HENNEPIN, Ill. (AP) – A Putnam County judge will call a pool of 300 potential jurors for the upcoming trial of a Standard man accused of fatally beating his sister-in-law nearly two years ago.
The (Peoria) Journal-Star reports Circuit Judge Stephen Kouri has made backup plans to move Clifford Andersen Jr.’s trial to nearby Tazewell County if a jury can’t be seated. Putnam County has about 5,700 residents.
The 68-year-old Andersen is charged with first-degree murder and the concealment of a homicidal death. Prosecutors claim he beat Deborah Dewey to death on Aug. 22, 2016 and buried her Sept. 7 outside a vacant home of which he was caretaker.
Authorities claim a motive tied to large amounts of money Andersen had allegedly been borrowing from the Ladd woman to support a gambling habit.
