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A California deputy is shot to death during an attempted burglary of his home.  Charlie Anderson  Charlie was shot inside his home CASE DETAILS On January 24, 1987, a deputy sheriff named Charlie Anderson was gunned down in his Burbank, California home. Anderson was a 14-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He distinguished himself as a highly skilled driver, teaching hundreds of officers how to handle themselves and their vehicles in dangerous situations. Sergeant George Grein was a close colleague of Anderson’s:
 Who was the mysterious caller they recorded? Charlie was also a dedicated father, never too busy to spend evenings and weekends with his two sons. To those who knew him, Charlie did not seem to have an enemy in the world—until he was shot and killed in his own home. Charlie’s wife, Beth, told Detective Roger Mason of the Burbank Police Department that on the night of the murder, the couple and their two sons arrived home around midnight:
Police at the scene found the Anderson’s older son unharmed. Their first impression was that Charlie had surprised a burglar and had been shot. But according to Detective Mason, there were other signs that the burglary had been staged:
 Police believed the robbery was staged Charlie’s sister, Trish, was at the crime scene. She agreed with Detective Mason’s theory that the robbery was staged:
In the end, the evidence collected at the crime scene was ambiguous. The only identifiable fingerprints were from members of the family. Police were left with a murder victim and virtually no leads, until a mysterious phone call one day later:
The call could not be connected to an unrecorded line. The detective had to ask the witness to hang up and call again. The man agreed. But the phone call never came.  Charlie was a skilled police officer On January 31, 1987, Charlie Anderson was laid to rest with the full honors reserved for officers killed in the line of duty. Since then, a lack of evidence has dragged the investigation to a standstill. Detective Mason and the rest of the Burbank Police Department are still searching for the unidentified caller:
Burbank Police firmly believe that the mystery witness is their last hope to close this case. A $25,000 reward is being offered and police have guaranteed confidentiality for anyone coming forward with information. Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season six with Robert Stack and in season eight with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu. SUBMIT A TIP |
Greg
It’s very clear the wife that did it. The series of events that she claims happened, made no sense. She did a piss poor job of making it look like a robbery. No evidence other than family (because the wife did it). She didn’t even bother coming on the show, because she doesn’t care about her dead husband (because the wife did it). Lack of evidence has allowed this woman to get away with murder.
Anonymous
Who ever did it thought too much like a cop. It could have been another police officer.
Bionca Taylor
People are being too feisty over his sister Trish’s comment on the episode. Let’s give this woman a break—she not only lost her brother but she saw him dead on his hallway floor after being shot. It was an experience no one should have to go through. She may think it was someone Charlie knew (I can almost guarantee she does). But none of us were there. None of us saw the “look of betrayal” in Charlie’s eyes as he lied dead on the floor. Trish got there only a few minutes after Charlie was shot. It was Unsolved Mysteries that basically put words in her mouth when they had Robert Stack narrate, “Charlie’s sister Trish believes that’s exactly what happened,” (in response to the detective saying that it may have been someone who knew Deputy Anderson). Trish was only imparting the trauma she suffered when seeing her brother shot and dead—indicating that the look of shock and betrayal was something that SURPRISED her—not that it was an indication of someone he knew. She concluded that it “lingers” with her—that it is still a trauma that she’ll never forget. Unsolved Mysteries not only cut off the beginning of her sentence, but they totally misrepresented her comment so stop scrutinizing her expression of loss.
