Dale R. Anderson

Serial Killer

Dale R. Anderson – The Suspected Belleville Serial Killer

Dale R. Anderson was an Illinois murderer whose name became associated with a disturbing series of killings in and around Belleville, Illinois. Anderson was convicted of murdering a pregnant woman and her three-year-old son in 1989, but investigators, journalists, and former FBI criminal profiler Robert K. Ressler later examined whether he may have been responsible for several additional killings of young women dating back to the late 1970s. Although Anderson was never convicted of those additional murders, the similarities among several of the cases, his behavior surrounding one of the investigations, and evidence uncovered after his arrest caused him to become one of the most controversial suspected serial killers in southern Illinois history. It is important to distinguish Anderson's proven crimes from the murders merely attributed to him. He was legally convicted only of the murders of Jolaine Lanman and her three-year-old son, Kenneth Lanman. The murders of Elizabeth West, Ruth Ann Jany, Eulalia "Lolly" Chavez, Kristina Povolish, and Audrey Cardenas were never proven in court to have been committed by Anderson. Former FBI profiler Robert Ressler believed Anderson was a plausible suspect in the killings of the women, but law-enforcement opinions have differed, particularly in the Cardenas case.

Background and Obsession With Law Enforcement

Anderson was born on November 24, 1951, in Canton, Ohio, and spent much of his life in Illinois. He attended Illinois State University and initially pursued a conventional professional life. Over time, however, he developed a strong interest in police work and repeatedly sought employment in law enforcement. He applied to the Illinois State Police and other agencies but was unsuccessful in establishing the police career he apparently wanted. He did work for a period at the St. Clair County Jail during the late 1970s. By the 1980s, Anderson was employed as a caseworker for the Illinois Department of Public Aid in Belleville. His relationship with supervisors deteriorated badly. Anderson accused several supervisors of corruption and wrongdoing and became increasingly preoccupied with the belief that they had conspired against him. He eventually lost his job in August 1988. Prosecutors later argued that his anger toward three former supervisors became a central motive behind the murders for which he was convicted.

The Murder of Audrey Cardenas and Anderson's Suspicious Behavior

Audrey Cardenas was a 24-year-old Texas A&M University graduate who arrived in Belleville in June 1988 for a journalism internship with the Belleville News-Democrat. She had been in the area only a short time when she vanished. Cardenas was last seen on June 19, 1988, and was reported missing after she failed to appear for work. Records concerning her death list June 20, 1988, while her badly decomposed body was discovered on June 26 in a creek bed adjacent to Belleville East High School. Because of decomposition, authorities were unable to establish a definitive cause of death. The circumstances nevertheless led investigators to treat the case as a homicide. Anderson's actions during the Cardenas investigation later became extremely important. On June 23 and June 24, while Cardenas was still missing, Anderson called the newspaper and attempted to direct suspicion toward his supervisors at the Illinois Department of Public Aid. He supplied information about the supervisors and their vehicles and claimed they were responsible for Cardenas' disappearance. Anderson also attended Cardenas' memorial service. According to accounts of the investigation, he represented himself to some people as being involved in investigating the murder. He became intensely interested in the case and accumulated newspaper material about it. When police later searched Anderson's residence following the Lanman murders, investigators found evidence demonstrating the depth of his interest in Cardenas. Among the property recovered were newspaper clippings concerning her death, weapons, cord, surgical gloves, knives, a police scanner, and documents associated with the Cardenas investigation. Investigators also found a diary in which Anderson wrote about being with Cardenas on the day she disappeared and referred to jogging with her. Another man, Rodney Woidtke, was originally convicted of murdering Cardenas and sentenced to 45 years in prison. His conviction ultimately unraveled, and after being granted a new trial he was acquitted in 2001. Anderson consequently became an even more prominent alternative suspect. Former FBI profiler Robert Ressler believed Anderson likely killed Cardenas, although some Belleville investigators continued to believe Woidtke was responsible. Anderson was never charged with Cardenas' murder. ...

Confirmed Victims: (2)

Jolaine Lanman , Date of Death: 1989-09-27

Suspected Victims:

Elizabeth K. West Age: (14), Date of Death: 1978-05-05

Ruth Ann Jany Age: (21), Date of Death: 1979-07

Eulalia "Lolly" Chavez Age: (27), Date of Death: 1986-09-5

Kristina Povolish Age: (19), Date of Death: 1987-07

Audrey Cardenas Age: (24), Date of Death: 1988-07

Man who killed woman