Tragedy Rocks Small Town; Cops, Victims' Family Seek Justice

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The body of Darleen Anderson, 57, was discovered by her daughter, Amanda, on the morning of October 21, 2005. She had been beaten to death on her living room sofa.

Violent crime is virtually nonexistent in LaGrange County, Ind. That's especially true of the town of Mongo, where most everyone lives in relative peace, lacking much of the stress and chaos found in the nation's larger cities.

In that regard, Terry and Darleen Anderson were no different. The pair had been married for 25 blissful years, but for Terry, it was his third marriage; for Darleen, it was her first.

Between the two of them, they had a sprawling family, including a 20-year-old daughter, Amanda, who they raised in Mongo.

Terry had four other children over the years, including two from his first marriage, Rick and Sherry, who he'd lost contact with after he split from their mother in the late 1960s.

Only when Sherry and Rick turned 18 did they really get to know Terry and Darleen; it was then that they sought Terry out and repaired the bonds that had been broken after their parents' mutual split.

In the years they spent apart, Sherry and Rick each moved to Chicago and developed a lifestyle quite different from their father's, full of the hustle and bustle of city life not found in the quaint parts of Indiana from where Terry hailed.

Once reunited with Terry, their new-found relationship had a profound impact on their lives.

By sharing his experiences and wholeheartedly opening himself up, Terry opened his grown children's eyes to a world they'd never before known.

Whenever Rick would visit with Terry and Darleen, he considered their time together very special, as their property was "serene, and it was a place to get away from life," says Rick. "It was a place you can relax, hang out and just...spend time with Dad."

"Dad was a pure woodsman," said Sherry. "He taught me about nature and being outdoors."

Rick, who Terry referred to as his '#1' since Rick was his firstborn, would always go fishing with his father whenever he came to visit.

However, the frequency of Rick's visits slowed down when he moved to California in the mid-1980s.

Sherry's visits, which were slightly more frequent, were often retreat-like for her, as well. When they'd venture into the woods together, Terry would often tell Sherry to take a step back, look into the trees and "watch the birds" -- many of which he could identify by using a special 'bird book' he often carried with him.

Among Terry's other interests were deer and turkey hunting, waterskiing, off-roading on ATVs, and virtually any outdoor activity.

Terry was proud to be a Musky fisherman guide on lakes throughout Northeast Indiana and even won the first ever Webster Lake Musky Club Iron Man contest, in which participants fish for muskies for 24 straight hours.

Darleen, however, was quite different from her husband, as she was far more domestic and significantly less apt to get her hands dirty. In her spare time, she loved trinket shopping at antique stores and garage sales. Sherry would often go shopping with her, and if Darleen found something cute for the house, she'd purchase it and display it proudly in their home.

Together, Terry and Darleen complimented each other perfectly, and shared a normal, happy life. Each held steady jobs: Terry worked at a tree/vegetation removal and utility company, Darleen at a dairy product manufacturer, and both enjoyed their daily routines.

Every night after work, Terry would often spend hours in the huge barn far behind their home, diligently working on his tractor or various other projects. In the meantime, Darleen would get things done inside the house until it came time to wind down for the evening.

Eventually, the Andersons would relax together in front of the television before settling into bed.

This routine came to define the Andersons' life together, and though they led ordinary lives, theirs were honorable, as well.

But tragically, on the evening of October 20, 2005, their lives came to a shocking and horrific end.

The Andersons were savagely beaten to death in the sanctity of their very own home that they each took so much pride in maintaining, and now cops need your help to find their cold-blooded killer.

Investigators Piece Together Timeline Of Couple's Final Moments

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Terry A. Anderson, 59, loved working in his workshop, located in the shed behind his home. That's where police discovered his body on the morning of October 21, 2005.

Over the course of their investigation, officers with the LaGrange County Sheriff's Department and the Indiana State Police have tried to establish a timeline of the Andersons' final moments.

From what they've learned, Darleen arrived home from work just before Terry on the evening of Thursday, October 20. A short time later, she went to The Mongo Country Store to play the lotto, one of the many hobbies the couple shared.

Terry arrived home at 5 p.m. and within the hour, he went back to that same local shop to buy even more lotto tickets. After a brief conversation with the clerk, he returned home and headed out to his shed to tend to his tractor.

