On July 20, 1994, at approximately 10:00 pm, Beth Ann Anderson telephoned her friend and neighbor Monique and told her that "Gerald is downstairs banging on the door." Anderson, who was using a portable phone, asked Monique to stay on the line as she went to the door. Monique then heard Anderson say, "Who is it?" and then "Gerald." A few seconds later, an individual whose voice and accent Monique recognized as belonging to Watkins, picked up the phone and spoke with Monique. He identified himself as "G," which Monique recognized as Watkins's nickname. The phone was then placed down and Monique heard Anderson say "ow" or "stop Gerald". She then heard sounds of a struggle, and then Anderson saying, "Call the police." After summoning the police, Monique went to the Anderson home and, as she pounded on the front door, the police arrived and forced entry. Monique entered the house and observed Anderson on the floor and her 18-day-old baby, Melanie laying on the couch. She tried unsuccessfully to detect pulses on both victims. The police then asked her to wait outside on the porch. Another neighbor named Ronnie saw Watkins on the porch of the Anderson home during the evening of July 20, 1994. He said that he recognized Watkins as Anderson's boyfriend and that he saw him knocking on the front door to her home. He did not see him enter, because he went to answer the phone. When he returned to the front door several minutes later, the police had already arrived. The following day, Ronnie picked Watkins's photo from a photo array as the individual he saw. He also identified Watkins at trial as the person he had seen. Pittsburgh police officer Talib Ghafoor responded to the call from Monique. Officer Ghafoor arrived as Monique was trying to enter the residence. Upon entering, he observed Anderson on the floor and the baby on the couch. Anderson had wounds to her face and the baby had what appeared to be a shotgun wound to the abdomen. When the officer proceeded upstairs to secure the residence, he discovered the body of 9-year-old Charles Kevin Kelly, Jr. in the hallway at the top of the stairs. Officer Ghafoor observed that Kevin had a bullet wound near his right ear and was not moving or breathing. Pittsburgh homicide detective Thomas Foley processed the crime scene. He testified that in the living room, where the bodies of Anderson and her daughter were found, a coffee table had been upturned and its contents were spilled on the floor. Numerous spent .22 caliber shell casings as well as several live rounds were found throughout the room. Shell casings and spent bullets were also strewn about Kevin's body. All three victims were warm to the touch, indicating recent death. Forensic pathologist Leon Rozin testified that the victims all died of multiple gunshot wounds: 18-day-old Melanie Watkins had been shot twelve times; Beth Anderson received eight shots to her trunk and head; and her son Kevin was shot five times in the face, head and neck. There was soot or powder around many of the wounds, indicating that the bullets had been fired at close range. A ballistics expert testified that all of the spent cartridge casings found at the crime scene were discharged from the same semi-automatic .22 caliber firearm, which was capable of holding a thirty-round clip. Watkins's friend testified that he had been with Watkins at a bar until approximately 9:30 pm on the night of the murders. One or two days after the crime, Watkins called his friend and said, "You know who this is. I'm not f---ing around. You know what I've done. Shut up and listen." Watkins then told his friend that he needed him to contact several mutual acquaintances who owed Watkins money and instruct them to send the money to Watkins. When the friend declined, Watkins threatened to harm him and his family if he did not cooperate. The friend also testified that he knew Watkins only as "G" and did not learn that his actual name was Gerald until after the murders. In May of 1995, Watkins was apprehended in New York City by the FBI. After waiving his rights, Watkins gave a statement. He said on the night of the murders, he left Pittsburgh at about 7:00 pm in his grandmother's car. He admitted having been at Anderson's house earlier that day, but denied having argued with her. He said that he drove to Fort Lee, NJ, left the car there and took a bus into New York City. Watkins admitted that he knew he was wanted for Anderson's murder but claimed not to have been aware of the deaths of his daughter Melanie or Anderson's son Kevin. He also admitted to seeing an episode of the TV show America's Most Wanted which had featured a story about him, but claimed that he had not paid close enough attention to learn of the death of his daughter, Melanie. He admitted also that he had never inquired into Melanie's well-being after he learned of Anderson's death. On August 3, 1995, Pittsburgh detectives drove to New York to bring Watkins back for