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.

[keiler1]

To actually look an innocent baby in the eyes, seeing tears of fear and to say sorry. If they were sorry they would of never done it. as they say do unto others as they do unto you....shoot them in the head twice!

[facts6]

Christian and such: if someone makes it a point to tell you they are Christian, back slowly out of the room, grab the women and children, and run.

People who follow the teachings of Christ don''t have to announce it. Its walkin'' not talkin''.

[michellem99-2009]

We here in Wa state will have to do the right thing to bring closre to the loved ones who must now lay them to rest. Sorry does not make it right. Dear Girl yer welcome. Peace of Christ be with the loved ones. Barbara

[deemsnyd]

Thank you Michele.:)

[Krazcarl]

Isn''t CBS smart enough to give us a picture of these hooligans????

[michellem99-2009]

Dear Girl,
Yer not dumb. Yer place in not to ever allow a man to abuse ye. Yer stand up for yerself. He is dopey. If that is yer computer name change it. Our gender is no reason that men treat us as their slave,door mat. I don''t allow it. Ye must not..Men can be nice and they can be bully. Stand up Miss.

[deemsnyd]

We can turn this into a political or religious debate and serve no purpose but our own, or we can recognize the tragedy that has overtaken this family. We can think of Mary Anderson, the surviving daughter and her children. We can realize that to debate it in any other way is as selfish and devastating as the actions of those doing the killing. This isn''''t a story about any of us. It is a family''''s tragedy. Stop pulling the trigger over and over again.
posted by line2162

You are right, this is not the place for arguments, just condolences. But it is hard not to get sucked in when you read some of these posts.

[deemsnyd]

No. His mother said he was one. Are you implying christian is a dubious marker, subject to how a person is performing on any given minute, hour, or day? posted by ceethomas


The fact that his mother sais he was one is hardly relevant, but I think my point in my original post was clear enough. And to answer your question, of course not.

[deemsnyd]

Well,let me tell you something,you can thank my mom & all my biker uncles in Denver for my mouth.Kinda like a sailor on ship,yeah?No i dont talk like that around my son,and what business is it of yours anyhow?i will raise my son to be a fine man & to steer clear of folks like you who run their mouth off,can ya back it up?Not tryin to be an a** here,just stickin to the POINT. AND THE REASON I TYPE WITH CAP, IS SO PEOPLE LIKE YOU WILL OPEN YOUR *** EYES,AND QUIT SLINGIN BULLS**T AROUND ABOUT NON-FACTS OR RELEVANCE.SEE YA DOPEY.
posted by nutsie11


Well, you sure put me in my place, huh? When oh when will I ever learn to mind my tongue and know my place when it comes to superior males such as yourself. I mean for goodness sake, I''m just a stupid girl, what do I know of the world, can you ever forgive me for my boldness and wrong assumption that I might have an opinion???? Pleeeeeese forgive me!!!

Love Always,
DOPEY

[tpeks40]

these 2 scumbags need to be skinned alive for killing those innocent babies. Pieces of $hit.