Justin Anderson was sentenced to death by the State of Arkansas for the murder of an elderly woman
According to court documents Justin Anderson would break into the home of eighty-seven-year-old Clara Creech who would be fatally shot before Anderson robbed her home
Justin Anderson would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
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Justin Anderson Case
On the morning of October 12, 2000, eighty-seven-year-old Clara Creech was found shot to death in the front yard of her home. During the investigation into her death, police investigators obtained Anderson’s name as a suspect in Ms. Creech’s murder. After talking with Anderson’s brother, Maurice, who implicated Anderson in the Creech murder, state police officers went to Anderson’s home in Lewisville. Anderson was nineteen years old at the time. At about 2:30 p.m. that same day, Anderson, according to Sergeant Jeff Jester of the Arkansas State Police, was advised that he was free to leave, that he was not under arrest, and that the police wanted him to accompany them downtown to answer some questions. He was handcuffed and went with the state police officers to the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office. At some point during this time frame, Anderson was advised of his Miranda rights.
At 5:50 p.m. that afternoon, Anderson completed and signed a Miranda rights form, after being read his rights. State police officers then questioned him regarding Ms. Creech’s death. The entire police interrogation lasted approximately six hours, with two to three breaks. At no time during the initial interrogation did Anderson admit to any involvement in Ms. Creech’s murder.
Following the initial interview, Maurice Anderson asked to see his brother. After Justin Anderson returned from visiting his brother, Sergeant Jester observed that he was visibly upset. He asked Justin Anderson if he or his brother had killed Ms. Creech. Justin Anderson responded that he had killed Ms. Creech and agreed to give a statement. Upon the arrival of Jerry Digman, a criminal investigator with the Arkansas State Police, Anderson was advised of his right to silence and right to an attorney. The interview, conducted at 1:48 a.m. on October 13, 2000, was tape recorded. At that time, Anderson said he understood his Miranda rights and that he understood he had the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. He stated that he was ready to talk and told the investigators that he “shot the old lady in the back.” He then stated that he hid the gun he had used in a vacuum cleaner. He also provided additional details about the murder, such as what he was wearing at the time.
Specifically, Anderson told police that he shot Ms. Creech at 9:00 a.m. “outside ․ by the road” while she was bending down, after he approached her from the back. He further told the investigators that he tried to get into her house by kicking the front door. At that time, Anderson told the investigators that he had found the gun used in the killing behind the trash barrel. He added that he had never shot anybody before, although it had crossed his mind about shooting somebody. He further stated that there was “just something” in him, that life seemed unimportant, and that there was no reason he picked Ms. Creech.
At the conclusion of that interview, Anderson was arrested. He took the investigators to a gun which was located near the Masonic Lodge. On their return to the Lafayette County jail, Investigator Digman mentioned the recent shooting of a truck driver, but Anderson said he did not want to talk about it until they returned to the sheriff’s office. On reaching the sheriff’s office, Anderson gave a second statement to the investigators at 2:26 a.m. After confirming that he still understood his rights, Anderson admitted to shooting a truck driver whose vehicle was parked at the In and Out (hereinafter, the “Solvey” case).1 He further admitted that he had broken into a home a few weeks before the truck incident to steal the two guns which he had used in shooting the truck driver and Ms. Creech.
Anderson was charged with premeditated and deliberate capital murder. He subsequently moved to suppress his two statements, and that motion was denied. Following an eight-day trial from January 22, 2002, to January 31, 2002, on the charge of capital murder, the jury convicted Anderson and sentenced him to death.
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/ar-supreme-court/1194131.html
