`Life was real simple,' then wife's slaying shattered it

As he puts pieces together again, Anderson says his son is his first priority

Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

Two years ago, Jerry Anderson and his wife, Emily, were working at their Caldwell County dairy farm and preparing to start a new, larger spread in Tennessee.

The farm would have been the largest in four states and something Anderson, who had been a dairy farmer for most of his life, had been working toward for years.

"My life was real simple. Dairy. Church. Work," he said.

But now, Anderson is building a whole new life after spending 18 months in jail on charges that he murdered his wife.

On Tuesday, District Attorney Jay Gaither's office dismissed first-degree murder charges against Anderson, who became the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office's main suspect after his wife disappeared and her body was found stuffed in the toolbox of her truck. She had been shot twice.

"I worked hard for 25 years, my whole life, and saw it crumble in 25 seconds," he said Thursday.

Anderson was charged with murder in his wife's death, but after a 10-week trial, a Gaston County jury could not reach a verdict. The jury split 11-1, with the majority favoring acquittal. Anderson was released on bond and returned to Caldwell County.

The cows had been sold, stalls at the Sawmills dairy farm sat empty and plans to start a larger farm in Tennessee were abandoned.

Since July, Anderson has been living with friends not far from the Sawmills farm and has spent time reconnecting with his son, 13-year-old Matthew, whom he didn't see while he was in jail.

"My son is No. 1 right now," he said.

Anderson said he's still trying to cope with losing his farm and his wife. "Emily was super outgoing, and she was really good for Matt and I," he said. "We offset each other well."

Morganton attorney Dan Kuehnert is representing Anderson in several civil matters, including a wrongful death suit filed by Emily Anderson's sister, Adelia Griffitt Watson, in 2006. Neither Kuehnert nor Anderson would talk in detail about the criminal charges and the arguments made during the trial by the district attorney's office, but Anderson has maintained his innocence for nearly two years.

"It's nothing I should have ever gone through," he said. Court documents showed that Emily

Anderson had more than $4 million in life insurance, and authorities originally said they believed at least part of the motive in her slaying was financial gain. Anderson said Thursday that his life was also insured -- for $10 million.

Gaither's office, in a press release sent by the lead prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Eric Bellas, said Tuesday it "remains committed to the prosecution of the person or persons responsible for Emily Anderson's murder."

Anderson said he hopes they catch her murderer and can prove it in court. "If you're going to charge someone with capital murder," he said, "be sure you've got the right person."

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