Bonnie
Hey…I worked with Beth. The comments are pretty right on. I knew Charlie as well. Went to their Baby’s funeral. Went to their home more than once. Attended a party. Danced. With Charlie. We talked. The nicest guy you’d ever want to meet. Good cop. Good Man. Right away. I felt it was planned. After Charlie was killed. Immediately, I believed Beth was involved. I believe she had one of his Co-workers lying in wait. And when Charlie turned around he saw and knew his killer. Beth could change from a smile to having the look of a sociopath killer. Black eyes. Cold as you can imagine. She looked like a devil. We had been told that some guy had moved in right after Charlie’s death. To help her pay bills. LMAO.She married twice more before she died? Too bad she got away with murder. But, I am positive that she paid for it in her eternal life. Bible says, Vengeance is mine says the Lord. She probably is the Devil’s girl now. Shovel that coal you cold hearted Bitch. May you rot there. Went to Hawaii huh? Oh yeah, she sure Loved Charlie. I always believed that the Baby who was Charlie’s probably was murdered first. And the crib wasn’t really defective. But she collected that money just the same. Anybody ever talk to her other 2 husband’s? I’d love to know if she ever said anything to one of them or maybe they too died under mysterious circumstances. You can bet that whoever the mystery caller was knew who really did it. C’mon, she absolutely was very involved. Never knew how she landed a good man like Charlie. I should have been that Lucky. God bless and keep you close Charlie Anderson. You were a Prince among men. Gone much too soon. Hope one day, this mystery gets solved. Charlie and their Baby deserve Justice no matter how long it takes. I saw the unsolved mystery episode as well.
Logan
Bonnie, thank you for your post. Would you mind discussing this further with me? I am interested slightly in this case. BraaschLL07@uww.edu
Thanks,
Logan
Mike
I always said that she either set him up or killed him herself and then cleaned up. She had a back injury and couldn’t take the kids upstairs. Yet she got the other kid out and ran to the neighbors house. And another thing she left her kid in the car alone and went to check inside. Yeah right she did it or plan it no doubt.
Lucas
What a sad case. She definitely got away with it. Records shows Beth Anderson started a trust fund only weeks after her husband’s murder. She continued to live in the same house for years. I know I wouldn’t want to live in the same house that my husband was killed in by someone unknown. She lived in Burbank her whole life and after Charlie’s murder, started buttering everyone up with her Christmas décor, advertised banquets—not to mention her obsession with rotaries and charming the Burbank community. She clearly wanted to appear as someone who could never commit such an unspeakable act, but after Charlie’s murder, she never had to work a day in her life. Those pictures of her in Hawaii at her third wedding shows eyes colder than ice—just a blank, hollow, soulless face. Not to mention, look at that photo of her at the memorial service for her husband looking at her kid who just lost his father: HUGE SMILE. Her husband was just brutally murdered and she is downright giddy at the memorial service. She totally reminds me of one of those scandalous narcissistic sociopaths. I also wanted to point out, the sequence of events do not comport with surprising a burglar or intruder. If Charles had surprised a burglar or intruder, the intruder would have shot him when he had no chance of escape: when Charlie was walking up the stairs and down the hall to his son’s room. Charlie would have never made it to his son’s room but once he was in his son’s room, that would be the perfect time for a burglar to make a run for it out the back door. Instead, Charlie tucks his son in bed and this intruder decides to commit an act punishable by death by killing him when he could have just made a run for it while the son was being tucked into bed. This fits with someone who was there to get the job done; not someone caught in a house with no way out. Let’s not forget the half-arsed job they did at making it look like a robbery; expensive items were skipped over. Sounds like someone who is a very greedy, materialist person who didn’t even want to give up their most prized jewelry to create the most important diversion of a burglary. Sounds just like his materialistic, superficial wife didn’t want to part with some items. Yup, the chances this was a burglar or random crime is .00000000000001 %. It is so sad these boys lost their father and like many kids who lose one parent to murder, couldn’t help but be brain-washed by their uncooperative mother. I don’t necessarily believe karma is real, but her early demise at age 63 on Christmas morning really makes me wonder. Might have been all those years of fearing she’d be indicted. It’s clear the police were trying to put pressure on her with the couple of local articles stating that she never let them interview her again. Also, picture’s of the real wife were never shown on the Unsolved Mysteries episode. However, they did choose an actress that looks just like her. I think there was a reason for that. I agree with what the person said about being uncooperative with police, being the most important person to help solve the crime, she was impeding the investigation by not helping detectives and that is not symptomatic of someone who had trauma. If anything, helping put the killer behind bars would make most people get a decent night of sleep—including the fact this was her children’s father that was murdered. Not helping solve your husband’s murder is not a symptom of trauma. I do believe the person who pulled the actual trigger may still be out there somewhere but it is sad that she never faced justice in this life. I hope police take a good hard look at her friends list on Facebook. The hitman would definitely be one of her Facebook friends. Another sad fact of this case is Charlie’s father was so traumatized and overwhelmed by his son’s murder, he died suddenly only a year after the murder. Then Charlie’s mother died of a broken heart only a couple years after that. Then, in 2013, Charlie’s brother committed suicide. He was said to have never gotten over his little brother’s death. Just a sad case all-around.