trial. During the drive, Watkins was talkative but did not discuss the murders. As they approached Somerset, Pennsylvania however, Watkins raised the topic of the killings. One of the detectives interrupted Watkins and advised him of his rights. Watkins said that he understood his rights and wanted to make a statement, which he ultimately signed. Watkins began his statement saying that "he was not the monster that the media and the police had panned him out to be." He claimed that the killings were not premeditated, that they were just "something that happened." He indicated that he had become jealous of a man named Lou who Anderson had begun spending time with and said that he believed that Anderson was not telling the truth about her relationship with Lou. A day or so before the murders, Anderson had spurned a marriage proposal from Watkins. On the before the murders, Watkins borrowed his grandmother's car, in possession of a Tech .22 semi-automatic handgun equipped with a twenty-round clip. In the evening, he drove to Anderson's house, gained entry with his key and found Anderson talking on the phone, whereupon he walked into the kitchen and then came back into the room where she was talking and shot her. Watkins denied picking up the phone and speaking to anyone. After killing Anderson, Watkins heard the television on upstairs. When he reached the top of the stairs, Beth's son Kevin, who had come into the upstairs hallway, made eye contact with Watkins and then grabbed Watkins around the waist. At that point, Watkins decided to kill Kevin "because he knew who I was and what I had just done." He then pushed Kevin away and shot him. Watkins checked the rest of the second floor of the house and, finding nobody else, proceeded back downstairs where Anderson's body was on the floor and her baby was asleep on the couch. He then shot baby Melanie because he felt that he could not raise her and he did not want anyone else to do so. Watkins tucked the gun in his waistband and left the house, trying to look "normal." He could not recall how many times he had shot any of the victims. As he stopped to put gas in his car, he noticed that his ammunition clip was empty. He then drove to New York where he threw the gun into the incinerator of an apartment building.
On July 20, 1994, at approximately 10:00 pm, Beth Ann Anderson telephoned her friend and neighbor Monique and told her that "Gerald is downstairs banging on the door." Anderson, who was using a portable phone, asked Monique to stay on the line as she went to the door. Monique then heard Anderson say, "Who is it?" and then "Gerald." A few seconds later, an individual whose voice and accent Monique recognized as belonging to Watkins, picked up the phone and spoke with Monique. He identified himself as "G," which Monique recognized as Watkins's nickname. The phone was then placed down and Monique heard Anderson say "ow" or "stop Gerald". She then heard sounds of a struggle, and then Anderson saying, "Call the police." After summoning the police, Monique went to the Anderson home and, as she pounded on the front door, the police arrived and forced entry. Monique entered the house and observed Anderson on the floor and her 18-day-old baby, Melanie laying on the couch. She tried unsuccessfully to detect pulses on both victims. The police then asked her to wait outside on the porch. Another neighbor named Ronnie saw Watkins on the porch of the Anderson home during the evening of July 20, 1994. He said that he recognized Watkins as Anderson's boyfriend and that he saw him knocking on the front door to her home. He did not see him enter, because he went to answer the phone. When he returned to the front door several minutes later, the police had already arrived. The following day, Ronnie picked Watkins's photo from a photo array as the individual he saw. He also identified Watkins at trial as the person he had seen. Pittsburgh police officer Talib Ghafoor responded to the call from Monique. Officer Ghafoor arrived as Monique was trying to enter the residence. Upon entering, he observed Anderson on the floor and the baby on the couch. Anderson had wounds to her face and the baby had what appeared to be a shotgun wound to the abdomen. When the officer proceeded upstairs to secure the residence, he discovered the body of 9-year-old Charles Kevin Kelly, Jr. in the hallway at the top of the stairs. Officer Ghafoor observed that Kevin had a bullet wound near his right ear and was not moving or breathing. Pittsburgh homicide detective Thomas Foley processed the crime scene. He testified that in the living room, where the bodies of Anderson and her daughter were found, a coffee table had been upturned and its contents were spilled on the floor. Numerous spent .22 caliber shell casings as well as several live rounds were found throughout the room. Shell casings and spent bullets were also strewn about Kevin's body. All three victims were warm