By: Kendall Zuniga 

On December 24, 2007, the Anderson family was gathered in their Washington home for the holidays soaking up the Christmas cheer but, sadly their cheer would be cut short by their own tragic murder. Michelle Anderson and husband Joseph McEnroe, arrived in their pickup truck at Michelle’s family home and didn’t hesitate to murder 6 family members and 3 different generations by gunshot. Of the 6 family members, 2 were Michelle’s 5-year old niece and 3-year old nephew. The family’s bodies were discovered two days later by a family friend and were immediately reported. 

Around 3 hours after the police arrived, Anderson and McEnroe pulled up to the Anderson house. They did not seem phased by the police cars surrounding the property, nor did they ask if Wayne and Judy were okay, raising officers’ suspicions right away. When Anderson was questioned why she would murder her own family, her reasoning was “tired of everybody stepping on her”. Michelle’s  brother, Scott, owed her $40,000 and would not pay her back, and that her parents had begun pressing her about paying rent money for living in the mobile home on their property, after she and McEnroe had lived there for a year free of charge. On December 28, Anderson and McEnroe were each charged with 6 counts of aggravated murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.