/woods with the quads and making all kinds of racket...and they were ENGAGED to be married. One would think that a pre-son-in-law of the murdered victims would want to show respect and see the friends and family that came and gave food and money and tears... I did MOST of the planning and greeting... Me and my husband..

 

[Rosco]

From The Farmer's Exchange Sale Calendar on 5th October 2006

Oct. 3, 4:30 p.m.

Estates of Terry & Darlene Anderson, 8 miles east of LaGrange, Ind. on US 20 to SR 3, then north 2½ miles to CR 250N, then west 1¾ miles to 6270 East CR 250N. Strawser Auctions AC68700183 by Michael G. Strawser AU01036470, Auct.
......................................

I asume the family knew about this & hopefully were able to take some personal mementos from the property.

blaize

I did find out about this auction... I was 'advised' not to attend due to security...also I don't know how I would have reacted if I stepped foot on my dad's property and seen A... I think I might have gone to jail.. ANYWAY.. I sent a few 'friends' to the auction and they were able to obtain a few articles... BUT.. also told that the auction was more like a 'garage sale' nothing of value really was there to sell.. Non of great-grandma's antiques were out... nothing from the house as far as doll-collections or any of my dad's nice poles - I wanted one of his cane-poles he had.. not there. Can't sell anything like house, cars, boat.. Bank owns that right now.. The property is in Probate. The 'will' was not legal.. not notarized.... worthless...

 

[Rosco]

I wasn't familiar with this case, and had never heard of it before tonight. I read all the info on the web I could find, as well as all of the post in this thread.

As someone who studied profiling for a bit, there are a few things that stand out as odd, but heres the prominent one, that I don't recall anyone mentioning.

If you were 20 years old, and your parents had just been brutally murdered, you would, in all likelyhood, not want to inhabit the house. BUT, that aside, because that is a mental fear to be overcome, wouldn't you have an immediate fear of whomever did this coming back? That is a practical fear.

The only way you could live there comfortbly, would be if you were secure in the knowledge that you KNEW they would not be coming back. Which of course leads to the logic that A def knows who did this, how, and why. She has no fear of them coming back.

PLUS, the gunshot wound comment was totally out line. Under sever, unexpected duress, most people would reply "I don't know". The only reason she would bevery specific would be if she was trying to throw LE immediately off the trail.

That is an interesting point about the gunshot comment. I would think the LE knows/thinks the same as you... One would hope. LE said there have been 2 profilers who reviewed this case - from different areas and not knowing one-another.. LE will not express that report to me.. I know when I was on the property I would not wait to get away once that sun went down....

 

[Rosco]

DK, I still cannot access the archives. I think the quotes above speak for themselves though. I would like to know who she is referring to when she says "we"?

Rosco, you said the will was on a handwritten paper. Was this ever verified in case it was forged? I wouldn't be surprised if it was signed under duress. You said the life insurance policy was mentioned in this note. Don't you have to put down a beneficairy beforehand, like when you fill it out? I guess they would have listed each other first, then her since she was their bio daughter.

Here is what I am thinking. I know you do not want anything, as you have stated. But, what if you were to stir up the pot a little? It seems you may be entitled to something, and could contest the "will". Although, it may not be a good idea if she is the one responsible. If she killed once, she may do it again. I agree with other posters that at 20 years old there is no way I could live in my murdered parents home. If I didn't do it I would be afraid of someone coming after me. If I did do it I would be afraid of their spirits or my guilt getting me.

I think LE may know a lot more than they are telling you. To me it seems obvious who have motive. Another question. Was A's ex boyfriend her ex at the time of the murders? Would it be strange for them to be together as each others alibies?

X- was not X at the time of murders. They were suposed to be getting married and that was what both were going around telling everyone.. Well X- told me that 'not to worry - I will take care of her.. I plan on marrying her'... He can not deny he said that right on the front steps of the sheriff's office... It was me and him..

