12-07-02: Anderson civil trial set

12-07-02: Anderson civil trial set

By SHELLEY GRIESHOP
The Daily Standard

    WAPAKONETA - A jury trial has been set for June 2003 in a wrongful death lawsuit filed more than a year ago against Kimberly Anderson who shot and killed her husband, Celina attorney Brent Anderson on Sept. 2, 2001.
    Two weeks is being set aside for the June 2, 2003, civil trial in Auglaize County Common Pleas Court.
    Kimberly Anderson, 38, of rural Wapakoneta, was acquitted of all murder charges relating to her estranged husband's death during a seven-day jury trial held in Defiance County in October. Jurors found her not guilty after she claimed self defense was her motive for the fatal shooting in the upstairs bedroom of her home.
    The couple were separated and a divorce was pending.
    Brent Anderson's brother, Kevin Anderson of Cincinnati, filed the wrongful death suit against his brother's wife on behalf of Kimberly and Brent Anderson's two young sons. Kevin Anderson is seeking an undetermined amount of compensation for the children and is represented in the case by attorney Richard Wallace of Sidney.
    Kimberly Anderson is represented in the civil case by Wapakoneta attorney Rob C. Wiesenmayer II.
    In her response to the suit in October 2001, Kimberly Anderson stated her husband was trespassing on her property and she was defending herself and her children when the shooting occurred.
    On Nov. 7, Wiesenmayer motioned the court to preserve for inspection the evidence and other tangible things used in the criminal case against Kimberly Anderson, in case they are needed in the civil case. Judge Frederick Pepple has not yet answered the motion.
    A custody suit also filed by Kevin Anderson remains pending in Auglaize County Domestic Rela-tions Court.
    Despite the pending cases, Kimberly Anderson appeared Nov. 11 on The John Walsh Show on NBC to recant her story about the shooting. The show that day featured three separate stories, including Kimberly Anderson's, of people who claimed they killed someone in self-defense and later faced charges for their actions.
    Anderson claimed during her segment on the show, just as she did during her criminal trial, that she suspected Brent Anderson was sexually abusing their children. She claimed a conversation about the abuse is what enraged her husband to "chase" her upstairs that Labor Day weekend day.
    No conclusive evidence of sexual abuse by Brent Anderson was ever found by law enforcement officers or laboratory experts, even though rape tests were performed on the children and DNA tests were done on their clothing the day of the shooting.

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