Sara
She was already dead when you wrote this, so no Facebook… if she wss ever on in the first place.
Lucas
Beth has a Facebook.
Monica
The only story that was given to the police was by the wife of this supposedly waiting in the car due to a back injury while he took one child into the house. What in the world would a back injury have anything whatsoever to do with her going into the house??? Sitting in the car with the other child makes no sense. She stayed in the car so that she was safe while her husband was killed. Then what she said about the “backfires” and subsequently going into the house makes no sense either. If one heard those, why would one decide THEN to go into the house and “find” the husband? I cannot believe they bought her story – everything she said stinks to high heaven.
Sara
The segment explains why she was in the car if you actually watched it.
Anonymous
I’m sure she was questioned. But you can’t just upgrade a person of interest (someone you want to talk to) into a suspect without evidence. I don’t find any reason to believe she did anything. Now the person who moved all the stuff around. If he was to throw her under the bus, that would be a different situation.
Lesliecomelately
In another episode covering this case it was revealed that the wife always refused to be interviewed after the murder. Gee … That’s not suspicious. (Cough … ). And as mentioned, she sure was capable of doing a lot of running after the murder despite her back injury. One comment mentioned the 4 year old son did it by accident. But did he hide the gun too, with all his 4 year old wisdom? (Cough … ). Note: The gun was never found. This case bugs the bleep out of me. And so sad, ’cause it sounds like he was a really great guy. And that mystery caller! Must have been someone that knew the wife was in on it, or knew the killer one way or the other, but didn’t want to be identified, and chickened out. What a coward. I’m surprised they couldn’t have subpoenaed the wife for a lie detector test. It’s really maddening. I understand the wife remarried shortly thereafter, and later divorced. Her divorced husband should consider himself lucky. I also understand she passed away recently at age 64, so maybe it’s all moot, but I still wish she could have been named accountable if she was in on it. The guy claiming to be her cousin down there on July 8, 2018 comment … Well if she really wasn’t involved, I never heard of past and current trauma being an excuse for not cooperating with the police. My heart goes out to all related (who aren’t guilty). Now that she’s gone, I wonder if the mystery caller has passed too? I wonder what the kids think about all this. I wonder too many darn things about this case. Like I said … maddening! Now I’ll tell you what I really think … Sumbudy stop meh!!!
ArmchairDetective79
I guarantee the wife was in on it. She stayed in the car due to an alleged back injury, while her husband took one of the children into the house… and yet when she found her husband shot she was able to not only RUN out of the house, but pick up the other kid that was in the car? And when she found her husband shot, wouldn’t her first instinct as a mother be to make sure to get her other child out of the house? I suspect she was screwing around on Charlie, and maybe wanted to get rid of him so she could move on with the new guy and get Charlie’s life insurance to boot. They should definitely take a closer look at her.
Anonymous
She’s dead.
Julia Redmond
How do you know this?
Sam Denoto
https://www.facebook.com/events/saint-finbar-roman-catholic-church/memorial-service-for-beth-anderson-pote/585155815290496/
Anonymous
There is no evidence that she had any knowledge. Some admirer may have been infatuated. But that doesn’t always mean the lady had knowledge of it. I’m glad that the perpetrator didn’t harm her or the kids. He seemed to have only one objective. But only a defendant can account a motive.
TJ
Came across the story on youtube watching old episodes of course my first thought was the wife or at least someone that was known to them both. Look of shock is kinda circumstanstial I would think being surprised and being shot would do that to anyone. But for sure the story of the wife should of been more in depth. I am assuming there was a gun powder test done on the wife at the time of the killing.
Anonymous
There were witnesses that can defend the wife. I don’t think the wife or kids were knowledgeable.
