Near noon on December 5, 1991, Darrell Lee and Karen Thompson approached John Calvin Anderson at his car to kidnap and rob him in order to get money to buy drugs.

Lee and Thompson took Mr. Anderson's money and credit cards, then took him to a bank machine where they forced him to tell them his PIN. Thompson then used Mr. Anderson's bank card to withdraw money from the ATM. Mr. Anderson begged for his life, and Lee told him he would not be harmed. Lee and Thompson bound Mr. Anderson and left him in a ditch.

A short time later, however, they came back and got Mr. Anderson and put him in the trunk of his car. Lee and Thompson drove from Phoenix to La Paz County, with Mr. Anderson bound in the trunk for approximately 8 hours.

Using a garden hose, Lee unsuccessfully attempted to poison Mr. Anderson with automobile exhaust. Mr. Anderson tried to escape, but Lee recaptured him. Lee attempted to strangle Mr. Anderson with a belt, then held him while Thompson killed him by hitting him in the head with a rock. Lee then again strangled Mr. Anderson after Thompson struck the fatal blow.

PROCEEDINGS

    Presiding Judge: Michael Irwin
    Prosecutor: Steven Suskin
    Start of Trial: November 10, 1992
    Verdict:  November 17, 1992
    Sentencing: March 8, 1993

Aggravating Circumstances:

    Prior convictions involving violence
    Pecuniary gain
    Especially cruel

Mitigating Circumstances:

    None sufficient to call for leniency

PUBLISHED OPINIONS

    State v. Lee (Darrel), 185 Ariz. 549, 917 P.2d 692 (1996).

  

Darrell Eston Lee