As far as beneficairy - they placed each other first.. SO it got down to who survived who... and the coroner ruled Darleen first - just becz she was found first. dad was found hours later due to the fact that once a body is found to be murdered - you have to close the scene and get a warrent to search further =- that is what I was told. took a few hours to do that and that was when they searched for my dad and found him in the pole-barn.

A and X broke-up just a few months ago.. maybe june.. and A has new boyfriend.. another charector that worked at the same tree service they ALL worked at.. (dad, A, X..and now new) Funny how they were going to marry and 6 months after they break up and now BRAND NEW boyfriend - in line...

 

[Dark Knight]

That is an interesting point about the gunshot comment. I would think the LE knows/thinks the same as you... One would hope. LE said there have been 2 profilers who reviewed this case - from different areas and not knowing one-another.. LE will not express that report to me.. I know when I was on the property I would not wait to get away once that sun went down....

LE won't tell you many of the details because they don't know what you might pass along to your sister, etc. I'd never trust a family member with that info, anyways, no matter what they said.

 

[William R Thomas]

To be fair, she did add "a security system" to her list of renovations. *shrugs* It ain't much I realize, lol.

I saw that. But wouldn't it be the first thing you said, and not an afterthought?

 

[blaize]

From The Farmer's Exchange Sale Calendar on 5th October 2006

Oct. 3, 4:30 p.m.

Estates of Terry & Darlene Anderson, 8 miles east of LaGrange, Ind. on US 20 to SR 3, then north 2½ miles to CR 250N, then west 1¾ miles to 6270 East CR 250N. Strawser Auctions AC68700183 by Michael G. Strawser AU01036470, Auct.
......................................

I asume the family knew about this & hopefully were able to take some personal mementos from the property.

blaize

 

[blaize]

Story 1 Link

Posted on Tue, Nov. 01, 2005
Angela Mapes/The Journal Gazette

A memorial stands in front of Terry and Darleen Anderson’s home near Mongo. Police say the couple were killed late Oct. 20 or early Oct. 21.

A search for answers, justice in Mongo deaths

By Angela Mapes

The Journal Gazette

MONGO – Eric Musilek usually visited his father-in-law, Terry Anderson, to go hunting and fishing.

On Oct. 21, he went to Anderson’s Mongo home charged with a much more chilling task – cleaning up the scene of a double homicide.

Terry Anderson, 59, and his wife, Darleen, 57, were found dead by their daughter, Amanda, on the morning of Oct. 21. The crime remains under investigation, and no suspects have been charged.

On Monday, police in LaGrange County sent out a list of some of the items taken from the Andersons, asking the public to contact them if they’ve seen any, most of which were weapons used in hunting.

Police told Musilek, who is married to Terry Anderson’s daughter, Sherry, that he could hire a cleaning service to clean the Anderson house. Musilek said he wanted the scene treated with respect.

“They were stripped of their dignity,” said Musilek, of Crestwood, Ill. “Terry would have done the same for me.”

Musilek burned the couch where Darleen was found dead, stripped out blood-stained carpet and ripped down curtains.

He cleaned up the barn where Terry Anderson was killed – a barn he helped him build a few years back.

Seated on the Andersons’ screened-in porch Monday afternoon, Musilek said he wants nothing more than to see the Andersons’ killer get the death penalty.

(Story Continued At Link Above)

............................................

Story 2 Link

Posted on Wed, Oct. 26, 2005
Journal entry
A town transformed

The double homicide last week in Mongo could have happened in any one of the small towns of northeast Indiana. The fact that it happened in Mongo brought the sudden realization, for me, how quickly something like that can change a community.

I spend a lot of time in and around Mongo. The small town, along the Pigeon River just south of the Michigan state line, is kind of my second home.


(Story Continued At Link Above)

............................................

Story 3 Link

Fear moves to town Mongo awakens to harsh reality of double slaying

FORT WAYNE - THE JOURNAL GAZETTE 051025 Tuesday, October 25, 2005 Photos by Samuel Hoffman/The Journal Gazette Gerald Johnson, owner of the Mongo Country Store, often talked fishing with homicide victim Terry Anderson.

