Indiana man arrested 41 years after Halloween killing
- The suspect is accused of killing his brother-in-law on Halloween in 1982
- He was arrested 41 years to the day after the alleged crime
- Ronald J. Anderson is being held without bond pending a court appearance
JACKSON COUNTY, Ind. (NewsNation) — Police in Indiana arrested a suspect Tuesday in connection with the murder of a young man exactly 41 years after his body was found.
Ronald J. Anderson, 61, of Seymour, was booked into the Jackson County Jail Tuesday on a preliminary charge of murder in connection with the death of his brother-in-law, Clifford Smith, according to The Seymour Tribune.
Smith was 24 at the time of his death. His body was found by animal trappers on Dec. 1, 1982, in an area just north of Seymour, according to Indiana State Police. He had been reported missing by his wife on Nov. 4, 1982. Police said at the time he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Police investigated the death in 1982, but no arrests were made. The case gained new life in 2015 under Sgt. Kip Main.
“Sgt. Main’s investigation determined that Ronald J. Anderson, age 61, Seymour, Indiana was at a residence on East 13th Street with Clifford Smith and other individuals in the late hours of October 30th, 1982. The investigation further indicated that Anderson retrieved a shotgun from the house and loaded it. Anderson, while in possession of the shotgun, left the residence in a vehicle with Smith. Smith was not seen alive after they left the residence late that night,” a statement from the Indiana State Police read in part.
Police say Anderson returned the murder weapon to the home on 13th Street. He also, according to police, returned to the crime scene to hide evidence.
According to the Tribune, Anderson is being held without bond pending his initial hearing in Jackson Circuit Court in Brownstown.