Brothers take guilty pleas Wed. just before trial to begin for 2008 slaying

Rather than stand trial Wednesday on a murder charge for killing a man nearly two years ago, two Whitley County brothers instead entered guilty pleas to reduced charges.

James Allen Anderson, 35, and James W. Anderson, 41, were both initially indicted for murder and complicity to commit murder in Larry Dean Jones death. Jones, 34, was found dead laying in a ditch beside Cane Gap Road about 1:30 a.m. on June 20, 2008. He was shot three times in the head.

James A. Anderson entered a guilty plea to first-degree manslaughter in Jones death in exchange for prosecutors recommending a 15-year prison sentence before trial began.

Once the seven-man, six woman jury was selected for James W. Anderson’s trial, prosecutors and defense attorneys resumed negotiations and reached a plea deal in his case.

He pleaded guilty to criminal complicity to commit first-degree manslaughter in exchange for prosecutors recommending a 12-year prison sentence.

Both offenses carry a sentencing range between 10 to 20 years in prison, and are considered violent offenses in Kentucky. This means that each man will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Both defendants admitted to shooting Jones. James A. Anderson initially claimed that he shot Jones in self-defense. James W. Anderson initially claimed that he had been knocked unconscious during an altercation with Jones, and only woke up when the shots were fired.

Neither defendant is eligible for shock probation.

Circuit Judge Paul Braden scheduled formal sentencing for July 20 in both cases.

The case made headlines numerous times in 2008 with six other people related to the two brothers being charged as accessories after the fact.

Three of those family members, Tammy Marie Podsaid, 42, Gloria Perry, 62, and Larry Perry, 57, all entered guilty pleas last year to tampering with physical evidence charges in exchange for prosecutors dismissing criminal facilitation to commit murder charges against the trio.

Prosecutors recommended that three-year prison sentences in each case be probated for three years. Under the terms of the plea deal, Larry Perry and Podsaid were required to serve 120 days in jail.

Prosecutors agreed to dismiss facilitation to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence charges against James Lee Podsaid, 38, who was also charged in connection with the case.

In addition, the grand jury also charged two other relatives of the men, Jason A. Anderson, 33, and John Anderson, 45, both of Williamsburg, with criminal facilitation to commit murder for allegedly "aiding James A. Anderson and/or James W. Anderson in the murder of Larry D. Jones," according to their indictments.

They allegedly helped James A. and James W. after the shooting occurred.

Jason Anderson was also scheduled to stand trial Wednesday, but his trial was postponed. He is scheduled to appear in court again on July 20 for a pre-trial conference.

John Anderson pleaded guilty to an amended charge of hindering apprehension or prosecution in exchange for prosecutors recommending a 12-month jail sentence that was conditionally discharged for two years.

On Sept. 24, 2008, police recovered the gun believed to have been used in the shooting in the Cumberland River near the Louden Bridge. The weapon was recovered a short distance away from James W. Anderson’s trailer.

Gloria Perry is the mother of James W. Anderson and Jason Anderson, and Larry Perry is her husband.

According to their indictment, Larry Perry disposed of the .22 rifle allegedly used in Jones killing and Gloria Perry disposed of the shirt that James W. Anderson wore the night Jones was killed.

According to her indictment, Tammy Podsaid, who is the sister of James W. and James A. Anderson, allegedly disposed of a shirt that Jones had worn the night he was killed.

James Lee Podsaid is the husband of Tammy Podsaid.

James Allen and James W. Anderson are the only ones charged with murder in the slaying. The remainder of the defendants are accused of assisting them after the crime.