Jim Codling, right, owner of the Mongo Tavern, talks with a bar patron Monday. He said the town is on edge after last week's double homicide of Terry and Darleen Anderson. "We lock everything, when we didn't used to lock anything," Codling said.
By Angela Mapes The Journal Gazette
MONGO
Fear moves to town Mongo awakens to harsh reality of double slaying

Gerald Johnson is worried that there's a killer on the loose.

(Story Continued At Link Above)

............................................


blaize

 

[Dark Knight]

Story 1 Link

Posted on Tue, Nov. 01, 2005
Angela Mapes/The Journal Gazette

A memorial stands in front of Terry and Darleen Anderson’s home near Mongo. Police say the couple were killed late Oct. 20 or early Oct. 21.

A search for answers, justice in Mongo deaths

By Angela Mapes

The Journal Gazette

MONGO – Eric Musilek usually visited his father-in-law, Terry Anderson, to go hunting and fishing.

On Oct. 21, he went to Anderson’s Mongo home charged with a much more chilling task – cleaning up the scene of a double homicide.

Terry Anderson, 59, and his wife, Darleen, 57, were found dead by their daughter, Amanda, on the morning of Oct. 21. The crime remains under investigation, and no suspects have been charged.

On Monday, police in LaGrange County sent out a list of some of the items taken from the Andersons, asking the public to contact them if they’ve seen any, most of which were weapons used in hunting.

Police told Musilek, who is married to Terry Anderson’s daughter, Sherry, that he could hire a cleaning service to clean the Anderson house. Musilek said he wanted the scene treated with respect.

“They were stripped of their dignity,” said Musilek, of Crestwood, Ill. “Terry would have done the same for me.”

Musilek burned the couch where Darleen was found dead, stripped out blood-stained carpet and ripped down curtains.

He cleaned up the barn where Terry Anderson was killed – a barn he helped him build a few years back.

Seated on the Andersons’ screened-in porch Monday afternoon, Musilek said he wants nothing more than to see the Andersons’ killer get the death penalty.

(Story Continued At Link Above)

............................................

Story 2 Link

Posted on Wed, Oct. 26, 2005
Journal entry
A town transformed

The double homicide last week in Mongo could have happened in any one of the small towns of northeast Indiana. The fact that it happened in Mongo brought the sudden realization, for me, how quickly something like that can change a community.

I spend a lot of time in and around Mongo. The small town, along the Pigeon River just south of the Michigan state line, is kind of my second home.


(Story Continued At Link Above)

............................................

Story 3 Link

Fear moves to town Mongo awakens to harsh reality of double slaying

FORT WAYNE - THE JOURNAL GAZETTE 051025 Tuesday, October 25, 2005 Photos by Samuel Hoffman/The Journal Gazette Gerald Johnson, owner of the Mongo Country Store, often talked fishing with homicide victim Terry Anderson.

Jim Codling, right, owner of the Mongo Tavern, talks with a bar patron Monday. He said the town is on edge after last week's double homicide of Terry and Darleen Anderson. "We lock everything, when we didn't used to lock anything," Codling said.
By Angela Mapes The Journal Gazette
MONGO
Fear moves to town Mongo awakens to harsh reality of double slaying

Gerald Johnson is worried that there's a killer on the loose.

(Story Continued At Link Above)

............................................


blaize

From the first story:

Police released a list of missing items Monday but have remained mum on details of the investigation.

“They haven’t told me a single thing,” Amanda Anderson said. “I’m kind of nervous about that. I’m really nervous about that.”

Hmmm, wonder why she is really nervous about that.

 

[blaize]

From the first story:

Police released a list of missing items Monday but have remained mum on details of the investigation.

“They haven’t told me a single thing,” Amanda Anderson said. “I’m kind of nervous about that. I’m really nervous about that.”

Hmmm, wonder why she is really nervous about that.