to the touch, indicating recent death. Forensic pathologist Leon Rozin testified that the victims all died of multiple gunshot wounds: 18-day-old Melanie Watkins had been shot twelve times; Beth Anderson received eight shots to her trunk and head; and her son Kevin was shot five times in the face, head and neck. There was soot or powder around many of the wounds, indicating that the bullets had been fired at close range. A ballistics expert testified that all of the spent cartridge casings found at the crime scene were discharged from the same semi-automatic .22 caliber firearm, which was capable of holding a thirty-round clip. Watkins's friend testified that he had been with Watkins at a bar until approximately 9:30 pm on the night of the murders. One or two days after the crime, Watkins called his friend and said, "You know who this is. I'm not f---ing around. You know what I've done. Shut up and listen." Watkins then told his friend that he needed him to contact several mutual acquaintances who owed Watkins money and instruct them to send the money to Watkins. When the friend declined, Watkins threatened to harm him and his family if he did not cooperate. The friend also testified that he knew Watkins only as "G" and did not learn that his actual name was Gerald until after the murders. In May of 1995, Watkins was apprehended in New York City by the FBI. After waiving his rights, Watkins gave a statement. He said on the night of the murders, he left Pittsburgh at about 7:00 pm in his grandmother's car. He admitted having been at Anderson's house earlier that day, but denied having argued with her. He said that he drove to Fort Lee, NJ, left the car there and took a bus into New York City. Watkins admitted that he knew he was wanted for Anderson's murder but claimed not to have been aware of the deaths of his daughter Melanie or Anderson's son Kevin. He also admitted to seeing an episode of the TV show America's Most Wanted which had featured a story about him, but claimed that he had not paid close enough attention to learn of the death of his daughter, Melanie. He admitted also that he had never inquired into Melanie's well-being after he learned of Anderson's death. On August 3, 1995, Pittsburgh detectives drove to New York to bring Watkins back for trial. During the drive, Watkins was talkative but did not discuss the murders. As they approached Somerset, Pennsylvania however, Watkins raised the topic of the killings. One of the detectives interrupted Watkins and advised him of his rights. Watkins said that he understood his rights and wanted to make a statement, which he ultimately signed. Watkins began his statement saying that "he was not the monster that the media and the police had panned him out to be." He claimed that the killings were not premeditated, that they were just "something that happened." He indicated that he had become jealous of a man named Lou who Anderson had begun spending time with and said that he believed that Anderson was not telling the truth about her relationship with Lou. A day or so before the murders, Anderson had spurned a marriage proposal from Watkins. On the before the murders, Watkins borrowed his grandmother's car, in possession of a Tech .22 semi-automatic handgun equipped with a twenty-round clip. In the evening, he drove to Anderson's house, gained entry with his key and found Anderson talking on the phone, whereupon he walked into the kitchen and then came back into the room where she was talking and shot her. Watkins denied picking up the phone and speaking to anyone. After killing Anderson, Watkins heard the television on upstairs. When he reached the top of the stairs, Beth's son Kevin, who had come into the upstairs hallway, made eye contact with Watkins and then grabbed Watkins around the waist. At that point, Watkins decided to kill Kevin "because he knew who I was and what I had just done." He then pushed Kevin away and shot him. Watkins checked the rest of the second floor of the house and, finding nobody else, proceeded back downstairs where Anderson's body was on the floor and her baby was asleep on the couch. He then shot baby Melanie because he felt that he could not raise her and he did not want anyone else to do so. Watkins tucked the gun in his waistband and left the house, trying to look "normal." He could not recall how many times he had shot any of the victims. As he stopped to put gas in his car, he noticed that his ammunition clip was empty. He then drove to New York where he threw the gun into the incinerator of an apartment building.
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20636506/bethann_jane-anderson: accessed
), memorial page for BethAnn Jane Anderson (1964–20 Jul 1994), Find a Grave Memorial ID 20636506, citing Saint Peter's Cemetery, Pittsburgh,
Allegheny County,
Pennsylvania,
USA;
Maintained by WHITE DOVES (contributor 46922519).
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