Stephen Wayne Anderson

Stephen Wayne Anderson (July 8, 1953 – January 29, 2002) was an American serial killer, burglar, and poet who was executed at California's San Quentin State Prison by lethal injection in 2002 for the 1980 murder of Elizabeth Lyman.

Anderson had escaped prison in 1979 and later admitted to committing at least seven other murders as a contract killer within a three-month timespan before Lyman's murder, as well as the killing of a fellow inmate during his first incarceration. It was determined that six of the alleged contract killings never happened, but police found reason to believe that the other two confessed homicides were legitimate, though he was only convicted in Lyman's murder.

During his stay on death row, Anderson became known for composing award-winning poetry, which led to requests for clemency to California Governor Gray Davis, arguing that his work was a sign of rehabilitation. While supporters claimed that Anderson had lied about perpetrating more than two murders, a reinvestigation in 2015 confirmed that Anderson was also responsible for the 1980 murder of Timothy Glashien.

Early life Anderson was born on July 8, 1953, The family was poor and were often unable to buy food. His father, an oil worker, was an alcoholic who physically abused both of his sons while his mother, a court clerk, was emotionally neglectful, telling her sons that she "dreaded the days that you boys were born" and informing their neighbors that she "preferred her dogs to her children". Anderson himself described his parents favorably, calling his father a "good [and] fair man" and saying that his mother's mental issues were the result of a wrongful conviction for embezzlement in place of a corrupt judge, claiming that this latter event "altered his view of the world and of the justice system".

Anderson made an effort to protect his younger brother from the abuse and learned to change diapers at an early age to avoid upsetting their mother.

Crimes

First incarceration After being forced out of home, Anderson started burglarizing churches and schools for food and money. While there, he non-fatally stabbed another inmate during a movie screening, resulting in a conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. On August 24, 1977, Anderson killed fellow inmate Robert Blundell. According to Anderson, the two had an argument in the prison kitchen over Blundell's "reputation as a snitch". Anderson claimed that Blundell made a "sexual threat" before leaving the kitchen, after which Anderson grabbed a kitchen knife, followed Blundell, and fatally stabbed him. He later assaulted a correctional officer.

Prison escape In November 1979, but in June 2015, the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake announced that enough evidence had been gathered through ballistic forensics to implicate a since executed Anderson and Fairbanks, who had died of a heart attack in 1986, in the murder of Timothy Glashien, though noting that the statute of limitations had already run out.

Anderson spent the following months homeless and traveled around by hopping trains. After drinking a pint of vodka, Anderson cut Lyman's telephone line with a knife, and shortly after 1:00 a.m., he broke into her home by removing a glass pane from her French doors. He checked the house for occupants room by room. He claimed that he did not know Lyman was home and that he intended to steal a car from the house, unaware that Lyman did not own a vehicle. When he entered Lyman's bedroom, she awoke and screamed. Anderson shot her in the face from a distance of eight and twenty inches with a .45 caliber handgun, fatally wounding her. He covered her body with a blanket, recovered the expelled casing from the hollow-point bullet that killed her, and ransacked her house for money. Most media reported that he recovered less than $100, with Anderson claiming it was $80 in private correspondence with author Bell Gale Chevigny, while court records estimated it was around $112. Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene at 3:47 a.m. and arrested Anderson, He only gave detailed accounts of the killings of Blundell and Glashien, with Nevada never prosecuting the other six cases. An officer involved in Anderson's arrest stated that while he believed Anderson's responsibility in the former two murders, he was doubtful of the "vague statements" regarding the supposed Las Vegas killings, later recalling that other law enforcement officers contacted by him could not identify any cases matching Anderson's descriptions.

On May 6, 1981, Anderson was convicted of first degree murder with special circumstances. On July 24, he was sentenced to death. In his opening statements at the penalty phase, the prosecutor cited Anderson's violent history in prison as for why he should be executed. He said Anderson had proven himself to be dangerous even in prison.

So remember that when you consider what he's done and what he's testified to. This particular individual is a sociopath. He cannot live with anybody. He cannot get along with anybody. He kills people everywhere. He stabs people everywhere. He has stabbed an individual in prison. And you'll have the court documents that shows where he pled guilty. And he admitted that while in the Utah State Prison sitting in a movie he stabbed an inmate there. And as a result of that stabbing he was convicted of aggravated assault by a prisoner with a deadly weapon. He stabbed Mr. Blundell and killed Mr. Blundell while he was in prison. He admitted that he killed him. He told you that just before he came down here from San Quentin he got into a fight with the people in San Quentin and his housing was changed because he was fighting. There is no place that anybody is going to be safe from this individual. He looks out for old number one, and that's all he's concerned with. And forget about the rest of the world. His writings were initially about his remorse for the murder of Elizabeth Lyman, but eventually expanded to themes such as prison life, the human condition, and death, usually in connection to his impending execution. He was one of several prison writers on San Quentin's death row to correspond with author D. Quentin Miller.

Anderson isolated himself on death row, weighing nearly by the time he died. Upon learning of his execution date six weeks beforehand, Anderson refused to go outside, see spiritual advisors or receive phone calls, instead spending time finishing a novel. His writing material was taken away ahead of his transfer to death house holding, five days before his execution, shortly after completing his last work, "The Last Poem I Will Write". Anderson himself voiced no support for a change to his penalty Shortly before the execution, Anderson's lawyers filed a lawsuit to have California Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante review the clemency request, claiming Davis was biased on account of his previous denials of three other such requests from death row inmates.

On January 29, 2002, Anderson was executed by lethal injection at San Quentin State Prison. The execution began at 12:16 a.m. and Anderson was pronounced dead at 12:30 a.m. PT. Anderson's last meal consisted of two grilled cheese sandwiches, one pint of cottage cheese, a hominy/corn mixture, one slice of peach pie, radishes, and one pint of chocolate chip ice cream. He told the warden that he had no last words, although he reportedly mouthed the words "Thank you" to one of his public defenders, Margo A. Rocconi, who had whispered "I love you" to Anderson three times while on the gurney.

Anderson's remains were cremated and sent to an anonymous friend in Farmington.