On a summer evening in Sumner, Wisconsin, the tragic death of 57-year-old Nedra Lemke, a White female, unfolded at a family property. On June 16, 2020, she and her husband, James "Jim" Lemke, went to her late parents' home to mow the lawn. Upon their arrival, they noticed broken windows and suspected a burglary. Nedra placed a calm call to 911 around 5:45 p.m.
to report the break-in, stating they would wait for law enforcement before entering the house.
When the first Jefferson County sheriff's deputy arrived about 12 minutes later, he discovered Nedra's body lying in the driveway. As he approached, shots were fired at him from the house, and the deputy returned fire. Soon after the exchange of gunfire, dark smoke and flames began pouring from the home. Once additional authorities secured the scene, they found both Nedra and Jim Lemke deceased on the driveway. Autopsies later confirmed that both had died from multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation quickly zeroed in on a primary suspect: Nedra's own brother, Kevin Anderson. The motive appeared to stem from a family dispute over inheritance. Following the recent death of their father, Nedra had been named the executor of the will, a decision that reportedly angered her brother. Tensions had apparently been escalating, and on the day of the incident, phone records showed Nedra had tried to contact her brother about her plans to be at the property.
In the aftermath of the fire and the discovery of the bodies, Kevin Anderson was nowhere to be found. A search of the property uncovered a truck registered to Anderson's wife, but an examination of the burned-out house yielded no human remains. On June 26, 2020, the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office charged Kevin Anderson with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide for the deaths of Nedra and Jim Lemke, along with charges of attempted homicide for firing at the deputy, arson, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Despite extensive searches and his case being featured on "America's Most Wanted," Kevin Anderson remains at large.
