In the late hours of a September evening in Independence, Missouri, a dispute that began at a gas station escalated into a tragic and fatal encounter for 18-year-old Phillip J. Anderson. The young Black male was a passenger in a vehicle that became entangled in a rolling gun battle on Interstate 70 on September 29, 2017. An argument with another man at a gas station on Noland Road had spilled onto the highway, leading to an exchange of gunfire between two vehicles.
It was during this violent chase that Anderson was struck in the head by a bullet. The vehicle he was in eventually came to a stop near a QuikTrip on 40 Highway and Sterling Avenue, where he was found deceased.
The investigation into the shooting led police to 26-year-old Michael T. Dumas of Pleasant Hill, Missouri. His apprehension came after a friend contacted authorities, reporting that Dumas was hiding in the woods near her home and had confessed to having done 'something bad.' Upon his arrest, Dumas made comments that suggested he was suicidal and was subsequently taken to a hospital for evaluation. While he admitted to police his involvement in the incident that led to Anderson's death, he denied being a murderer. Prosecutors moved forward with charges against Dumas, indicting him for second-degree murder and armed criminal action.
The case took a devastating turn for Phillip Anderson's family and the pursuit of justice. After being released on bond, Michael T. Dumas was once again at the center of a homicide investigation. In November 2018, he was charged with the murder of Sarah Simms, a key cooperating witness in the case against him for Anderson's death. The family of Phillip Anderson expressed immense frustration and sorrow over Dumas's release, believing that the subsequent killing of a witness could have been prevented had he remained in custody. The legal proceedings in Anderson's death were further complicated by this second, related homicide, leaving his family to continue their wait for justice.
