Pair Charged With Murder In Wash. Massacre

Suspect In Six Killings Apologized To Children Before Shooting Them, Charges Say

(CBS/AP)  After slaughtering their parents, Joseph McEnroe apologized to his girlfriend's young niece and nephew before shooting both in the head to end a Christmas Eve massacre, prosecutors alleged Friday.

But even as they filed aggravated first-degree murder charges against McEnroe and Michele Anderson, prosecutors could not say what might have driven the couple in the violent killing spree.

"In the end, what motive could you find that would make sense of the senseless slaying of the Anderson family?" King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said in announcing the charges.

Anderson and McEnroe, both 29, were each charged with six counts of aggravated first-degree murder. Authorities say they have confessed. Conviction on aggravated first-degree murder in Washington is punishable only by death or life in prison without possibility of parole, and Satterberg said he would give "serious consideration" to the death penalty.

Satterberg has 30 days from the filing of the charges to decide whether to seek the death penalty against Anderson and McEnroe, reports CBS News affiliate KIRO.

Telephone calls to public defender George Eppler, Anderson's attorney, and Devon Gibbs, McEnroe's lawyer, were not returned Friday.

According to court documents, Anderson said both of them shot her parents, brother and sister-in-law, while McEnroe killed the children. While long-standing bitterness and a perceived family debt might have been factors in the killings, the motive may never be known.

Court documents said McEnroe, a store clerk, and Anderson, who is unemployed, told detectives they armed themselves on Christmas Eve and went to her parents' home near Carnation, about 25 miles east of Seattle. There, they confronted Anderson's parents, Wayne Anderson, 60, and Judy Anderson, 61, in their living room.

Michele Anderson told detectives her brother, a carpenter, owed her money she had loaned to him years earlier, and that she was upset with her parents because they did not take her side, documents say. She also said her parents were pressuring her to start paying rent for staying on their property, where she lived in a trailer with McEnroe.

"Michelle stated that she was tired of everybody stepping on her," the court papers say. "She stated that she was upset with her parents and her brother and that if the problems did not get resolved on Dec. 24, then her intent was definitely to kill everybody."

Satterberg said Michele Anderson fired once at her father's head but missed. McEnroe stepped in, leveled his gun and fatally shot Wayne Anderson in the head, documents said.

Judy Anderson heard the shots and ran from the back room where she had been wrapping gifts. She was shot by McEnroe, who apologized to her before shooting her again, this time in the head, the court documents said.

Satterberg said that the two dragged the bodies to a shed behind the house, used towels and carpets to sop up blood stains and awaited the arrival of Anderson's brother, Scott. He was due for a Christmas Eve visit with his wife, Erica, and children Olivia, 6, and Nathan, 3.

Her brother and sister-in-law put up a brave struggle, according to the documents. Scott Anderson charged her when she pulled out the gun, and was shot up to four times, records say.

Michele then shot Erica Anderson twice, but she was able to crawl over the back of a couch to call 911, authorities said. McEnroe told detectives he tore the phone from Erica's hands and destroyed it.

Huddling with her children, Erica Anderson pleaded with McEnroe not to shoot her, saying: "You don't have to do this."

"Yes, we do," McEnroe was quoted as replying in the affidavit. He fired at her head, authorities said.

Satterberg said that McEnroe apologized to both of the children before he shot 6-year-old Olivia. He then turned to 3-year-old Nathan, who had picked up the batteries from the cordless phone his mother had used in her futile attempt to call for help, court documents said.

McEnroe than fired one last bullet through Nathan's head, according to the affidavit. When asked why he shot Erica, Olivia and Nathan, McEnroe told detectives three times: "I didn't want them to turn us in."

After the killings, McEnroe and Anderson first drove north toward Canada, then south toward Oregon arriving at neither destination, then decided to go back and pretend to discover the bodies, Satterberg said.

When they arrived Wednesday, investigators were already there. Detectives, curious that neither McEnroe nor Michele Anderson asked what had happened at the bustling crime scene, began questioning them and they eventually confessed, according to the documents.

[Krazcarl]

Get some rope find a tree with branches 10+ feet of the ground and send these criegtens to their maker.

[usayesterday]

They both need to be given the death penalty.