Anonymous
Beth died this year at the age of 64. Case closed, IMO. According to police trying to solve her husband’s murder, Beth refused to talk to them in the last years of her life. I would really like to know what evidence they presented to the DA.
Anonymous
Why was the Sheriff’s department investigating it? I’m sure she would of talk to people of higher authority. Because the person who did it, may have been another police officer. Sh3 was probably too intimidated to even give her suspicions.
Dean
So a guy is in a house and steals nothing,just kills the husband……the wife goes in the house and lives……how VERY odd…..she also remarried soon after…..now I know California people are “special” but I mere child would check into the wife……its plain as day she had something to do with this……i think she shot him….staged the seen…..thats why he had the look of shock in his eyes…….come on Mayberry police y’all can do better then this.
Anonymous
The way the scene was staged reminds me of the Sherri Rasmussen case. There was corruption w8th Los Angeles police officers in the mid 80s. It was in my opinion another police officer.
Bill Blaski
A lot of this case stinks! This was a trained deputy sheriff that would’ve been prepared had he sensed danger. I guess the only outcome that makes sense is he walked in on a burglary. Could this have been a neighbor that knows their routine and surprised him. I hope this is one of the cases the new show spotlights.
Shawn
I wonder if Charlies son accidentally shot him with his own gun thinking it was a toy or something. I think the L.A. should re-interview the Wife and look into the man that she married after Charlie died. I wonder if he would be willing to take a lie detector test including Charlie’s Widow. If they refuse the test then the Police should suspect deception on their part. The wife is definitely involved. Charlie Anderson may GOD help solve your case. I have a very strong feeling his case will finally be solved. The authorities should offer more money for information from the public.
Anonymous
If he would of kept just one thing that was gathered in the pile, I would believe it. But the person wanted to red flag a possible robbery. This was during the Cheif Gates period, he trained the officers to look for that. Makes me think another officer “possibly” did it.
Charles
Full disclosure: the wife, Beth, is my cousin. Before Charlie died, she had gone through a lot of heartache due to the loss of a child. When he died, the tragedy was compounded. As to her flat emotional response, after all the crap she had gone through, I’d probably be pretty numb too. Just something to think about before all of the arm-chair detective-Ing starts.
Derek
The wife was married not long after (since divorced) but she knows who did this. Her story is full of crap.
thinkingoutloud
maybe it was the wife lol maybe she never sat in the car. they all went inside, put the babies in bed knowing they would be too young to understand any of it at the time, and shot and killed her husband which is why he had that look on his face. How do we know she even stayed in the car? the only witnesses were the 2 young kids.
Or it was someone he trusted, maybe another cop coworker and they were having an affair and the cop murdered him.
Magdi
After years of watching forensic files episodes, my senses are telling me that this is a murder-for-hire case, but the crime scene was staged to make it look like a burglary gone wrong. Either the wife manipulated and solicited someone using sex to have him kill the husband or paid cash up front to a hitman to do the work for her. Most likely, this is the work of a professional hitman, because police did not find any traces of foreign hair, skin cells, fingerprints, or any other form of DNA. Police may know that the wife had done it, but there is no a single solid physical evidence that ties her to the crime. Did the wife shoot and kill him? This is possible but unlikely considering poisoning is the feminine most common way to get rid of a male partner. What is the motive? Insurance money pay out.
Perhaps, the killer gave the wife detailed instructions of what to do when she arrives to the crime scene and what to tell police afterwards. Did he suggest to her to act like having a back pain? Then why back pain in specific? This may give a clue that the killer may had suffered from some sort of back pain. The mysterious voice on the phone might be that’s of the killer or an accomplice. For some reason, this caller was trapped with guilt and remorse. Did the police cross-check any photo taken from the funeral? It is possible that the unidentified caller attended the funeral, or visited the victim’s grave.
Anonymous
Let’s see staged robbery, wife stays outside, then runs off to a neighbor leaving one child in the house?
Shes in the driveway but doesn’t see anybody run out?
And no one in the police can figure the Wifes lover or hiered help did this?
