Prosecution presses case that Carnation killer was in control, 'excited' about murders



SEATTLE -- Joseph McEnroe, convicted of killing three generations of one family in Carnation more than seven years ago, took the stand again Wednesday in the penalty  phase of his trial.

McEnroe's defense contends McEnroe is mentally ill and was manipulated by his then-girlfriend, Michele Anderson, who allegedly convinced him to help her kill her family on Christmas Eve 2007.

Michele's mother, Judy, screamed seconds before McEnroe pulled the trigger.

“She was saying, 'No! No!'" McEnroe said.

Prosecutor Scott O’Toole, who convinced a jury to convict McEnroe for killing six  members of the Anderson family, is now trying to persuade the same jury to give McEnroe the death penalty.

“Mr. McEnroe, isn’t it true that you were more than willing to go along with these murders despite the many opportunities that Michele Anderson gave you to back out?” asked O’Toole

“That is not true,” McEnroe replied.

“You were excited about it, were you not?" asked O’Toole.

“Absolutely not!” McEnroe shot back.

As O'Toole tried to chip away at McEnroe's defense of mental illness, McEnroe twitched and shook on the stand.

McEnroe admitted to hiding the bodies of Wayne and Judy Anderson in a backyard shed.

O’Toole got McEnroe to admit that it was his idea to clean up the crime scene.

The state contends McEnroe was in control -- not his girlfriend -- when the two waited for Michele's brother, Scott, his wife, Erica and their two kids to show up to the house after Michele's parents were killed.

McEnroe testified that after Michele fired on her brother, Erica called 911. Jurors heard that call on Wednesday.

“Mr. McEnroe, you're telling me that's not Erica yelling, ‘No, not the kids,'” O’Toole said.

McEnroe testified earlier that he had intercepted the 911 call, took the batteries out of the phone, and shot Erica in front of her kids, 5 year-old Olivia and 3 year-old Nathan.

The prosecution showed a picture McEnroe drew in prison. It’s a small child with his hands up. McEnroe contends it’s not a picture of Nathan.

“You’ve told people in the past seven years they deserved to die,” O’Toole said.

McEnroe responded by saying he thought he and his girlfriend were in danger from her family and that he killed the children to get rid of witnesses.

The killer says he is now disgusted but the prosecution says the show of remorse is fake.

At one point during cross-examination O’Toole asked McEnroe why he was changing his voice on the stand and if he was mocking the seriousness of the murders.

McEnroe angrily replied, “Absolutely not! I am mocking myself. I am mocking my foolishness.”

McEnroe contends he has a split personality, but the prosecution says the killer made that excuse after the murders. They say the real motive was money.

Michele Anderson’s trial date is set for January.