But I''m sure... I can predict the stupid *** (Michelle) will cry and whimper on the stand... (boo hoo hoo) "I didn''t want to do it... but he made me do it" (boo hoo hoo).

[lil_willie61]

crzmeat,
That''s right, let''s kill ''em. No trial, no chance to defend themselves, just kill ''em. If we find out later they didn''t do it... oh well, they probably did something that deserves death. Is that what you want?
And what the heck is a "criegten"?

[usbrit-2009]

You''ll find that crzmeat doesn''t give a *** about spelling or syntax - he has the mind of a 4-yr old on that. Heck - he probably thinks crz is how you spell crazy.

[com999-2009]

Whether or not "crzmeat" can spell "cretin" is not the issue. What I find interesting is that he ascribes a "maker" to these monsters. That right there would be a good reason no to believe in that sh*t.

[ceethomas]

Oh geez, here we go again..."a good Christian."

[gunownerdan]

It sickens me to realize there are so many crazy idiots out there who think they can kill people without consequences. I love life, and for those of us who do, we understand the importance of being able to protect it.
Dangerous criminals should be stopped by their intended victims.

[slim1h2o]

Sad, Sad world we live in today.

Oh, BTW, I wouldn''t worry about somebodies toothpicks, without worrying about your own 2 by 4''s people.

[slim1h2o]

Or are you referring to crz misspelling "cretin"?

Posted by matvei1107 at

Yes,, that. I certainly wouldn''t refer to chidern, as "toothpicks"!!!!!

[slim1h2o]

And to clarify,, I wouldn''t worry about someones spelling. I see it all the time on here, someone ridicules somebodies spelling, while making their own mistakes. Not necessarily referring to you though.

[slim1h2o]

No,, I''m not crazy,,just look like it. LOL

[slim1h2o]

I should have clarified at the begining, I guess.

[slim1h2o]

Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother''''s eye."
Luke 6:41-42 NKJV

Posted by ilikecats1 at 12:13 PM : Dec 28, 2007

And would YOU, like to clarify that now?

I would hardly call me a hypocrite, for merely sticking up for someone else.

[slim1h2o]

Maybe it is,,not sure. Thats why I asked. We''re way off topic now.

[gunownerdan]

schoollord,
By definition, law-abiding people are not the ones killing others.
Anyone who kills or attacks people is obviously not concerned with any laws nor are they concerned about the consequences of their actions.
In my opinion it is best for everyone when dangerous criminals are stopped by their intended victims.

[slim1h2o]

Isn''''t that part of the entire bible quote? Not sure name calling was actually intended. I don''''t have a bible handy or I''''d look it up.

Posted by matvei1107 at 12:24 PM : Dec 28, 2007

Yup, just looked it up. He/she ommitted the word "Thou". Maybe thats why I wasn''t sure his/her intent.

[notblue]

Murderers kill people, they use guns, knives, cars, bombs, baseball bats, pipes, shovels, hammers, etc. etc. etc. Unfortunately no matter how many laws are passed, no matter how many restrictions are placed on guns, evil people will still kill others.

[deemsnyd]

She told The Seattle Times that her eldest son was a "good Christian" and she was shocked he had been arrested in the slayings.

Great, just great. I cringed when I read this last little paragraph in another one of CBS''s obviously un-biased, not-at-all secular articles. Now, all the TRUE Christians are going to have to take their time to educate all the people who start slamming Christians on this thread. Oh well, I might as well go ahead and start. Read very carefully: If this man had genuinely been walking with God, he would not have done this. End of story.

[deemsnyd]

lil_willie61,


A woman and her boyfriend ADMITTED to methodically gunning down her parents and four other family members in rural Washington on Christmas Eve, according to police affidavits filed in court Thursday.

How, exactly, are we going to find out that they didn''t do it? (your response to crzmeat)

But, I do get your point. The judicial system is in place so truly innocent people are not wrongly convicted.

[lochlan-2009]

schoollord - Wants to take away the American constitutional right to defend yourself, with the misconception that if it is illegal for a law abiding citizen to have a gun, then a criminal couldn''t get a gun. Nonsense.

[lil_willie61]

deemsnyd-
Firstly, thanks for getting my point.
Secondly, haven''t you ever heard of someone confessing to a crime he/she did not commit, including murder? It may be crazy, but it happens.

May you have a prosperous and happy 2008.

