JACKSON COUNTY — Ronald J. Anderson, now 63 of Seymour, Indiana, was sentenced to 18 years for killing Clifford Smith in 1982 on Monday, Indiana State Police said.
According to ISP, the body of 24-year-old Smith was found by trappers along the White River, north of Seymour, in December of 1982. Investigators determined that Smith died from a gunshot wound to the head.
While ISP detectives investigated the case at the time, no arrests were made.
ISP Sergeant Kip Main had been actively investigating the case since September of 2015.
His investigation discovered that Anderson was with Smith and others at a residence in the late hours of October 30, 1982.
ISP said the investigation revealed Anderson retrieved a shotgun from the house and loaded it. Anderson, while in possession of the shotgun, left the residence with Smith in a car. Smith was not seen alive after they left the residence late that night.
On October 31, 2023, exactly 41 years after the homicide, Anderson was arrested for the murder. Anderson pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, with the murder charge being dismissed.
Deputy Prosecutors Mark Hollingsworth and Daniel Carnes, who handled the prosecution for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, stated they were satisfied with the court's decision.
“I want to commend the Indiana State Police Investigators for their dedication to this case over the last forty plus years in an effort to bring justice and some sort of closure to Clifford Smith’s family," said Hollingsworth in a press release. "We are pleased that in this case, justice delayed was not justice denied."
