David Anderson

Case record

David Anderson was convicted by a jury of four counts of aggravated first-degree murder for the killings of Kimberly Wilson, and her parents, William Wilson and Rose Wilson, and her sister Julia Wilson. Anderson was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without possibility of parole.

People

• David Anderson (17) — defendant; tried as an adult
• Alex Baranyi (17) — defendant; friend and partner in the slayings; confessed to the killings
• Kimberly Wilson (20) — victim; strangled in a Bellevue park
• William Wilson (52) — victim; killed at the Wilson home
• Rose Wilson (46) — victim; killed at the Wilson home
• Julia Wilson (17) — victim; killed at the Wilson home
• Norm Maleng — King County prosecutor
• Patti Eakes — Senior Prosecutor; later Deputy Prosecutor in relation to Anderson’s sentencing
• Michael Spearman — King County Superior Court Judge
• Jeffery Ramsdell — King County Superior Court Judge
• Jeff Gomes — investigator from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office
• Karen Froming — psychologist for Baranyi’s defense
• Dr. Robert Wheeler — rebuttal witness for the prosecution
• King County Superior Court Judge Michael Spearman — ruled on motions related to diminished-capacity defense and admissibility of Baranyi’s confession
• Deputy Prosecutor Patti Eakes — described the prosecution theory of Anderson’s motives
• Deputy Prosecutor Jeff Baird — called the slayings “somewhere between murder and genocide”
• Patricia Eakes — co-counsel; made remarks about how she felt being with police when the bodies were discovered
• Kim Duddy — forensic scientist
• Michael Kolker — Anderson’s lawyer during the first trial
• Pete Connick — one of Anderson’s attorneys
• Leslie Anderson — Anderson’s parent
• Bruce Anderson — Anderson’s parent
• Dawn Kindschi (17) — acquaintance who filed a complaint alleging Baranyi beat her
• Kevin Wulff — principal at Bellevue High; made remarks about the local outcry
• Putsata Reang — author mentioned in relation to trial transcripts and a book titled Deadly Secrets
• Katherine Ramsland — author mentioned in relation to The Nietzsche Syndrome
• Gary Boynton — author mentioned in relation to “Gothic Murders”

Timeline

• Dec. 28, 1996 — Bellevue Police had been called to the Wilson home on a domestic disturbance call stemming from a dispute between Kimberly and her parents.
• Early January 4, 1997 — Kimberly Wilson was strangled in a Bellevue park.
• January 5, 1997 — The body of Kimberly Wilson was found in Bellevue, Washington.
• November (year not otherwise specified) — Alex Baranyi and David Anderson dropped out of the Off Campus School, an alternative high school program in Bellevue.
• November (1998) — Alex Baranyi was convicted of four counts of aggravated murder.
• October (1998) — Trial began; jury selection was soon halted when the Washington State Supreme Court made a ruling that made it easier for defendants to offer a diminished-mental-capacity defense.
• Dec. 17 (year not otherwise specified) — Anderson was convicted after two trials.
• December 1998 — Anderson was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The offence

David Anderson and Alex Baranyi were charged as adults with four counts of murder for the killings of a Bellevue, Washington family of four. They were accused of killing Rose and William Wilson and their daughters, Kimberly, 20, and Julia, 17.

Kimberly Wilson was strangled in a Bellevue park. Police described Kimberly as having a cord wrapped around her neck, with which she obviously had been strangled. The body was found after boys playing in a park in Bellevue the prior day realized the concealed pile of clothes about five feet off a trail was a body. The body was found dressed in blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and “waffle-stomper” boots. The identification indicated that Kimberly Wilson was 20 and lived only a few blocks from the park.

After police went to the Wilson home to deliver the news, officers found Kimberly’s parents William and Rose and her sister Julia bludgeoned and stabbed to death in their nearby home the same day. Autopsies revealed that Kimberly had indeed been strangled with the rope found around her neck, and she had also been kicked or stomped on with enough force to break three of her ribs and to injure her kidneys and spleen. There was no evidence of sexual assault.

William Wilson’s head had been crushed by repeated blows from a heavy, blunt object, and he had suffered numerous penetrating stab wounds to the face, neck, and head. Rose Wilson’s head had been crushed by repeated blows from a heavy, blunt object, and her throat had through-and-through stab wounds. Julia Wilson had defensive injuries to her hands and arms, and her throat and head bore numerous stab wounds.

No weapons were found in the house or yard.

Background

In November (year not otherwise specified), Baranyi and Anderson dropped out of the Off Campus School, an alternative high school program in Bellevue. Before that, they attended Bellevue High.

Baranyi’s parents separated when he was 8. He had been taken to Pennsylvania by his father, Alex Sr., then sent back to Washington to live with his mother, Patricia, an educational assistant. Anderson left home and moved in with friends.