[deemsnyd]

I want the right to own a gun for protection, period. But we need much tougher gun laws that are actually enforced. People need to go to prison for a very long time if they commit any crime and have a gun with them, regardless of whether or not they use it. It needs to be much harder for people to buy guns and last but not least, I don''t need assualt weapons to protect myself nor does anyone else. As to how we keep criminals from getting guns-I have no idea, but I still want my gun and I promise not to shoot anyone who is not attacking me.

[lochlan-2009]

Most gun deaths are related to gun owners and not criminals. Gun deaths (murders) by gun owners means they are criminals.

[adasher1]

She told The Seattle Times that her eldest son was a ''good Christian'' and she was shocked he had been arrested in the slayings.

Gee, I never would have fugured......

[michellem99-2009]

iT IS NOT THE GUN,BASEBALL BAT,TOOL, WHAT HAVE YE THAT KILL IT IS THE HUMAN BEING. HOW DO WE AS A PEOPLE STOP THIS...FORGOT THE GOOD CHRISTIAN LINE..I LOVE MY DAD..WHERE ARE THE VALUES WERE THEY THROWNED OUT WITH THE TRASH. We as a state will housed them,clothe them,feed them,give them basic med care they sit in prisom. Ye may blame things..They can''t do a thing, People they/we use things. Tools to help us. I feel this has been an awful Christmas for many in the floods and families here.

[gunownerdan]

Killers will always prefer defenseless victims.
It''s a sad and simple fact.

[lochlan-2009]

Making it illegal to have a gun guarantees one thing. Crimianls will know with certainty their victims will be unarmed.

[lochlan-2009]

You don''t have to have a criminal record to be a criminal. That happens the instant you commit a crime.

[gunownerdan]

schoollord will trust a government that has a monopoly on weapons including tanks, bombs, nukes, and missiles, but she won''t trust her fellow citizens with common handguns and hunting rifles.

[smiley676]

Schoollord, the 2nd Amendment gives the PEOPLE the right to bear arms. The first Amendment gives us freedom of speech and freedom of religion, etc. and ETC.

I don''t want ANY of those rights taken away. Removing the right to bear arms does not guarantee fewer deaths.

And, the Nation''s founders had valid reasons for giving us all of these rights. Those reasons STILL remain. I know you may feel all safe and protected in your fairy tale world. But I DON''T WANT ANY OF MY RIGHTS TAKEN AWAY.

A government with all the guns and the people with no guns is a dangerous situation.

[gunownerdan]

Thank you smiley676,
This is a simple lesson that schoollord fails to understand.
When only the police are allowed to have guns, it''s called a police-state.

[michellem99-2009]

Yer right. I have talked to my Dad on this. He is 73. Yes he has hunting guns for sole means of putting food on the family table.That he does. The constution does not give them the right to kill people in cold blood,does not give them the right to drive by shot to kill. Does not give the right to use the gun as they see fit. The gun is a tool to be used right. Yer voted in a man that hates the constution..Bush..A gun is not used to bully...I don''t want a police state..The govt aint what the framers would be happy with..

[samiamnurnotme]

To say that guns kill people, is like blaming the pen for one''s misspelling.

[gunownerdan]

MarkS7177,
Being able to defend yourself from dangerous people is the most basic of human rights there is.

[aggiekat2004]

I would guess that 80% of all murderers also consider themselves to be "good Christians!" Watch the MTV music awards sometimes, and you''ll see all the rappers thank "Momma and God." All these gang-bangin'' drive-by-shooting pieces-o-poop love Jesus more than anything...and still kill.

All hail the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. http://www.venganza.org

[formrusmcsgt]

She told The Seattle Times that her eldest son was a "good Christian" and she was shocked he had been arrested in the slayings.

Hmmmmm. "Good Christian", eh?

[aggiekat2004]

Organized religion is the root of most organized violence in the world...is it not?

[beckajw]

but it is not a "Right!"


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by MarkS7177

NO, it is a RIGHT. It says so in the Constitution. It is called the Bill of RIGHTS!

It is a good policy to allow people to have guns. If they aren''t allowed to have them, the government can become too strong. I realize none of you think history will repeat itself and that society today is so much more civilized, but give up your rights and find out what will happen.