Yes, I wondered if you'd pick up on that Dark Knight but did you also see where "A" says “I have a problem walking to my car when it’s dusk,” she said. (From the first story link)

The context was interesting to me in that A seemed to be saying what she thought the reporter and Mr Musilek might want to hear for whatever reason.

Later on A says “If I want anything in the world to have right now, it’s to find out who did it,”.

We can only hope that A will get her wish soon and that justice will be served.

blaize

 

[blaize]

LE won't tell you many of the details because they don't know what you might pass along to your sister, etc. I'd never trust a family member with that info, anyways, no matter what they said.

LINK (Tuesday, October 25, 2005) A statement released Sunday by the LaGrange County Sheriff's Office said the Andersons died of blunt force trauma and items of value were found missing from the property.

In all fairness LE will keep as much info as possible to themselves before the investigation ends so that when they question a suspect/s or person/s of interest they have details that they know only the killer/s know and can question them on these points.

It isn't really a matter of trust but more along the lines of good investigative strategy to hold details back.

blaize

 

[Dark Knight]

Yes, I wondered if you'd pick up on that Dark Knight but did you also see where "A" says “I have a problem walking to my car when it’s dusk,” she said. (From the first story link)

The context was interesting to me in that A seemed to be saying what she thought the reporter and Mr Musilek might want to hear for whatever reason.

Later on A says “If I want anything in the world to have right now, it’s to find out who did it,”.

We can only hope that A will get her wish soon and that justice will be served.

blaize

And the reporter said she "jumped in" with that. Like, "Oh, by the way, me too!"

Great job in finding those articles!!!!!!!

I guess we now know "A's" real name, lol, but I am still using "A" to cover my legal butt, hehe.

 

[blaize]

And the reporter said she "jumped in" with that. Like, "Oh, by the way, me too!"

Great job in finding those articles!!!!!!!

I guess we now know "A's" real name, lol, but I am still using "A" to cover my legal butt, hehe.

Thanks Dark Knight. This is a horrible case and A seems to be very young & it's possible that she's been manipulated by someone she thought she could trust. We won't know until LE decides to show their hand.

The facts as we know them do seem to point to the guilt of people who were close to Terry & Darleen and maybe even worked with Terry but until LE decide to make their move we can only speculate and hope that anyone with any pertinent information that would lead to a breakthrough in this case will come forward.

blaize

 

[HollywoodBound]

I did find out about this auction... I was 'advised' not to attend due to security...also I don't know how I would have reacted if I stepped foot on my dad's property and seen A... I think I might have gone to jail.. ANYWAY.. I sent a few 'friends' to the auction and they were able to obtain a few articles... BUT.. also told that the auction was more like a 'garage sale' nothing of value really was there to sell.. Non of great-grandma's antiques were out... nothing from the house as far as doll-collections or any of my dad's nice poles - I wanted one of his cane-poles he had.. not there. Can't sell anything like house, cars, boat.. Bank owns that right now.. The property is in Probate. The 'will' was not legal.. not notarized.... worthless...

I'm just trying to understand this part. I take it all the work "A" is doing (wrap around porch, furniture, tear barn down) is being done on a bank owned home? Why would this be done?

 

[blaize]

I'm just trying to understand this part. I take it all the work "A" is doing (wrap around porch, furniture, tear barn down) is being done on a bank owned home? Why would this be done?

That's right Hollywoodbound, we know she planned to do all of this because she said so shortly after the murders but we don't know if any of the work was actually completed or even started. Maybe Rosco can help us out here.

blaize

 

[Rosco]

From the first story:

Police released a list of missing items Monday but have remained mum on details of the investigation.

“They haven’t told me a single thing,” Amanda Anderson said. “I’m kind of nervous about that. I’m really nervous about that.”

Hmmm, wonder why she is really nervous about that.

Dark Knight - I TOTALLY wondered about that when I read it too for the first time.. WHY WOULD SHE BE WORRIED?????????