Stephen Wayne Anderson
Stephen Wayne Anderson was an American serial killer who was executed at California's San Quentin State Prison by lethal injection in 2002 for the 1980 murder of Elizabeth Lyman.
Anderson had escaped prison in 1979 and later admitted to committing at least seven other murders as a contract killer within a three-month timespan before Lyman's murder, as well as the killing of a fellow inmate during his first incarceration. It was determined that six of the alleged contract killings never happened, but police found reason to believe that the other two confessed homicides were legitimate, though he was only convicted in Lyman's murder.
During his stay on death row, Anderson became known for composing award-winning poetry, which led to requests for clemency to California Governor Gray Davis, arguing that his work was a sign of rehabilitation. While supporters claimed that Anderson possibly made up his involvement in the murder-for-hires, a reinvestigation in 2015 confirmed that Anderson was also responsible for the 1980 murder of Timothy Glashien.
Early life
Anderson was born on July 8, 1953, in St. Louis, Missouri, as the elder of two children. The family was poor and were often unable to buy food. His father, an oil worker, was an alcoholic who physically abused both of his sons while his mother was emotionally neglectful, telling her sons that she "dreaded the days that you boys were born" and informing their neighbors that she "preferred her dogs to her children". Anderson himself described his parents favorably, calling his father a "good fair man" and saying that his mother's mental issues were the result of a wrongful conviction for embezzlement, claiming that this latter event "altered his view of the world and of the justice system".Anderson made an effort to protect his younger brother from the abuse and learned to change diapers at an early age to avoid upsetting their mother. Because of his mother's incarceration, Anderson was bullied in school as "Tweety Bird" and "Son of a wikt:jailbird". By 1971, the family had moved to Farmington, New Mexico, where Anderson, aged 17, was kicked out of the house after taking the blame for a house party organised by his brother. He subsequently spent some of his teenage years in the hillside outside of town. He fathered two sons, but did not keep in contact with them.
Crimes
In 1971, after being forced out of home, Anderson burglarized a school in Farmington. It was alleged that Anderson, who was armed with a rifle during the break-in, had pointed the weapon at two peace officers, though this threat was later disputed. In November 1971, he was convicted of aggravated burglary and sentenced to one to five years in prison and in 1973, he was convicted of an additional three counts of aggravated burglary. Although Anderson was granted parole for the first burglary in May 1975, he continued to serve a sentence of 10 to 50 years on the 1973 convictions in San Juan County, New Mexico.In 1975, Anderson was sent out of state to the Utah State Prison as part of an agreement between New Mexico and Utah. While there, he non-fatally stabbed another inmate during a movie screening, resulting in a conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. On August 24, 1977, Anderson killed fellow inmate Robert Blundell. According to Anderson, the two had an argument in the prison kitchen over Blundell's "reputation as a snitch". Anderson claimed that Blundell made a "sexual threat" before leaving the kitchen, after which Anderson grabbed a kitchen knife, followed Blundell, and fatally stabbed him. He later assaulted a correctional officer.
On November 24, 1979, he escaped from prison in a walk-away. According to his later confession, he became involved with "drug traffickers" and worked as a hitman in Las Vegas. Anderson only described the first of the "contract killings", saying that he had taken an offer from fellow former inmate Ace Fairbanks, a motorcycle gang member, who wanted Anderson to accompany him to a marijuana deal. On February 22, 1980, the pair picked up the buyer, 29-year-old Timothy Glashien, but became suspicious that he might try to inform police. Glashien was instead brought to Millcreek Canyon, where Anderson killed him with four gunshots. Glashien's body was discovered the next day by can collectors, with Anderson hiding out in Millcreek Canyon for several months, keeping the murder weapon, a .45 handgun, which he would later use in Lyman's murder. Anderson was paid $1,000 by Fairbanks. Anderson later recanted the confession, but in June 2015, the Unified [Police Department of Greater Salt Lake] announced that enough evidence had been gathered through ballistic forensics to implicate a since executed Anderson and Fairbanks, who had already died of a heart attack in 1986, in the murder of Timothy Glashien, though noting that the statute of limitations had already run out. Police also believed that the murder was not a contract killing as described by Anderson, but rather a robbery.