And for the rest of you blaming this on religion. Most people say they are Christian, when really they are not. A true Christian would not pick up a gun and shoot her parents. Just because someone says they are a Christian, does not make it true.

[Krazcarl]

aggiekat2004...I don''t believe when folks kill others they concider themselves christen they may use it after the fact for leanacy. Some things you don''t have to go to a counsler or holy man to find out thier wrong if you don''t know you should be killed period.

[aggiekat2004]

Agreed. You are not a Christian simply because you *say* you''re a Christian. In the end you''ll be judged by your actions.

I know far too many hypocritical Christians. And the older generation wonders why the younger generation is abandoning religion.

[beckajw]

MarkS7177

Better read that again. You are twisting the words and the context. The exact wording is "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

See how it says THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE? "A FREE STATE" has nothing to do with the states in the US. It has to do with the right of the people to keep the government from being too powerful. The militia can be set up by THE PEOPLE.

[aggiekat2004]

Well, according to the Catholic church you can just confess your sins and say some "Hail Marys" and you''re okay.

Murder, rape, and child molestation are not something that you can get forgiveness on "after the fact" in my opinion.

[beckajw]

Unless God told her to do so, of course.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by formrusmcsgt

Don''t be a jerk. True Christians know that God does not tell people to kill. Remember Jesus hanging on the cross? He could have asked God to kill everyone there. Instead he said "forgive them."

Once again, a true Christian doesn''t kill for malice, hate, revenge, etc. People just like to say they are Christian because they think they will get more sympathy.

[aggiekat2004]

Hey, that woman that killed her 5 kids did it because God told her to...and she got off.

[pakaal]

gunownerdan: "When only the police are allowed to have guns, it''s called a police-state."

Actually, it''s called "Japan", "England", and other countries that severely restrict civilian gun ownership.

While gun ownership rights are pretty firmly set in American culture (and, arguably the Constitution, though opinions vary), it''s misleading to say that nations who disallow gun ownerships are "police states" since the phrase refers to a totalitarian, extraconstitutional government that asserts repressive control over social, political and economic lives of their people.

That being said, some would argue that the US is headed in that direction, and I''d say all those folks who have guns and talk about the Second Amendment all the time seem so focused on that issue they don''t see all that other stuff going on. Guns by themselves aren''t going to do you any good in a real police state. Didn''t help the Iraqis under Saddam''s regime, now did they?

[beckajw]

She got off because she was CRAZY.

[aggiekat2004]

Once again, a true Christian doesn''''t kill for malice, hate, revenge, etc. People just like to say they are Christian because they think they will get more sympathy.
--------------------
Well said, beckajw...

[beckajw]

Pakaal, we needed the guns to fight England remember? It was the people that formed the militia so that we could be free from English tyranny.

[formrusmcsgt]

Don''''t be a jerk. True Christians know that God does not tell people to kill. Remember Jesus hanging on the cross? He could have asked God to kill everyone there. Instead he said "forgive them."

Once again, a true Christian doesn''''t kill for malice, hate, revenge, etc. People just like to say they are Christian because they think they will get more sympathy.

Posted by beckajw at 03:48 PM : Dec 28, 2007

Remember Andrea Yates? The mother who drowned her five children?

When asked why she murdered them she replied "I guess they would have continued stumbling," which meant "they would have gone to hell."

No religious driver there, eh?

[myidoncbs]

gunownerdan always says, "Killers will always prefer defenseless victims. It''s a sad and simple fact"

But it''s NOT true! There are MANY criminals who can''t wait to get inside your house to steal your stash of weapons.

However, as others have said, most gun deaths in this country are NOT caused by criminals out to get you (except for the classic gang murders, and those people are ALL armed to the teeth on both sides. Fat lot of good it does them!). Most gun deaths in this country are suicides, murders of close associates/family members, and accidents! If you have a gun in your house (and you must have lots of them, dan), then your odds of dying from gunshot INCREASE, compared to someone who does NOT have a gun in the home. So, your entire motivation for gun ownership (other than the twisted love of the shiny steel rod) is based on a false idea, the idea that you are going to "protect" yourself with the gun. Even though you claim to have done so at one time, that''s the exception to the rule, not really the expected outcome.

When you choose to live in a fantasy world, your ability to deal with this world decreases. You are setting yourself up for a really big letdown, dan. But you won''t be around to tell us the outcome after it happens.