Darleen, meanwhile, had been working inside the house, and decided to pay a visit to her mother, who lived in a nearby trailer on the Andersons' multi-acre property.

Police tell us Darleen spent just a short time with her mom before making her way back home to prepare snacks for herself and Terry.

It was fitting that Darleen's final gesture was one of kindness and love for her beloved husband.

Moments later, an unknown assailant savagely ended Darleen's life.

Determining M.O. A Crucial Key To Solving Heinous Killings

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Crime scene tape blocks off this LaGrange Co., Ind. home shortly after the savagely beaten body of Darleen Anderson was discovered inside of it.

Darleen's mother saw a set of headlights pull around her daughter's driveway between 7:45 and 8:30 p.m. that evening. According to police, that was the last reported activity on the Anderson property before Amanda arrived to take Terry to work at 7:20 a.m. the next morning.

Shortly after arriving at her parents' home, having not heard anyone stirring about, Amanda went inside. Seconds later, she frantically called 9-1-1, telling the dispatcher that her mother's head had been crushed while she lay on the sofa, and Terry was nowhere in sight.

When officers arrived, they were unable to locate Terry inside the house. But after performing a perimeter check, they found the Andersons' family dog, a Bull Mastiff named Rosco, tethered to a tree near Terry’s backyard barn.

Within that shed, police found Terry's body. He, too, had been bludgeoned to death.

Though Rosco was in good spirits, he typically stayed inside the house. The fact that he was tied up outdoors led police to suspect the killer may have been well acquainted with both the dog and the family -- a fact that Sherry finds wholly unsettling.

"I feel I may have broken bread with this person," she says.

Since the investigation began, detectives have determined that there may have been more to the murders of Terry and Darleen Anderson than meets the eye. Cops believe a bevy of items, primarily Terry's cherished hunting weaponry, had vanished from the scene at the time of the crime.

To the best of their knowledge, cops believe the killer stole the following items:

1. a Mossberg 20-gauge pump-action shotgun,
2. a Winchester .22-caliber rifle with scope,
3. a CVA .50-caliber muzzleloader with a Simmons scope,
4. a Horton CB 325 Legend Crossbow, the handle of which was left at the scene
5. several hunting knives including one with an elk antler grip
6. an assortment of Sacagawea Golden Dollar Coins.

What would possess anyone to kill such a beloved, well-respected couple like the Andersons?

Years later, investigators have yet to make any arrests in this disturbing case, and there are a number of clues which still don't add up.

Only when they piece together this twisted puzzle will they be able to bring justice for Terry and Darleen Anderson, and provide closure to the grieving family they've left behind.

"I still have his cell phone number on my phone," says Sherry. It's saved under the name "Musky Hunter," an endearing term she uses to reflect on, and pay tribute to, her late father.

Only when Terry and Darleen's killer is arrested, convicted and sentenced will Sherry finally be able to remove it and move on from this nightmare which still haunts her, all these years later.

"I'm so glad I have his bird book," says Sherry, describing one of his most cherished possessions which she inherited after his tragic death.

To this day, whenever Sherry glimpses a bird fluttering about high in the sky, it brings her a sense of peace, as she knows her dad would be proud of her for taking the time to look up and 'watch the birds.'

Rick tells AMW that he hopes a national profile of this horrific crime will lead to an eventual confession. "I miss the time we had together," he says. "I miss the serenity of his place. It's just a sad, sad scenario."

Sherry wholeheartedly agrees with her brother's sentiments, saying, "There isn't a moment I don't think about my dad."

"I miss him so much."

Until that day of reckoning comes, the cops will stop at nothing in their pursuit of Terry and Darleen Andersons' heartless killer, who may still walk free among us.

In the wake of their family tragedy, Sherry and Rick have set up the "Terry & Darleen Anderson Foundation," through which a $20,000 reward is offered for any tip which leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for their parents' brutal murders.

It is their hope that this incentive will help crack the case wide open, and they are pleading to the public to help out any way they can, and bring closure to their family's pain.

If you know anything about the vicious, senseless murders of Terry and Darleen Anderson, you've got to call our hotline right away at 1-800-CRIME-TV.

-- by Justin Lenart, AMW Staff