Seriously
Anonymous
Rest in peace, brother. You walk only with the angels. Also, I love ‘Unsolved Mysteries’. I remember having a sleepover with one of my friends when we were around 12 and we were watching a classic episode about a guy who apparently lived with his elderly mother and had human bones in his yard and a tattoo that said ‘Born to Raise Hell’ and then the host guy, the guy from the Untouchables, comes on at the end to advise that he was still on the loose, and suddenly the power went out in the house and it was really freaking scary.
Anonymous
“They arrived home, and because Mrs. Anderson was suffering from a back injury,”
“She ran downstairs, picked up her younger son, and ran to a next-door neighbor’s house.”
So she stays in the car because of a back injury but can run down stairs and run to a neighbor’s house. Hmm, perhaps the wife did it, in the bedroom, with a pistol.
Anonymous
If anyone is interested, in an article in the LA times it states that he carried his 5 year old son in while his wife waited in the car with the 1 year old daughter it also states that the son was upstairs in bed so how a sleeping 5 year old can kill his dad is beyond me
Anonymous
“She ran downstairs, picked up her younger son, and ran to a next-door neighbor’s house.” I wonder how this was possible when her back injury was so severe that her husband offered to go inside the house with their oldest boy first. Hmmmm
Anonymous
It might be another theory. The wife had a back injury, and she knew, her husband would offer to go into the house first. She is the one, who knew best him. She had a boyfriend, and wanted to get rid of her husband, She faked the back pain, the boyfriend, who was probably somebody Charlie knew well, a friend, a co-worker, was waiting for him. The woman trust her friend he will not do any harm of the child, so let Charlie take the child with him. If she hand’t done so, Charlie would have been suspicious.
The case is still unsolved. It might be due to a man familiar with crimes, in other words, a cop. This, of course, only a theory. but not impossible.
Anonymous
SOMETHING’S NOT RIGHT HERE…
Mr. Anderson let his wife wait in the car, because of her bed back, but then she’s able to “PICK UP her son,” and then “RUN to the neighbor’s house”?
An amazing recovery??
Chester
You guys have been watching too much TV. Of course it wasn’t his wife.
Milmstein 577
I totally think it was the wife who did it. I don’t know how people can live with themselves after killing someone…..ESPECIALLY THEIR OWN SPOUSE!!!!!!
blue bird
THATS wrong CHARILE DID NOT DESERVE NONE OF THAT STUFF HEY U KILLERS U LISTEN UP I HOPE U GET WHAT U DESERVE U TOOK CHARILES LIFE AND NOW GOD WILL TAKE YOURS ALSO
R
This gives absolutely no information. What led them to believe it was staged? What did the caller even say?
Bill Blaski
Any updates on this case?
anonymous
The wife knows who did it even if she didn’t do it . What woman would sit out in a car with a little baby in the middle of the night faking a back injury but after her husband was killed she was immediately healed and had the strength to pick up the baby and run.
Brody
The people saying the wife did it are crazy. If you see your spouse dead you’d be surprise what fear would allow you to do and/or not do. I would suspect a coworker before the wife in this case. Maybe he knew/seen too much and someone felt he had to go.
Anonymous
It may be Domingo maybe
Anonymous
Does the wife have any medical records etc. about her back injury? How long before the murder did this injury occur and how severe was it?
Maria
My first instinct was that his wife shot him. I can’t believe that the Burbank Police Department would bypass this idea and not interview the wife. It’s all so strange how the wife sat in the car late at night while waiting for husband to come back down from putting their older son to bed. Why didnt he take the youngest to bed first?? I think this was planned because if the older son was left in the car while the wife goes inside the house the oldest son would be able to recount this if his mothe left the car…anyways, wife hears gunshots and physically manages to get out to the car go inside the house and scope out the scene. Then runs back downstairs with physical disability grabs her youngest son and runs to the neighbors house?!?!? That to me is a red flag. The shock and betrayed looked on police officers face is the look anyone would give if their own loved one kills them. The scene looked staged?? The evidence is right under these police officers noses. Wife did it and Burbank Police department knows it.
