Dennis Anderson, a 46-year-old resident of Tigard, Oregon, tragically lost his life on July 13, 2022, in a violent and unprovoked act of road rage violence. On the day of the incident, Anderson and his wife, Brandy Goldsbury, were driving back from a trip to the Oregon Coast along Highway 18 in the Van Duzer Corridor in Polk County, Oregon. As they drove, a car behind them, driven by a man who would later be identified as Justin Nathaniel McAnulty, began to behave erratically.
McAnulty passed Anderson's vehicle, but the aggressive behavior did not end there; he pulled over a few miles ahead and then pulled out behind Anderson's car again, attempting to force them off the road.
In an effort to avoid further confrontation, Anderson pulled over to the side of the road to allow McAnulty to pass. However, McAnulty stepped out of his car and began shooting at Anderson and his wife. Despite Brandy Goldsbury being in her seatbelt and unable to escape quickly, she was miraculously not hit by any of the bullets, largely due to Anderson's body shielding her from the gunfire. Anderson, however, was shot nine times and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Justin Nathaniel McAnulty, then 23 years old, was identified as the suspect in this deadly shooting. He was arrested in September 2022, several months after the incident. On May 23, 2024, McAnulty pleaded guilty except insane to one count of second-degree murder in Polk County Circuit Court. As part of his plea deal, he was sentenced to a lifetime commitment under the Oregon Psychiatric Security Review Board with physical confinement at the Oregon State Hospital.
During the court proceedings, Brandy Goldsbury delivered a powerful victim's statement, describing the horrific scene and the devastating impact of Anderson's death on their family, including their three children. She recounted the moment when she watched her husband take his last breaths, lying lifeless on the side of the road, and expressed her inability to come to terms with the loss. Polk County District Attorney Aaron Felton also spoke, calling the incident a 'violent, senseless and cowardly act' and expressing his belief that McAnulty posed a significant risk to community safety and should be securely confined for life.
The case highlighted the tragic consequences of road rage and the importance of addressing mental health issues within the justice system. McAnulty's guilty plea and subsequent sentencing marked a conclusion to the legal proceedings, but the emotional and psychological impact on Anderson's family and loved ones will undoubtedly be long-lasting.