At night they hung out with other kids at a local bowling alley and at a Denny’s, where they sat drinking coffee and killing time. Their time was filled with fantasy games. They became followers of the goth subculture, dressing in black and wearing white makeup. Baranyi owned a sword collection and talked often of death. Baranyi was described as quiet, weird, or antisocial.

Dawn Kindschi (17) said: “Sometimes I thought he might be sort of suicidal.” She had filed a complaint against Baranyi last year after he allegedly beat her.

Kimberly Wilson was described by a high school counselor as having typical teenager-parent clashes, and that there was tension in the household during her last couple of years in high school. At the time of her death she had joined AmeriCorps and had recently been in San Diego for basic training before coming home for the holidays. She was described as having a “strong-willed, independent streak, marching to the beat of a different drummer.”

Bellevue Police had been called less than a week before the murders, on Dec. 28, 1996, for a domestic disturbance call involving Kimberly and her parents.

Investigation

Police found Kimberly Wilson’s body in a Bellevue park at 11:30 a.m. after detectives responded following a mother calling the Bellevue Police Department after two boys found the body when they returned to the park the next morning.

After securing and processing the crime scene, Det. Jeff Gomes, from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, and Senior Prosecutor Patti Eakes proceeded to the Wilson home.

Investigators learned from neighbors that Kimberly’s friends were into the “Gothic” lifestyle focused on gloom and death. Goths dressed in dark clothing and wore dark makeup and many role-played as vampires, ghosts, witches, or fallen angels. Investigators learned that some of the Goth group liked to hang out late at night at the Denny’s Restaurant in Bellevue’s Eastgate neighborhood, and that a group was called the “Saturday Night Denny’s Club.”

Detectives learned that two fringe members of that group, Alex Baranyi and his best friend, David Anderson, both 17, had often talked about committing murder. Their friends dismissed it as idle ravings.

Investigators contacted Baranyi and Anderson. Both claimed they had been together playing video games at Baranyi’s home all night long on the night of the murders. Detectives questioned them about their shoes because police were looking for a distinctive shoe-tread pattern discovered at the scene. Baranyi showed detectives brown work boots that he claimed were his only pair of shoes.

Witnesses at the home where Baranyi lived disputed the claim that they stayed home on the night of the murder. Investigators learned from a friend that Baranyi had a pair of boots with tread similar to the one that left a blood impression at the crime scene. Bloody footprints found in the Wilson residence indicated at least two individuals involved.

Detectives again spoke with Baranyi five days after the murder. After he was advised of his Miranda rights, acknowledged that he understood them, and waved them, he told detectives that he and an accomplice, which he refused to name, murdered all of the Wilsons. Baranyi said he first strangled Kimberly to death in the park. He said he then went to the house with a baseball bat and a combat knife and beat Rose Wilson with the bat. William Wilson woke up and attempted to intercede; Baranyi stabbed and beat him to death, and then used a knife to finish Mrs. Wilson. He then killed Julia.

Before leaving the house, Baranyi took a telephone, a CD player, and a VCR. Baranyi later acknowledged that he did not act alone, but he steadfastly refused to name his accomplice. He said David Anderson was the only person he had ever really liked.

After the night of Baranyi’s confession, detectives re-interviewed Anderson. After waiving his rights, Anderson claimed that he had lied earlier and that he had spent the night driving alone in a truck belonging to his girlfriend’s father, driving aimlessly between Seattle and Bellevue. He said he knew Baranyi had been planning to murder the Wilsons and said Baranyi had no relationship with Kimberly and that, as far as he knew, Baranyi had never been to her house.

The three people who lived in the same house as Baranyi contradicted Anderson’s version. They said Baranyi and Anderson left the residence together at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 3, with one witness saying Baranyi carried something long in the sleeve of his trench coat. One witness said neither returned until 3 a.m. Another witness said they returned at around 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 4, dressed completely in black. The witnesses said Baranyi and Anderson drove off in a small black pickup truck with a canopy on the back; Anderson’s girlfriend confirmed he had her father’s truck and said Anderson told her he sat in a park in the truck and she noticed very little gas had been used.

During interviews, detectives obtained written permission to search their residences. Search of Baranyi’s house produced the Wilson’s telephone, CD player, and VCR. Human blood was found on the VCR, and DNA tests confirmed it matched William Wilson’s genetic profile. Baranyi’s fingerprint was found on the CD player. Police recovered a pair of bloody shoelaces from a trashcan in Baranyi’s bedroom, and DNA tests revealed blood consistent with William Wilson.

