WILMINGTON, NC – A North Carolina man has been sentenced to 18 to 22 years in prison for the murder of his father, an 83-year-old man whose body was found hidden beneath a tarp in his backyard. Marshall Todd Anderson, 63, was handed the sentence on Monday by a New Hanover County judge in the case that shocked the community.
On February 22, 2024, concerned family members alerted the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, leading deputies to conduct a welfare check at William Thomas Anderson’s residence on Marlowe Drive, roughly 125 miles from Raleigh. Responding officers discovered the elderly man’s body, evidencing a violent death from blunt force trauma.
Marshall Anderson was quickly targeted as the primary suspect. Authorities located him soon after the discovery, walking along S. College Road. He was promptly arrested and held without bail pending trial.
Court documents from family testimony provide a grim narrative. On the day of the murder, the victim’s grandson intended to visit due to concerns about early dementia signs. Arriving at the home, he found his father, Marshall, already present and claiming to have seen the grandfather moments before. Suspicion grew when Anderson discouraged his son from disturbing a tarp in the yard, claiming it was covering trash.
After searching the neighborhood and seeking help from law enforcement, this tarp was later determined to conceal the elder Anderson’s body. Reports indicate that Marshall Anderson had left the scene before authorities arrived, requesting a neighboring resident transport him to a nearby Walmart upon noticing police presence.
Investigators assessed that William Anderson had been deceased for several hours before deputies reached the residence.
During the sentencing hearing, the victim’s family, particularly the grandson, spoke powerfully of the emotional turmoil endured. They highlighted the distress caused by Anderson’s actions, saying he chose substance misuse over familial bonds, a sentiment echoed in the district attorney’s statement.
This tragic case not only underlines the devastating consequences of familial violence but also the profound impact of substance abuse on families, leaving them to grapple with the dual loss of a beloved family member and the incarceration of another.