Anderson spent the following months homeless and traveled around by hopping trains. On May 26, 1980, shortly after midnight, Anderson burglarized the house of 81-year-old Elizabeth Lyman, a retired piano teacher, in Bloomington, California, which he had spied on for several days before. After drinking a pint of vodka, Anderson cut Lyman's telephone line with a knife, and shortly after 1:00 a.m., he broke into her home by removing a glass pane from her French doors. He checked the house for occupants room by room. He claimed that he did not know Lyman was home and that he intended to steal a car from the house, unaware that Lyman did not own a vehicle. When he entered Lyman's bedroom, she awoke and screamed. Anderson shot her in the face from a distance of eight and twenty inches with a.45 caliber handgun, fatally wounding her. He covered her body with a blanket, recovered the expelled casing from the hollow-point bullet that killed her, and ransacked her house for money. Most media reported that he recovered less than $100, with Anderson claiming it was $80 in private correspondence with author Bell Gale Chevigny, while court records estimated it was around $112.
Anderson stayed in Lyman's home for nearly three hours. He cooked himself a bowl of macaroni and eggs in the kitchen before going to the living room to watch television. A neighbor called police during this time after being awoken by Lyman's dogs barking and spotting Anderson through a window. Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene at 3:47 a.m. and arrested Anderson, who admitted to the murder during interrogation on May 28. Anderson later told the detectives, "I was born and trained to be a killer. I always wanted to be a killer.", though Anderson described these statements as a "bravado boast" during his appeals process. The "killer" statements were prominently brought up by prosecutors in their argumentation, both during his trial and appeals process, saying that they appeared contrary to Anderson's later claims of remorse. While Anderson later claimed that he purposely waited to be caught, he stated during the initial interrogation that he regretted not leaving sooner or shooting the first responders. Anderson admitted to eight other murders, those of Robert Blundell, Timothy Glashien and six contract killings in Las Vegas that happened prior to Lyman's murder. He only gave detailed accounts of the killings of Blundell and Glashien, with Nevada never prosecuting the other six cases. It was never determined whether the murders in Las Vegas had even occurred.
Trial
During his trial, Anderson conceded the murder of Elizabeth Lyman, but denied the murder of Timothy Glashien and claimed that the killing of Robert Blundell was self-defense. His defense also denied that any murders occurred in Las Vegas. Anderson's psychiatrist stated that his client had a "brain abnormality", which "diminished his capacity to form a specific intent" after alcohol consumption, which was disputed by a different psychiatrist and a neurologist. Anderson's attorney, S. Donald Ames, was later criticized for poor representation, which had previously led to the overturning of two death sentences of two other clients defended by Ames.On July 24, 1981, Anderson was convicted and sentenced to death. The prosecution pointed to his violent history, both in and out of prison, as evidence that he was too dangerous to be kept alive.
Incarceration
In prison, Anderson was noted for using force and violence in 1984 and 1985, as well as assaulting another prisoner in 1987. Following his transfer to death row, he began having depression and subsequently started writing poems and learning Latin. By 1993, he won two awards and an honorable mention from PEN America's Prison Writing Award. One of his works became the basis of an off-Broadway play, Lament From Death Row. Later tests showed that Anderson had an IQ of 136. Anderson isolated himself on death row, weighing nearly by the time he died, and shortly before his execution date, he refused to go outside, see spiritual advisors or receive phone calls, spending his final weeks finishing a novel. It was noted that unlike other death row inmates at San Quentin, no family or friends came to visit him. One of his sons, aged in his late 20s in 2002, reportedly remained unaware of his father's execution.Execution
As a result of his literary success, there was a campaign to have Anderson's death sentence overturned, supported by relatives of Elizabeth Lyman and Robert Blundell. Anderson himself voiced no support for a change to his penalty. Both California Governor Gray Davis and the U.S. Supreme Court denied clemency, the latter by unanimous decision. Anderson was given the choice of execution method, either lethal injection or gas chamber, ultimately picking the former. Shortly before the execution, Anderson's lawyers filed a lawsuit to have California Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante review the clemency request, claiming Davis was biased on account of his previous denials of three other such requests from death row inmates.On January 29, 2002, Anderson was executed by lethal injection at San Quentin State Prison. The execution began at 12:16 a.m. and Anderson was pronounced dead at 12:30 a.m. PT. Anderson's last meal consisted of two grilled cheese sandwiches, one pint of cottage cheese, a hominy/corn mixture, one slice of peach pie, radishes, and one pint of chocolate chip ice cream. He told the warden that he had no last words, although he reportedly mouthed the words "Thank you" to one of his public defenders, Margo A. Rocconi, who had whispered "I love you" to Anderson three times while on the gurney.
Anderson's remains were cremated and sent to an anonymous friend in Farmington.