At Anderson’s residence, police seized a pair of brown-and-black boots from Anderson’s bedroom. Anderson’s girlfriend and his brothers confirmed the boots belonged to Anderson. Numerous bloodstains were found on the boots, and DNA tests showed the genetic profiles of both William and Julia Wilson. Experts determined that some stains were consistent with Anderson having been within several feet of Julia when her blood spattered on the boots.

Investigators interviewed acquaintances of Baranyi and Anderson, learning they were close friends and that Anderson appeared to be Baranyi’s only friend. They shared a common interest in Gothic lifestyle, dressing in all black clothing with black trench coats at times. A neighbor jokingly referred to them as “The Blues Brothers.” They enjoyed playing “Dungeons and Dragons” and other role-playing games and had a mutual interest in swords and knives. Witnesses said Baranyi wore his hair in a ponytail to emulate the star of “Highlander.”

Investigators also learned Baranyi had been kicked out of a couple of role-playing groups for carrying games too far. Witnesses said Baranyi and Anderson discussed a plan to kill the Wilsons for more than a year. One witness said he had a conversation with Anderson in late 1995 in which Anderson discussed a plan to kill the Wilsons and showed a bat and knives that would be murder weapons. Another witness said Baranyi and Anderson had compiled a “hit list” including Kimberly Wilson.

A friend of Kimberly told detectives that Kimberly became aware of Anderson’s plan to commit a murder and told the friend she intended to confront Anderson and attempt to dissuade him. Witnesses described Anderson and Baranyi as owning a collection of knives and swords. One witness described seeing Anderson with a large, fixed-blade knife with “brass knuckles” on its handle, but police did not find the knife after repeated searches.

Detectives impounded the truck that Anderson admitted was in his possession on the night of the murders and found a cut part of a black T-shirt with the sleeves and a piece of rope. A similar portion of a cut T-shirt was recovered from Julia’s bedroom. Baranyi said he fashioned headgear from a black T-shirt he wore into the Wilson house and that he had lost there. The rope found in the truck was indistinguishable from that used to strangle Kimberly. A pair of wool socks was found in the truck.

Criminalists from the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory found blood on the passenger compartment floor mat of the truck, but further DNA tests were unsuccessful in matching it to any particular person.

Anderson stated during his interview that he had not seen or spoken with Kimberly for almost a year. Police found Anderson’s pager number written on a piece of paper in Kimberly’s bedroom and also found a promissory note signed by Anderson and dated June 1996 promising Kimberly would be paid $500 by September 1996. Authorities said the money was a debt incurred by Anderson during the course of the previous two years. Anderson told people he was angry that Kimberly insisted he owed her money and was pursuing payment, and he told at least one person he was considering killing Kimberly because of this debt.

Detectives found photographs of Anderson in Kimberly’s bedroom, and learned Anderson and Kimberly had dated on-and-off for several years. Shortly before her death, Kimberly had disclosed her homosexuality to close friends. Anderson complained to a friend that Kimberly refused to have sex with him, and on that occasion and in subsequent conversations Anderson declared intent to kill Kimberly and described a scenario in which Baranyi would entice Kimberly to accompany him somewhere and Anderson would strangle or stab her.

Arrest

Police brought Baranyi in for questioning after a tip. After Baranyi’s confession, authorities arrested Anderson as a partner in the crime. Anderson was arrested and continued to deny his involvement in the killings.

Trial

Both youths were 17 at the time of the murders but were charged with first-degree murder as adults. Prosecutors planned to try them together. The trial began in October 1998, but jury selection was halted when the Washington State Supreme Court made a ruling that made it easier for defendants to offer a diminished-mental-capacity defense.

After the ruling, Baranyi’s attorneys re-filed a motion to allow expert testimony of a San Diego-based psychologist who had diagnosed Baranyi as suffering from bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression. Judge Michael Spearman ruled Baranyi was entitled to pursue a diminished-capacity defense and that Baranyi and Anderson should be tried separately. Spearman ruled Baranyi’s confession was admissible, but that references to an accomplice must be edited out to avoid prejudice to Anderson. Prosecutors decided not to use the confession at all, believing a redacted version would wrongly give jurors the impression Baranyi committed the murders alone.

Prosecutors resumed presenting their case against Baranyi, linking him with Anderson, whom they believed had instigated the plan to kill Kimberly. Prosecutors presented testimony of medical examiners indicating Rose, William, and Julia Wilson were killed with a sword and a baseball bat, raising the possibility of more than one attacker. Numerous friends and acquaintances testified the youths were best friends and acted out Gothic fantasies using “Dungeons and Dragons.” Other witnesses recalled Baranyi and Anderson talking about committing murder with baseball bats and knives.

