Jailhouse phone call reveals Andersen-Dewey affair

HENNEPIN — The prosecution entered an explosive piece of evidence against Clifford A. Andersen Jr. on the final morning of testimony Thursday in the case of Deborah Dewey's murder.

Andersen Jr., 68, of Standard, is facing a Putnam County jury who will soon decide whether he's guilty of first-degree murder and the concealment of the homicidal death of Dewey, his sister-in-law. He's accused of killing Dewey, 62, of Ladd and is being held on $1.5 million bond. He faces 20 to 60 years or more in prison, with no possibility of parole.

Dewey was reported missing Aug. 23, 2016; her body was found that Sept. 12 by Illinois State Police investigators in the yard of a home in Standard of which Andersen was the caretaker and only blocks from his residence.

Assistant Illinois Attorney General Bill Elward played two phone calls for the jury Thursday. Recorded on June 14, 2017, and July 21, 2017, while Andersen was in custody, the conversations between Andersen and his wife, Diane, revealed shocking new details regarding the relationship between Andersen and Dewey, as well as his involvement in Dewey's death.

"There's two or three things they got on me," Andersen can be heard telling his wife.

Andersen then mentioned his purchase of manure, Dewey's car, the truck stops, and the carpet cleaner with the DNA of both Dewey and Andersen present.

Diane Andersen can be heard warning Andersen not to take the stand because he "talks too much" and telling him that he didn't have answers for the things investigators were asking him about. She was also aware he had possibly been seen entering the home where her sister's body had been recovered with the carpet cleaner.

"Did you go in with the cleaner?" Diane Andersen asked during the call.

"Yeah," Andersen can be heard answering.

"We've got to come up with answers for some of this stuff. If you're covering up for someone, tell me who it is," Diane Andersen responds.

Diane Andersen can also be heard telling her husband that she knew if he did do it that he'd have "found a less messy way, without the blood."

Andersen also mentions "shacking up" with Dewey and that he'd been worrying about "what Diane will think if she finds out about me and Debbie."

"None of that bothers me, I'm worried about the serious stuff," Diane Andersen replied during the call before telling him they needed to "pray for a miracle."

During the recordings, both Andersen and Diane were also worried about facing a Putnam County jury.

Cause of death

Forensic pathologist Dr. Scott Denton of McLean County provided testimony regarding the cause of Dewey's death.

Dewey had no defensive wounds and suffered four blows to the head, two in the back and two in the front.

Of the two wounds to the top front half of her head, Denton said "either would've been instantly fatal."

He added they would have required severe force and the "extensively traumatic fractures" drove large skull fragments into her brain, killing her instantly.

Denton testified the wounds were consistent with those caused by a blow from a hard metal object with an edge, such as an ax, shovel, tire iron or crow bar.

The state then rested its case against Andersen.

The defense

Defense attorney Drew Parker began by making a motion to drop the murder charge because although he believed the state "could possibly prove concealment," they had failed to prove Andersen committed a murder.

Elward countered by reminding the court that Andersen was the last person who had spoken with Dewey; was linked to hiding her vehicle; was on video purchasing the manure; had repeatedly lied; made the jailhouse phone calls; and was implicated through "an overwhelming amount of circumstantial evidence."

Judge Stephen A. Kouri ruled he was "respectfully denying" the motion.

Andersen also announced his decision regarding his own testimony.

"I'm not going to testify, no sir," he told Kouri.

The defense worked to convince the jury the DNA present in the carpet cleaner was the result of two wounds that had bled while Dewey recovered from a surgery at their home during 2015.

However, Dr. Ramon Inciong of St. Margaret's Hospital testified the stitches of both wounds were intact when he examined Dewey nine days after her medical procedures and that the "bleeding and oozing" was normal.

Andersen's son, Nathan Andersen, testified he'd been home all day in Standard on the day of Dewey's disappearance and that his father hadn't come home during that time.

During cross-examination, Elward reminded the court that on Aug. 22, 2016, Andersen would have had the ability to change clothes at "the bowling ball house," the other Standard property for which he was caretaker.

Diane Andersen provided the final testimony of the case. Diane said she didn't recall seeing blood in her home after Dewey had left following her surgery, was unaware of her husband's gambling, and only knew of one of his many high interest loans.

"I wanted to ignore it. I didn't want to know," she said of Andersen's gambling habits.

The Andersens had five sources of income totaling approximately $6,000 a month. They lived rent free and Diane Andersen said she only paid the one car payment, the insurance for that vehicle, and the utility bill.

She testified Andersen regularly withdrew roughly $5,000 a month and added while she knew he liked to pay for things in cash, she didn't know what he did with the money.

Diane Andersen also testified she was with her husband when approaching the crime scene when investigators were recovering Dewey's body. However, two Illinois State Police investigators previously testified Andersen had been alone.

During Parker's questioning, Diane Andersen said the other members of her family didn't like Dewey, although prosecutor Mary Claire Nicholson later reminded Diane Andersen that her sisters had testified to gathering for a large surprise party shortly before Dewey's disappearance.

"My family no longer wants me around," Diane Andersen said.

Following the defense resting its case, Kouri told the jury they'd heard from 55 witnesses. Final statements will be made on Friday, and Kouri said he hoped to be able to hand the jury the case before the end of Friday morning.