Here’s what a witness told Gulfport police about a beloved WLOX employee’s fatal stabbing
A Gulfport man charged in the stabbing death of his father — a longtime WLOX-TV employee — had blood all over his clothes and two knives in his possession when he returned to the crime scene, according to affidavits filed in the case.
John William Anderson, 36, is being held at the Harrison County jail on a charge of first-degree murder in the Jan. 19 death of his father, Thomas Anderson.
A witness told police she saw the suspect standing over Thomas Anderson and stabbing him three to four times in what appeared to be the face and neck area, the records say. Anderson died of numerous stab wounds, including wounds to his chest area.
The assault occurred on Jan. 12 and police responded to the scene outside the father’s home in the 2400 block of Demaret Drive around 12:45 p.m., the records say.
The witness gave a description of the son’s black four-door sedan after he was seen leaving the scene.
A short time later, court papers say, John Anderson returned to the scene in his black 2014 Ford Taurus that also had blood on part of a bumper. Anderson was taken into custody at the scene.
Thomas Anderson was taken by ambulance to Gulfport Memorial Hospital but was later transferred to University Medical Center in New Orleans, where he died Jan. 19, the records say.
John Anderson was initially arrested on a charge of aggravated assault, but the charge was upgraded to first-degree murder upon his father’s death.
He remains jailed in Harrison County on a $1 million dollar bond.
This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 1:00 PM.