Baranyi’s defense put psychologist Karen Froming on the stand. Dr. Froming testified that Baranyi felt best about himself and his prospects the day before the killings after receiving a raise and complimented work ethic. She said that the day before the slayings, he got the word from his best friend, David Anderson, that “the plan” was on. Froming testified Baranyi had been in a deep depression for months and told his mother he was considering suicide. She testified Baranyi had no plans for the future and found little personal satisfaction outside work. She said he became more emotionally dependent on David Anderson.

Froming testified that during the slayings Baranyi felt like “he was watching himself,” and did not think it was real. She testified she speculated Baranyi was incapable of differentiating between role-playing fantasies of swords and sorcerers and the actual killings. She said Baranyi told her Anderson had beaten William and Rose Wilson with an aluminum baseball bat, and that Baranyi attacked Julia and strangled Kimberly.

Three weeks after the trial began, a jury quickly found Alex Baranyi guilty of all four counts of aggravated first-degree murder. Baranyi was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without possibility of parole. When asked if he had anything to say, Baranyi replied, “No, I don’t think so.”

One week after Baranyi was convicted, Anderson went on trial for his part in the murders. Prosecutors painted a picture of Anderson as a charming, manipulative young man. Deputy Prosecutor Patti Eakes testified that Kimberly Wilson had once had a crush on Anderson and thought he was cute and fun, while Anderson thought she was awkward, unattractive and lucky to know him. Eakes testified Anderson was outraged when Kimberly insisted he repay money she had loaned him, and Eakes told the jury: “He was furious that she asked him to pay this money and he was filled with hate. He not only wanted to destroy her, but wanted to destroy everything associated with her. He wanted to destroy her entire family.”

Anderson’s first trial included procedural events. Four days into the trial, Anderson requested a new lawyer, claiming his attorney Michael Kolker was not providing a good defense and was ignoring his client’s suggestions about how to cross-examine witnesses. Judge Spearman denied Anderson’s request for new council. More than a month into the trial, a juror was dismissed for making the comment, “He’s guilty” in jest to a fellow juror.

Additional witnesses testified against Anderson, including a fellow inmate who claimed Anderson confessed to killing Kimberly and being present when a friend killed her family. A friend of Anderson’s testified that Anderson invited him to join in the murder plot and showed knives and baseball bats, and later said, “We’re going to take the Wilsons out.” An ex-girlfriend testified Anderson had a marked fascination with knives and often carried a combat knife in a nylon shoulder sheath, and that he told her a baseball bat would make a good weapon. The defense presented Anderson’s former high-school sweetheart, who defended him by portraying his behavior as normal; she told the jury she liked knives too and that she and Anderson often visited a knife shop together to look at the merchandise. Forensic scientist Kim Duddy testified that there were more than 100 bloody footprints found in the Wilson home, and under cross-examination Duddy admitted she could not match the boots to the footprints.

Despite damaging testimony, the first jury hung, after one juror held out against conviction. Anderson then fired his lawyers and faced a second murder trial.

In the second trial, the defense argued that a second person was involved but it was not Anderson. The jury reached a verdict in six hours and found Anderson guilty on all four counts of aggravated first-degree murder. As the verdict was read, Anderson sat straight-backed and expressionless and his parents wept.

Sentencing

Judge Jeffery Ramsdell sentenced Anderson to life in prison without parole. At the sentencing hearing, Ramsdell said: “A jury unilaterally convicted you for four . . . brutal and senseless murders,” and continued, “I will resist the temptation to unnecessarily belabor this and say anything more.” Anderson remained silent when asked if he had anything to say, and relatives attended but declined to make remarks. Anderson’s second trial lasted three months.

Deputy Prosecutor Patti Eakes stated she believed they did a better job presenting evidence to the jury. Patti Eakes said: “I've never discovered bodies before,” and: “It's just difficult to describe how I feel about everything. It was such a shock. We thought we were going to the home to notify them of the death of their daughter. It was like a bad dream.”

Outcome

David Anderson was convicted by a jury on four counts of aggravated first-degree murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, receiving four consecutive life terms without possibility of parole.

Other details

• Prosecutors said both Baranyi and Anderson were too young for prosecutors to seek the death penalty at the time of the slayings.
• Prosecutors and experts described the role of psychological testimony in Baranyi’s trial, including Dr. Karen Froming’s testimony about bipolar disorder and Dr. Robert Wheeler’s testimony that Baranyi was not suffering from diminished capacity and had antisocial personality disorder.
• A book titled Deadly Secrets by reporter Putsata Reang is mentioned in relation to trial transcripts and the killings.
• The Nietzsche Syndrome is mentioned in relation to interpretation of the case.
• David Anderson was escorted out of King County Superior Court after sentencing.

Charges

• Four counts of aggravated first-degree murder
• First-degree murder as adults (initial charging approach for both defendants)