Christine
I just watched this episode last night 4/25/16. I immediately thought of the wife. It was her words against the husband. He is dead. Did she get a life insurance? Did she have a boyfriend right away or during the marriage? Irononically, right after that show was the show of Scott Peterson killing his wife and baby. They never found actually concrete proof, however, he was found guilty and put on death row. Which was right. So they need to investigate the wife more.
Latoya Hubbard
The position of the home where this officer was located tells me that, his wife set this murder up. Faked a back injury, coming home late hours from being out. The children aren’t capable of identifying any one. The perp new the layout of the home. He new he would be bringing the child in for bed while the wife waited out in the car. Anderson was surprised that he new his killer, and was shocked in disbelief that this person was capable of murder. Sorry to say his wife is responsible for this. No valueables were taken so we rule out robbery as a motive. The wife should of been made top suspect !
Daniel
No doubt the wife did it. None of it makes sense-my wife would never leave our child alone with a killer, nor would I. Too bad she was not prosecuted.
Louise Bradley
It was the wife. No doubt about it.
No mother would leave her child potentially in the house with a gunman who has just murdered her husband.
Can’t believe she’s been allowed to get away with that.
Soooooo obvious
elight316@gmail.com
I agree with you 100 percent,why would she leave the older son in the house with a potential murderer still in the house…and how where there no signs of a intruder any where or a break in…And his shocked look on his face tells the whole story ….he obviously knew his killer!
fgsfds
Yeah. Agreed. Obviously it was her (or had some part of it). Plus she had a back injury and managed to go to the house, go to her husband and run down the stairs to her neighbor’s house? And considering her “injury” she would’ve been an easy target. Come on.
Alyssa
Defiantly have a feeling it was the wife.
GINGER
OF COURSE HE WAS SHOCKED
Charlie was also a dedicated father, never too busy to spend evenings and weekends with his two sons. To those who knew him, Charlie did not seem to have an enemy in the world—until he was shot and killed in his own home. Charlie’s wife, Beth, told Detective Roger Mason of the Burbank Police Department that on the night of the murder, the couple and their two sons arrived home around midnight:
“They arrived home, and because Mrs. Anderson was suffering from a back injury, her husband offered to go inside the house with their oldest boy first. He asked her to wait in the car and she did so. Charlie Anderson went in the house with the oldest son and, we believe, took him upstairs. A few moments later, Mrs. Anderson heard what sounded like backfires from where she was parked in the driveway. She was still seated in the car. Because the sound was unusual, she walked to the house and called in to see if there was anything wrong. She ran downstairs, picked up her younger son, and ran to a next-door neighbor’s house.”
Anonymous
How old was his son at the time?
CAMI
HIS SON WAS ABOUT 3 OR 4 AT THE TIME MAYBE YOUNGER
BUT HE WAS IN A CARSEAT SO WAY TOO YOUNG TO BE CONSIDERED FOR MURDER
Anonymous
The oldest son was 5 or 6, the baby was 1. Beth had a slew of health issues, liver failure when pregnant a couple years earlier. Back injury wasn’t strange or out of place. But the whole story is. I babysat for those kids not too long after Charlie’s death and was eerily strange to say the least to be alone in that house
renee pettigrew
The police should question his wife
Aleisha
I believe the wife may have had her son kill his father. Ive watched stories on Investigation Discovery where mothers/parents had brain washed the kids and were able to get them to do unthinkable crimes. I believe both mom and son should both be located and separated immediately for police questioning.
Rebecca
This sounds like someone who was very familiar with him, someone that knew the ins and outs of his home. He was being watched, the person knew he was out with his family so he let himself in and waited for him to arrive, it could have been one of his own colleague, it seems personal, no one else was hurt so he was the intended target. I was hoping the caller would have called back, maybe this crime would have been solved or some important lead the police would be able to go on,. May he rest in peace this family need closure I hope the caller would come forward.
Mike Roy
I have a feeling it was revenge of some sort of payback. From a previous arrest he made yhe suspect wanted to get even. So he followed stalked and planned this killing. The mysterious caller was probably an accomplice. Perhaps a getaway driver knows all about the killing. But is scared and intimidated by the killer.