U.S. & World

SEATTLE (AP) ― A woman and her boyfriend admitted to methodically gunning down her parents and four other family members in rural Washington on Christmas Eve, according to police affidavits filed in court Thursday.

Michelle Anderson, 29, and Joe McEnroe, 29, were ordered held without bail after a court appearance Thursday. The county prosecutor's office expects to have a decision regarding charges Friday.

McEnroe and Anderson shot her parents, Wayne and Judy Anderson, using large-caliber pistols and dragged the bodies to a shed, authorities wrote in the affidavits, which were based on statements the couple gave to authorities.

A short time later, the Anderson's son, Scott, his wife Erica, and children Olivia, 6, and Nathan, 3, arrived for a Christmas Eve visit. "Knowing that Scott and his family where potential witnesses, Joe and Michele shot them," sheriff's Detective John Pavlovich wrote.

Anderson told authorities both of them shot her parents, brother and sister-in-law, but McEnroe killed the children, according to the affidavit.

The couple, who had been together for six years, lived in a trailer about 200 yards from her parents' house. After the killings, they tried to flee to Canada, court documents said, but they returned the following day and were detained.

McEnroe, who had disheveled brown hair, appeared briefly in the courtroom Thursday, but then left with his attorney, who came back and said he waived his right to appear.

Michele Anderson's attorney, public defender George Eppler, said he spoke with her briefly. But when asked if she admitted guilt, Eppler said, "We limited our conversation solely to the issue of today's court appearance."

The bodies were found on a rural property that includes a house and a mobile home at the end of a long dirt road. The property is near the rural town of Carnation, about 25 miles east of Seattle.

Authorities said the bodies were found by a co-worker of one of the victims who had come to the house because Judy Anderson, who worked for the U.S. Postal Service, did not report to work.

Ben Anderson, who said he was the Anderson's grandson, told reporters outside his grandparents' property late Wednesday that money could have been a factor in the deaths.

"She felt she wasn't loved enough and everyone didn't appreciate her and she was pushed out of everyone's life," he said, referring to Michele Anderson.

On Thurdsay, authorities were trying to determine why deputies didn't further investigate a 911 hang-up call on Christmas Eve that came from the house. The call ended after about 10 seconds, and the operator reported hearing "a lot of yelling in the background ... sounded more like party noise than angry heated arguing."

Operators twice called back, but both calls went into voice mail. About 30 minutes later, two deputies arrived at the property, but found a locked gate and did not go onto the property. The dispatchers log reported the deputies saying, "gate is locked, unable to gain access."

"They didn't go past it," Urquhart said. "I don't know why yet. That's one of the things we're looking into."

Urquhart said the bodies were found by a co-worker of one of the victims who had come to the house because one of the victims, who works for the U.S. Postal Service, did not report to work.

The bodies were found on a rural property that includes a house and a mobile home at the end of a long dirt road. The property is near this town about 25 miles east of Seattle.

Mark Bennett, a family friend, said the Andersons lived in a house there, and their daughter Michele lived on her parents' property in a mobile home with a male companion.

Bennett said he spoke with Judy and Wayne Anderson on Christmas Eve and tried to call them Christmas Day but could not reach them. He told reporters he came to the property Wednesday morning after seeing the home on the news.

"I didn't want to believe what I heard and saw, so I drove over," he said.

Autopsies had not been performed.

Ben Anderson, who said he was the grandson of Wayne and Judy Anderson, told reporters outside his grandparents' property late Wednesday that money could have been a factor in the deaths.

"She felt she wasn't loved enough and everyone didn't appreciate her and she was pushed out of everyone's life," he said, referring to Michele Anderson.

Urquhart declined to say where on the property the victims were found, other than to say they were "not found in the same room." As investigators searched the property, they removed a black pickup truck. 

Police told CBS affiliate KIRO-TV that the bodies suffered traumatic injuries.

Bennett said Wayne Anderson is a Boeing Co. engineer and Judy Anderson works for the post office in Carnation.

"It's shocking," said Don Lovett, owner of Pete's Grill and Pub in downtown Carnation. "It's a real small community out here, even being so close to a metropolitan area. We're really familiar with folks out here."

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