Thursday, March 24, 2011

Park Rapids, MN: Park Rapids Married Couple Dies in Murder-Suicide

PARK RAPIDS, Minn. (KSAX) Greg Duane Anderson shot and killed his wife, Dawn Anderson, before taking his own life at their Park Rapids home Tuesday night.

"(Dawn) called 9-1-1; said that her husband was threatening to kill her. In the background, you could hear some loud noise and then the phone went dead," Park Rapids Police Chief Terry Eilers said.

Police said they received the first 9-1-1 call shortly after 6:00 p.m., but after Jordan Anderson told them his dad, Greg Anderson, 45, had a high-powered hunting rifle, police took extra precautions and brought in more back-up. A long driveway and bad weather also delayed their ability to confront the shooter.

"Once we got closer with our flat-van and additional officers, then they could see, actually two people, laying on the front deck," Eilers said. "Verbal commands were made; no response from them."

Police then approached the deck and found both Greg and Dawn Anderson, 45, unresponsive.

"It was an obvious self-inflicted gunshot wound to (Greg Anderson). The gun was still in his hand, and (Dawn) was laying several feet away," Eilers said.

Jordan Anderson, 20, lived with his parents and told police he was threatened by his father as well. Police said he's currently staying with relatives.

Greg Anderson had been in a halfway-house in the Fargo-Moorhead area, following a 2010 D.W.I. conviction, but he left for Park Rapids early Tuesday morning. Police said Dawn had a restraining order against Greg.

Wednesday, friends of Dawn remembered her as a woman of faith, who loved children.

"Very tragic. She will be very missed by everybody. I don't think she had an enemy at all," Dawn Anderson's friend and neighbor Rose Ward said. "She's in heaven, and I hope she's peaceful, and also my thoughts were for her children and her family." "It's gonna be sad around here for a long, long time."

Police said Greg Anderson had his firearms taken away after a 2007 gun conviction, and aren't sure how he got the rifle. The Andersons left behind two sons.

Written for the web by Joe Nelson.

jonelson@ksax.com

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